After Adoption

You’ve adopted a new pet! What to do now?

If you feel your animal is having a medical issue within the first few weeks please call Ashley at 587.778.7667 or Tessa at 780.884.1172. We will not cover vet bills after adoption but if there is a medical issue, we want to be notified right away. We may be able to ask our vet clinic that saw the pet, and help advise you on what to do next.

We may have given you a lot of information during your adoption! Here is some key things to remember:

1) UPDATE OWNER INFORMTION:

If your new pet has a tattoo, call the vet clinic where your pet was fixed to update the towner information. Your tattoo can give you information about your pet. The first letter stands for the year the pet was fixed. H is for 2020. The next two letters stand for the clinic. The numbers following simply identify your specific pet.

Crestwood Vet (780) 444-7550
Whitecourt Vet (780) 778-5767
Vegreville Vet (780) 632-2515

Here is a link to all vet clinics in Alberta and what the letters in your animal’s ear stands for. https://www.albertaanimalhealthsource.ca/content/abvma-tattoo-combination-master-list

Your animal might have a microchip. There are two common microchip companies. Call them to let them know you are the new owner.
EIDAP https://www.eidap.com/contact-us/
24Pet Watch https://www.24petwatch.com/ca/Default

2) SECURE YOUR VET RECORDS:

This is something we don’t always have ready at adoption. Thankfully our vet clinics can always email you a copy of a spay or neuter certificate, and any vaccines the vet may have done. In rare cases when an animal was surrendered previously, we may not have a spay/neuter certificate, but a vet has told us this animal is already fixed.

Again, use the links for Crestwood, Whitecourt or Summerside, or google the vet clinic where your pet was done. If you have any questions about this please call Ashley at 587.778.7667 or Tessa at 780.884.1172

Take a photo of the medical history form we gave you. We don’t keep a copy so it is a great idea to store an image of this on your phone.

VACCINATIONS & DE-WORMING:

You medical history will tell you when your pet was vaccinated and de-wormed. Often this is when they first come into care. We do this at the rescue so we use our own paper form. The stickers from the vaccine vials are on this paper.

For puppies they have a second vaccination about a month later, and a third about a month after that. Typically the adopter will handle the 3rd vaccination as we adopt out after the second vaccine. For puppies you will need to get a rabies shot when your vet says they are old enough.

For adult dogs they are vaccinated on intake. They are typically given a rabies shot as well. Rabies shots are always done at a vet clinic. You can get a copy of the rabies vaccine certificate from the vet clinic, if needed.

For kittens we vaccinate on intake and one month later. They do not need a 3rd shot like puppies. We typically have kittens long enough to do both shots, however in some cases the adopter may be responsible for the second vaccination (or booster).

For cats we vaccinate on intake. You will vaccinate a year later for their annual check up.

We de-worm our animals with Strongid when they are small and for adult dogs and cats we de-worm with Drontal (dogs) Milbemax (cats) which are much more comprehensive de-wormers. De-worming is an ongoing process you can talk to your vet about. It is not just once, and never again. We sometimes use topical de-wormers or anti-parasitics, which we would note on your record.

We do not vaccinate against Bordatella (dogs), we do not do dental cleaning, only emergent dental care when suggested by the vet. We do not do x-rays, blood work or any other vet work unless recommended by our vet clinic. Animals are given a basic check up to ensure they are ready for sedation/anesthetic and a spay or neuter surgery.

3) ALLOW YOUR PET TIME TO ADJUST

Secure your animal. New pets often run away. This can be devastating for new pet owners. Use a harness and collar, make sure they are tight before venturing out. Do not take your dog to an off-leash area. They do not know you, or their name and they will not come back. When you open the door, secure your pet first. We have had countless stories of pets who slipped out the door.

Watch their stool. When switching food or even from the nerves of being in a new home you can expect your new pet to have loose stool. Please call us if you have any questions about this. Ashley at 587.778.7667 or Tessa at 780.884.1172

Kennel cough (dogs) or Upper Respiratory (cats) issues may come up. Animals can break with an illness after adoption due to stress. Please call us with any questions about this: Ashley at 587.778.7667 or Tessa at 780.884.1172

Remember that the animal you adopted will evolve as they get comfortable. Give them time to adjust.

4) RIGHT OF REFUSAL:

If you ever decide you don’t want your pet, in your contract, it states WHARF has first right of refusal. Please contact us first: Ashley at 587.778.7667 (cats) or Tessa at 780.884.1172 (dogs). This does not mean we take back every animal into care, we will let you know if we can intake the animal or if you should pursue other avenues. If you are having issues we recommend talking to your veterinarian or a trainer.