I have worked in animal rescue for many years. There is an ongoing situation in Pennington County that has me very concerned. There is a rescue that has been taking puppies off of Pine Ridge for several weeks. With the recent roundups on PR, they have taken in at least 25 additional dogs. Tribal authorities have banned them from Pine Ridge. One of my concerns is that the dogs & puppies they have just taken in are being handed over to adopters & fosters without any vet checks. They are claiming the dogs are fully-vetted. I have been contacted by a couple concerned fosters/adopters, as well as concerned members of the animal community. My immediate concern is that many, if not most, rez dogs have herding dogs in their lineage. Many herding dogs have the MDR1 gene mutation. The rescue is giving foster/adopters Ivermectin to treat these dogs, at dosages that are not warranted. This presents an immediate health risks to the dogs. When a dog with the MDR1 gene mutation receives Ivermectin, the dog will probably die without immediate veterinary intervention. The MDR1 gene mutation allows the Ivermectin to cross the blood-brain barrier & the Ivermectin basically poisons the brain. Please watch for any neurological signs: drooling, pacing, dilated pupils, head titling, unable to stand or walk, weaving/wobbling when walking etc... I f you see any of these signs or the animal is acting strangely, seek medical attention immediately. Another concern is that they are treating mange without having the type of mange verified by a veterinarian. There are 2 different types of mange commonly seen on South Dakota reservations, Sarcoptic & Demodectic. A scraping examined under a microscope is the only way to tell the difference. Sarcoptic is extremely contagious to other dogs & can be passed to humans also. This rescue is not warning fosters/adopters of the risks involved to their other pets and families. Since many of these dogs were handed off to fosters/adopters within hours of being taken in, without any quarantine period, the possibility of rabies infection or parvo is also a great concern. Again, if the dog is acting strangely, please immediately seek vet care. If you have fostered or adopted a dog from Pine Ridge recently, please- for the sake of the dog, your other pets, and your family, have it seen by a veterinarian. If you have adopted from a legitimate rescue, you will have received medical documentation provided by a veterinarian, not something scribbled on a piece of paper.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:17:27 +0000
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