Funded Projects

Veterinary Clinical Sciences 305X – Spring 2005
Maddies’s Shelter Medicine Course
Iowa State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Course Content

The following topics are planned for the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Course. Community contributors from Iowa and the surrounding states, as well as speakers from around the nation, will be invited to participate. It is hoped that Mr. Rich Avanzino and Dr. Laurie Peek will participate again in this course.

This course is offered to all freshman (VMI) veterinary students. Other veterinary students may enroll with permission of the Instructor. The course objective is to familiarize the professional student with companion animal population medicine and welfare. Companion animal shelters will be the primary focus.

1. Components of population medicine. In this class, shelter medicine students are introduced to an overview of two general types of populations of dogs and cats. The first is the stable population, which occurs in households, sanctuaries, research units, and breeding facilities. Transient populations include shelters, traditional and no-kill, boarding establishments, and veterinary hospitals and clinics. Influencing many of these is the neighborhood population that will display, carry, and transmit infectious diseases. Populations of animals actually reflect disease that is prevalent in the community, especially the transient environments. Environmental management (sanitation, housing, isolation, reduction in stress) and nutrition is introduced. Population challenges (disease transmission, ectoparasites, endoparasites, etc) are presented. The shelter is the center of this discussion.
   
2. Transient populations and disease control. This focuses on populations, primarily shelters, where animals are moving through and perhaps bringing pathogens with them. Exposure of naive animals to shelter environments is also presented. Upper respiratory disease in the cat is discussed, as is parvovirus in the dog and cat. Vaccination protocols, environment, and treatment are covered.
   
3. Stable populations and challenges. Stable populations of shelter animals in sanctuaries and their behavioral and health needs will be covered. Material will be relevant to other shelters with long-term residents waiting for adoption.
   
4. Issues involving control of feral cat colonies. The reality of feral cats is presented to the students. Welfare, environmental issues, and management of colonies are discussed. The veterinarian’s role in performing surgical sterilization, and education of caretakers and the community is covered. Trap neuter and return, both pros and cons are delivered including non-lethal means of contraception. Students take a position and are then required to investigate the literature of the opposing position to gain a broader understanding. This problem affects communities and plagues shelters.
   
5. Components of the successful no-kill shelter. A guest speaker who is a director of a model no-kill will present this. Information taught includes where the animals come from, how the animals are housed, how the shelter is supported, fundraising, marketing, how adoptions are conducted, and other humane issues. Spay neuter and education of the community is emphasized. The veterinarian’s role is also presented.
   
6. Components of the successful traditional shelter. A guest speaker who is a director of a traditional shelter will present this topic. The items in #2 and 3 above are covered. Also included is why this shelter doesn’t believe they can become no-kill in the near future.
   
7. Behaviors leading to abandonment (canine). This is a very important topic that will be delivered by a guest speaker. Behaviors that most commonly lead to relinquishment are taught along with methods to decrease these behaviors. Prevention in the form of schooling for dogs is emphasized, as is the veterinarian’s role is counseling clients about making the right choices. Models for partnering behavior training with veterinary clinics is discussed.
   
8. Behaviors leading to abandonment (feline). A guest speaker who works with behavior problems in the cat will deliver this lecture. Education of veterinary students regarding inappropriate urination is essential. Aggression is also covered. Management of problems and treatment of pets, to avoid relinquishment, is emphasized. Cat handling and facilities design in the shelter to reduce stress, so that accurate assessment of temperament can be done, will be discussed.
   
9. Facility design to maximize quality of life. This lecture will focus on facility design in shelters that offers enrichment. With an enriched environment, behavioral health can be maintained and adoptable pets can be housed until the right family is found.
   
10. Facility design to minimize disease. Reception areas, intake areas, housing, surface areas, disinfection, all in all out techniques, airflow, temperature, humidity, isolation facilities, veterinary facilities, and adoption areas will be discussed. Design to minimize transmission and outbreaks of disease will be taught.
    
11. Zoonotic disease in shelters. This topic is important for the health of humans working in the shelters and for the community (visitors, foster and adoption family, etc). Disease with a low incidence but high morbidity (e.g. rabies virus) is covered as well as other diseases with high incidence and low human morbidity. Disease transmitted by bites and scratches and infected skin (dermatophytes), gastrointestinal diseases (bacteria and parasites), and urinary and genital system disease will be covered, as will be exotic diseases. Shelters are unique in the potential for Zoonotic disease because of the numbers of animals that are handled, the stress the animals are under lowering their resistance, the general medical condition of the animals and the close environment most are kept in.
    
12. Population control. The realism of pet overpopulation is the focus of this topic along with methods, surgical and non-surgical, of stopping the births. New advances reported by The Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs is included.
    
13. Networking and Fostering. A shelter director, from a no kill facility, will present this topic. The hows and whys of networking and fostering are discussed. Education and involvement of the community to solve the problem of companion animal surplus is highlighted.
    
14. The veterinarian’s role in shelter medicine. A shelter veterinarian working with no-kill and traditional shelters will present the aspects of their position and the rewards they receive for working with homeless animals. This will include preventative health care, development of protocols with shelter personnel to minimize disease transmission, and treatment protocols. Establishing criteria for and the euthanasia of the healthy/adoptable, treatable, and non-rehabilitatable pets will be covered.
    
15. Developing the specialty of shelter medicine. A noted authority will be invited to speak to students about the opportunities in shelter medicine and efforts being made to standardize education of students and veterinarians. Development of shelter medicine as a specialty will be introduced.