What are some common health problems that might come up when an animal has been in the shelter for awhile?
Regardless of where you get your pet, many animals are perfectly healthy. Others may have conditions that are easy to treat or those that will require more care and patience on your part. In the company of a large number of other animals, some may have upper respiratory infections or colds. Dogs may have kennel cough, or, more rarely, parvo or distemper. Most of these conditions are treatable and the animals recover well with rare exception, says Dr. Dave McKeown, Fox Chapel Veterinary Hospital (Germantown). When you adopt from MCHS, be sure to follow the steps on the Post-Adoption Checklist and also read the pamphlet “Health Care Alert for Your New Pet’s Sake” – it has a convenient chart that outlines common conditions, symptoms and what to do about them.
