Adult/Rescue Dog Recommendations

 

• Dogs generally receive a yearly vaccine. Additional vaccines such as rabies vaccine (recommended if you plan to visit the mainland and then return to Hawaii) and bordetella vaccine (commonly called ‘kennel cough’ and required for most boarding and puppy classes) are also given as needed in your situation. Many adult dogs adopted from a shelter or rescue will have their vaccines up to date and will usually come with a health record for you to review, discuss any further health needs with your veterinarian. 
   

• Deworming is an important step in keeping your dog and your family healthy. Intestinal parasites can cause serious disease in animals and may be transmitted to people as well. We recommend you bring a stool sample to your dog’s annual visits. If your dog does have parasites we will help select the right medication to treat the problem.
   

• We recommend that all dogs start monthly heartworm preventative, if not already taking it. We are happy to help you choose the right product for your dog. A heartworm blood test is required at this time if your dog is over six months of age.
   

• We also recommend a monthly flea and tick medication to prevent infestation, skin irritation and infection. These medications will also help prevent diseases that fleas and ticks can transmit. We have several products to choose from and our staff will be happy to help you select the one that is perfect for your pet.
   

• Socialization classes and obedience classes will help your dog learn how to interact with other dogs and help teach basic commands to aid in training. Classes are recommended for any dog that needs them, though some adult dogs will come with previous basic or advanced training, ask the facility you adopt them from what kind of training they have had. If you new dog needs some brush up training or first time training, we recommend Paws University for these types of classes. You can contact them at 325-6436 more information and find out which classes would be best for your dog.
   

• All dogs should be spayed or neutered between five and six months of age. This prevents pregnancy, helps control many unwanted behaviors, and prevents life threatening diseases of the reproductive tract such as pyometra. Most shelter & rescue dogs will have already been altered. 
   

• We recommend all dogs receive a microchip for identification. This tiny microchip is inserted with a needle under the skin where it serves as identification. The microchip can be read with a microchip scanner. Most veterinarians and the Humane Society have microchip scanners, which scan the microchip, and then contact you should your dog ever become lost. A microchip can be inserted at any time during your regular visits or can be done when they are spayed or neutered. Some adult dogs will already have a microchip, so be sure to update the microchips information with your own. 

 

For more general advice on bringing a new pet into the home, the resource library at PAWS.org has some great information.