Quarantining Tips Please - If 'full Quarantine' Not Possible

[koalathebear]

To date, we avoided fostering dogs (via rescue) that are striaght out of the pound because we don't have the ability to quarantine properly. Thus far, we have:

- fostered dogs that have already been quarantined with another carer for 2 weeks;

- are pups from a litter and parent that were already in foster care when born i.e. not from a pound/parvo environment

I am considering the possibility of fostering dogs (via a rescue group of course) that are directly from the pound. I know that this increases the risk of parvo/kennel cough etc

Constraints:

1. I don't have the ability (or money!) to built a proper quarantine i.e. stand-alone bathroom-like room that's fully washable/rinesable etc.

2. I don't have a separate laundry.

In terms of alternatives, I was considering:

1. creating a dog run on a concreted area of the back yard

2. when the dog is in the house, keeping it in a crate or in the main bathroom for the first two weeks.

Any other suggestions? What sorts of 'chemicals' and accessories should I be buying so that I can disinfect and also maintain quarantine.

I know some people are quite relaxed about this but I personally know some carers who have experienced the tragedy of puppies with parvo dying while in care - and then having to disinfect the entire house and also be precluded form fostering further puppies because unvaccinated pups were permitted to run all through the garden/grass/dirt etc i.e. for me it is a real danger and not just a theoretical thing.

Edited May 17, 2013 by koalathebear

[tdierikx]

A 1:20 mix of chlorine bleach on areas that have already been scrubbed to remove dirt particles will assist in killing parvo - leave it on for 10-15 mins at least, then rinse off thoroughly before putting animals back on the surface you've cleaned.. F10 is better, but much more expensive and not that easy to come by for the average joe.

Don't forget that adult dogs that have already been immunised can still carry/shed parvo, and have no symptoms... just a heads up on that one.

Kennel cough is not a huge worry as long as an infection doesn't set in - and most times, a course of AB's will sort that quickly in an otherwise healthy dog/pup. Don't give AB's unless there IS an infection, as it won't help, and costs too much to be used when unnecessary.

Actually - may I suggest an awesome book that will give you every answer you could ever need on the subject of fostering? It was written by a very experienced rescuer who frequents DOL... *grin*

http://www.fostermanual.com/ - worth every penny and more!

T.

[Dame Aussie]

What she said.

I think a concrete run would be good for quarantine and if you can get your hands on some F10, it's by far the best for cleaning when it comes to parvo etc.

Also be aware of corona, similar to parvo.

[mixeduppup]

I use F10 and have a separate kennel up the back in a fenced off area where my other dogs don't go. I only take dogs that have been treated with Comfortis 24hrs before and look reasonably healthy and no young puppies. So far I have been OK.

[kelpiecuddles]

F10 is not hard to get, we stock it at work in a couple of sized bottles. The pet store i work for has a shop in Canberra so i am sure you could get it there. PM me if you want info.

Do you have a garage maybe you could use?

[Rebanne]

unless you can keep your own dogs away from the run and the crate and change your clothes and shoes everytime you won't have any quarantine.

[koalathebear]

unless you can keep your own dogs away from the run and the crate and change your clothes and shoes everytime you won't have any quarantine.

Thanks. Do you have any suggestions i.e. things that you have done to mitigate risk if you have rescued dogs from the pound?

[kelpiecuddles]

How much space have you got? If you could have the run and then have a second fence to isolate the run you might be doing better. Having the run enclosed up to a decent height and the wire on the top might help atleast stop direct contact between your dogs.

[koalathebear]

How much space have you got? If you could have the run and then have a second fence to isolate the run you might be doing better. Having the run enclosed up to a decent height and the wire on the top might help atleast stop direct contact between your dogs.

Quite a bit of space and I could set up a fence (like this) and put a run or large crate inside it. Is parvo (and other nasties) diffused through the air though?

I'm aware of how serious this issue is - which is why I still haven't fostered a dog directly from the pound. The longevity of parvo in soil is longer and far worse than a lot of scheduled hazardous substances :p These days I wonder how many people rent/buy houses without knowing that perhaps the soil is contaminated by parvo - I mean how many people disclose that when they leave?

Edited May 17, 2013 by koalathebear

[Dame Aussie]

That's something I think about too, a lot of people don't know how long it stays in the yard so I doubt they'd say anything.

Parvo can be spread by birds etc so effectively yes could be airborne.

[Rebanne]

unless you can keep your own dogs away from the run and the crate and change your clothes and shoes everytime you won't have any quarantine.

Thanks. Do you have any suggestions i.e. things that you have done to mitigate risk if you have rescued dogs from the pound?

no I don't take dogs direct from pounds, except once 20 years ago. I have taken dogs direct from others (greyhound kennels) though. It's a risk I chose to take.

[mixeduppup]

the best thing to do is bring in dogs over 12 months of age, have your dogs fully vaccinated and keep them separate and use f10. Unless you go full barrier nursing and steralisation then you cannot achieve full quarantine as Rebanne has said. I've taken in over 20 dogs direct from the pound as fosters and temp care and have never had an issue following those steps.

Edited May 17, 2013 by mixeduppup

[Rescue List]

Quarantine ideas to minimise risk are in a pinned thread here

[koalathebear]

Quarantine ideas to minimise risk are in a pinned thread here

Thanks. I've read that but it was for the full-on quarantine facility which I do not have. I was hoping to see what other people who don't have the deluxe model do.

[Rebanne]

Personally, if you can't do the full on quarantine then you have to accept that there is no quarantine. Only you can then decide if you are willing to take the risk.

[Steve]

Personally, if you can't do the full on quarantine then you have to accept that there is no quarantine. Only you can then decide if you are willing to take the risk.

Agreed - and while kennel cough is a pain and parvo is deadly they are not the only things which put your dogs and your family at risk. Ringworm, internal and external parasites,giardia etc. So if you have a system which is followed and never short cutted as the dog comes in you can at least minimise the risks. Taking its temp, checking its vitals, black light over it, worming preps given, a bath with a check and application of meds for fleas ticks etc and of course having your own dogs well protected with vaccinations etc.

Know what is normal for a dog, heart rate, temperature, hydration signs, gum colour etc know how to spot for signs of external parasites etc

So have a checklist that you work through and tick off no matter what before it comes into contact at all with your dogs or before it's feet hit the floor anything at all that's remotely out of wack is a red light -this isnt fool proof as parvo, and kennel cough incubate for several days and a dog can appear healthy and drop within a few hours but it reduces the risks radically.

[koalathebear]

Agreed - and while kennel cough is a pain and parvo is deadly they are not the only things which put your dogs and your family at risk. Ringworm, internal and external parasites,giardia etc. So if you have a system which is followed and never short cutted as the dog comes in you can at least minimise the risks. Taking its temp, checking its vitals, black light over it, worming preps given, a bath with a check and application of meds for fleas ticks etc and of course having your own dogs well protected with vaccinations etc.

Know what is normal for a dog, heart rate, temperature, hydration signs, gum colour etc know how to spot for signs of external parasites etc

So have a checklist that you work through and tick off no matter what before it comes into contact at all with your dogs or before it's feet hit the floor anything at all that's remotely out of wack is a red light -this isnt fool proof as parvo, and kennel cough incubate for several days and a dog can appear healthy and drop within a few hours but it reduces the risks radically.

Thanks Steve. That's very helpful and exactly what I was looking for. Most people can't have 'full quarantine' so the option is either foster in the manner I have been doing or not foster at all but I'd like to see what steps other people take to minimise risks when full quarantine is not possible. As mentioned, I can do things like:

- segregate dog from my dogs for 2 weeks - as mentioned, there's a concreted area which we can segregate with a fence and then put a run/crate inside that

- when inside, keep the dog crated and in the bathroom

- have bleach ready

- ideally wear different clothes/shoes

I still haven't decided I will take dogs that are out of a pound, I'm still pondering things and seeing what I'm prepared to do. We've had a dog with kennel cough before and one of my own dogs came to us with ringworm so we've treated those things before. I really am most concerned about parvo because it's so horribly infectious and incredibly cruel to the dogs in question.

Personally, if you can't do the full on quarantine then you have to accept that there is no quarantine. Only you can then decide if you are willing to take the risk.

I agree - but even if one agrees to 'take the risk', there are risk mitigation steps that can be taken rather being entirely irresponsible and letting the dog mingle with resident dogs, run around on grass and tramp all through through the house etc. There's clearly a line between all in and all out.

That being said, my dogs do go to obedience school and dog park so are no doubt exposed to all sorts of nasties there, too. Nonetheless, I do want to try to take precautions where possible.

Edited May 18, 2013 by koalathebear

[Steve]

Agreed - and while kennel cough is a pain and parvo is deadly they are not the only things which put your dogs and your family at risk. Ringworm, internal and external parasites,giardia etc. So if you have a system which is followed and never short cutted as the dog comes in you can at least minimise the risks. Taking its temp, checking its vitals, black light over it, worming preps given, a bath with a check and application of meds for fleas ticks etc and of course having your own dogs well protected with vaccinations etc.

Know what is normal for a dog, heart rate, temperature, hydration signs, gum colour etc know how to spot for signs of external parasites etc

So have a checklist that you work through and tick off no matter what before it comes into contact at all with your dogs or before it's feet hit the floor anything at all that's remotely out of wack is a red light -this isnt fool proof as parvo, and kennel cough incubate for several days and a dog can appear healthy and drop within a few hours but it reduces the risks radically.

Thanks Steve. That's very helpful and exactly what I was looking for. Most people can't have 'full quarantine' so the option is either foster in the manner I have been doing or not foster at all but I'd like to see what steps other people take to minimise risks when full quarantine is not possible. As mentioned, I can do things like:

- segregate dog from my dogs for 2 weeks - as mentioned, there's a concreted area which we can segregate with a fence and then put a run/crate inside that

- when inside, keep the dog crated and in the bathroom

- have bleach ready

- ideally wear different clothes/shoes

I still haven't decided I will take dogs that are out of a pound, I'm still pondering things and seeing what I'm prepared to do. We've had a dog with kennel cough before and one of my own dogs came to us with ringworm so we've treated those things before. I really am most concerned about parvo because it's so horribly infectious and incredibly cruel to the dogs in question.

Personally, if you can't do the full on quarantine then you have to accept that there is no quarantine. Only you can then decide if you are willing to take the risk.

I agree - but even if one agrees to 'take the risk', there are risk mitigation steps that can be taken rather being entirely irresponsible and letting the dog mingle with resident dogs, run around on grass and tramp all through through the house etc. There's clearly a line between all in and all out.

That being said, my dogs do go to obedience school and dog park so are no doubt exposed to all sorts of nasties there, too. Nonetheless, I do want to try to take precautions where possible.

Just because its almost my birthday Ill shout you a foster carers course which covers all of this if you like.

Julie

[Dame Aussie]

You're a legend Steve :)

[tdierikx]

Shmoo's Foster Manual also covers all of this and more...

http://www.fostermanual.com/

... and will be an awesome companion for doing the MDBA Foster Carer's course... *grin*

T.