Contents:
Fleas and Your Pet The best places to look for fleas on your pet are the base of the
tail, stomach and groin regions, and around the face and ears. Sometimes
no fleas are found but only tiny, black granules that resemble black
pepper. This material is flea feces or flea-dirt and consists of digested
blood. To distinguish this material from dirt, smudge it on white paper
and add a drop of water to it. If you see a reddish-brown color, your
pet has fleas, even if you cannot find a live one. Many different products are available for flea control. To eradicate fleas, you must apply the insecticide correctly and at time proper intervals. All pets and the environment itself should be treated to eradicate fleas. Traditionally, the products we used for our pets were pyrethrin or permethrin based spays, powders, and dips. These products had to be reapplied frequently, had very little residual value, and could be dangerous for cats and very young or old dogs. Treatment of the environment with insecticide sprays and bombs was essential to controlling flea populations. Some pets with skin allergies were actually allergic to the pyrethrins. In addition, fleas rapidly developed resistance to these chemicals. Today, there is a new generation of topical, long lasting flea control.
Products like fipronil (Frontline) and imidacloprid (Advantage) are
more effective products, with more consistent residual action, and
actually a higher safety margin than older flea products. These products
are easy to apply and we recommend using them monthly during flea season
(April or May until November or December). Frontline also provides
protection from ticks when used monthly. Environmental treatments are less necessary today, but in a heavily infested home may beneficial. Sweeping and vacuuming, as well as washing bedding, are probably most helpful for removing flea eggs and larvae from the home. Following up with a household spray, ideally containing an insect growth regulator (IGR), should help eradicate the pests more quickly. Most household products need to be repeated in two to four weeks, according to manufacturers instructions. Finally, never use household products on pets or use a pet product on a pet it is not specifically labeled for. Be especially careful about the many DOG-ONLY over-the-counter products that can be deadly for cats. Also watch for minimum age requirements as well as warnings about sick or elderly pets.
Definition of Caretaker: Background on Luke From the caretaker If you would like to be a caretaker for one of our dogs until a forever home is found for them, please e-mail Elizabeth Riddle at . Luke was
adopted on September 21, 2002 A special thanks goes out to
Luke's sponsors: UPDATE (12-9-02): Luke (now named Kooper) is very happy in his new home. He's pictured right with Santa Paws!
Volunteer Needs
E-mail us at and let us know when you would be able to volunteer your time. Feel free to e-mail us if you have any questions about volunteering. A few hours every week or even once a month can make all the difference in the world to one of our dogs. Product Profiles Emergency Decals Springer Shelter Profile: Crawford County Humane Society
The Central Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue has helped to rehome several animals from this facility. Currently up for adoption, our Shepherd/Lab mix Buddy, is a CCHS alum. Amazingly the volunteers at this shelter do not appear to be jaded,
even after receiving so many puppies each year from unwanted litters.
Why so many unwanted litters? There are too many people who do not
spay/neuter their animals. Unfortunately, this means that many puppies
that are brought into the shelter must die for lack of space. CCHS began 10 years ago and the present shelter was built 4 years ago on land donated by a gentleman with the help of money donated by 2 other main donors. The shelter has Crawford County's Animal Control contract. Since beginning the use of Petfinder (http://www.petfinder.com) in January of 2001 CCHS adoptions have gone up considerably for dogs (as can be seen by the chart below).
* including adoptions to rescue organizations We, the Central Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue, greatly appreciate the work of those working at the Crawford County Humane Society. We understand that their job is not easy, and we thank them for working so hard at saving dogs by working so closely with rescue groups. This is truly a model humane society. Please visit them on the web at: http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/crawfordcounty.html If you have adopted from us — send us your pictures
to
https://www.gsdhaven.org/index.html#alumni Webside Chat Community Dogs Page If you've adopted a German Shepherd from an individual or organization in IL, MI or IN in the past year, then take a look at the Community Dogs Alumni page and see if your fur-child is there. If he/she was ever posted on our site and adopted out, they'll be there! Community Dogs page
Alumni Page CIGSDR Alumni Page Owner Give-ups page People must always remember that adopting a dog from a rescue, a breeder, or even a neighbor whose dog had puppies, means that one is taking on the responsibility of caring for that dog for the rest of its life. This could mean up to 14-19 years and is no small commitment. Owner Give-ups page Community Dogs page Rebel was a handsome male German Shepherd. He topped a hundred pounds easy, yet was the sweetest boy in the world. He never asked for much from us at the Central Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue. He came from a sad situation. Apparently having changed ownership several times in his life and ending up with someone who never really wanted a dog. He was chained to a dog house under a tree. The neighbor fed him most of the time and asked permission to walk him. She was tired of seeing him in the weather with flies and feces surrounding him and asked if she could call the Central Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue to surrender him. Rebel certainly wasn't getting any younger, he was at least eleven, if not 13-14 years old. It was December of 1999 and winter was here. His old bones were not going to make another season of exposure. The Central Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue lucked out and picked him up during a mild beginning to the winter just weeks before bigger storms hit. He was brought in the house and given his own room to stay in. He was quiet, loving, and just loved a good meal. He had never been neutered and had a couple major masses on his body. We had his masses removed and tested, he was neutered and his teeth were cleaned. He braved all of this new medical attention and healed up well. We hoped for a couple of good happy years. He enjoyed car rides and walks around the block and was content to sleep in his room the rest of the day after breakfast and supper. His limbs started to get sore, so the walks declined and we had to be more careful on stairs. He was a senior and we understood the process, but he was still comfortable and happy. Rebel was never adopted to a personal home of his own where he would be loved and spoiled all alone. We came home one day in the summer of 2000 and he could no longer get up. We moved him closer to air-conditioning in hope of bringing comfort and called our vet. She came to the house and performed an exam. He had become painful on palpation and all of his organs were enlarged. She believed he was very end stage and things were just shutting down. Rebel was held by us, lovingly in our home, which we hoped he considered his, and our vet brought him peace. Rebel will forever be in our hearts. We only knew this magnificent animal in his golden year and could only imagine how fantastic he must have been in his youth. We don't want to imagine this animal's heartbreak at being discarded over and over and spending his final years at the end of a chain by a tree surrounded by his own excrement. How brave he must have been to accept care from complete strangers, tolerate medical procedures, and examination by a vet, when he may have never seen a veterinary hospital before. We can marvel at his gratefulness for a warm place to sleep without
fleas, flies, or mess. We can be amazed at how happy a bowl of food
made him. We can be reminded of the horror of irresponsible human actions
and the purity of an animal's soul. Rebel was a dog who never left the rescue for a single loving home. We all understand the love we feel for our pets and how none of them will ever be forgotten, may we never forget the dogs who pass away in wait for rescue. Dukewas a real sweetheart and a beautiful big boy. He broke our hearts because he was such a large and handsome boy, but would drop in a second as if in fear of being struck. He was so quiet and gentle and very snugly and surprisingly trusting, but if you tried to throw a fetch stick or said "no" too loudly, he just cowered. We were afraid he had been beaten and this is inexcusable. He was very well behaved. He was found by police locked in a basement and left for dead. Thankfully he did not suffer malnutrition or illness. Unfortunately Duke developed Gastric Torsion (bloat) in the morning of November 22, 2002, after breakfast. Because of his age (possibly 8 years old), the Central Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue opted not to try surgery and put him to sleep A special thanks goes out to Duke's sponsor: Lori Broach — on behalf of her dog Leia, a Shepherd/Doberman mix We have a hold on Duke's body right now and would like to get a personalized cremation done. However, given our current state of resources, we are unable to logically spend the $150-200 to cremate him and receive his ashes back. We always have liked burying our babies and believe Duke deserves better than a group cremation. If at all possible, we ask that you please make a donation to this cause. Thank you. UPDATE (12-6-02) What is Canine Bloat?
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