What is the adjustment time for any dog or animal thatI bring from the shelter?
Adopters should expect that their new animals will need some time to adjust to its new family including resident pets, new schedule, new home environment and new communication style. Major life changes impose significant stress on dogs whether they are rescued dogs or not. This can include anytime the animals routine is significantly changed, such as a change in home, addition of a new family member or a pet, change in family dynamics, etc. During this adjustment period, the new dog may exhibit aberrant behavior. This may include having housetraining accidents, making serious efforts to escape including bolting out the door, jumping fences, digging under fences, attempting to avoid interaction with its new owners, and excessive barking among others. They may also have a decreased appetite or an upset stomach.
Your new pet does not know that you are its new home. All it knows is that once again it is in a different environment, with different smells, different noises, different people who treat him or her in a different way, including giving it different commands and allowing different behavior, feed it differently and maybe have other animals or children for it to adjust to. Your dog needs time to do just that, adjust to everything new. They will find their own space and schedule in this time and then you can start interacting closely with them and preventing behavior that is inappropriate.
It is best if you could give your new dog about a week or so with very little demands, including not talking to him/her, petting or doing anything which adds more stress while he/she adjusts. Walks may be the best form of exercise at least. If the dog has indigestion or throws up more than once, you should then contact the vet.
If I accidentally run over an animal while driving what should I do?
Stop in a way that you are not causing danger to yourself or any other road user. If you are approaching an injured animal, it will probably be frightened and might even try to bite or scratch you. If you realise you have hit someone’s pet, you may want to ask roadside people if they know the owner of the dog is. If you cannot find any information about the animal’s owner, you need to report the accident to a police officer or at your local police station within the next 24 hours. Make sure that the animal reaches a vet and is taken care of. If you decide to take the animal on your own, get a blanket and a straight board and put the animal on it. Do not put him/ her in the boot, rather place the board on the back seat. When you come across an accident or an animal in severe distress, immediately proceed with the basic emergency drill.
If breathing appears to have stopped completely, check for a heartbeat. Normal heartbeat can be felt by placing the fingertips on the lower part of the chest wall on the left side, just behind the front leg.
Do the following: (in case no help is available at the time)
Airway- Ensure that there is nothing blocking the animal’s nasal passage. Squeeze the nasal passage with a flat palm. Blow into the nose, it helps clean the nasal passage.
Bleeding- To control bleeding, tightly press a cold compress or a piece of cloth against the wound. Repeat and bandage. If blood is bright red and pumping, it is from an artery. Apply a tourniquet above the wound. If in case the blood is dark red and flowing regularly, apply the tourniquet below the wound.
Collapse, convulsions and lack of consciousness- Take the animal to the side of the road where it will not receive any further injury. Start artificial respiration. If it does not respond, try mouth to mouth respiration. Convulsions occur in cases of heat stroke, severe exhaustion and poisoning. Do not restrain an animal when it is having a spasm. Administer glucose and a warm drink orally, once the animal recovers from the fit. Give Diazepam (to calm down the animal) orally after consulting a vet.
Is it wise to adopt dogs such as Saint Bernard, a Husky or any other furry dogs in such a weather in India?
No. Such dog needs very cold temperatures to survive. It also needs a lot of exercise. Even if you have an airconditioner at home, you will still need to take him outdoors and the heat here might just be too much for the dog. Apart from that their hair attracts ticks and fleas and the dog makes itself extremely ill by constantly scratching. Far too many Saint Bernards are bought because the owner wants to show off and then they are abandoned in a few moths.
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