2.40(b)(2) (Direct) – Attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors).
***Adult, male Akita with chip number OAO2262114 (“Dusty”) is limited in his movement around his enclosure and when he does, he has a very stiff, choppy gait. The medical record kept by the licensee shows that the attending veterinarian had previously directed that the dog should be given aspirin daily for the stiffness. The dog currently receiving thyroid medication, omega supplements, bone broth and coconut oil but is not being given the aspirin. Alterations in gait can be caused by a variety of medical and skeletal problems and frequently indicate pain. The previous direction from the attending veterinarian to give aspirin supports the concern that the altered gait is painful. ***Adult, female, Akita with chip number 7E1006727 (“Arrow”) is emaciated. There is no appreciable body fat and therefore, the tops of the vertebrae, hips, femurs, ribs, and the spines of the scapulae are visible. The facility representative states that she has been eating very little food is having loose stool. A fecal sample was checked for parasites on 21 Nov 2021. The licensee’s medical record states that at that time, the attending veterinarian had not found anything else wrong with the dog. Despite no resolution of the problem, the licensee has not presented this dog to the attending veterinarian for re-evaluation. ***Adult, female Maltese with chip number 4B560F7F1D (“Dinky”) is emaciated. There is no appreciable body fat and therefore, the tops of the vertebrae, hips, femurs, ribs, and the spines of the scapulae are visible. This dog also had generalized fur loss on her body and tail. There is some wetness and staining around the vulva and some urine was seen coming from the vulva when the dogs was picked up. The licensee states this dog has not been evaluated by a veterinarian for this problem and there is no documentation of this problem on the licensee’s medical record for this dog. Loss of body and coat condition can result from numerous medical problems or lack of nutrition. Failure to address these problems can lead to progression of medical problems or even death. ***The licensee must have these dogs evaluated in person by a veterinarian by close of business on 7 January 2022 in order to ensure that appropriate methods to prevent, control, diagnose and treat these conditions are provided to the dogs.
3.4(b)(1) (Direct) – Outdoor housing facilities.
There are 5 outdoor enclosures housing a total of 6 dogs with shelter structures that do not provide the dogs with adequate protection from the cold. The open door does not allow body heat to be conserved within the structure when the dog uses the shelter for protection from the cold. When searching on the licensee’s zip code on noaa.gov, the low temperature reported in the previous 24 hours was 11 degrees F. The temperature was 24.8 degrees F at the start of the inspection. Inadequate protection from the cold can lead to dogs that cannot maintain health body temperature and dogs that show signs of cold stress. The licensee must ensure that shelter structures in outdoor enclosures must provide the dogs with adequate protection and shelter from the cold and heat. To be corrected by 6 January 2022.
3.10(a) (Direct) – Watering
There are 31 enclosures housing 45 dogs with receptacles that contained frozen water last night. The facility representative reported that they add water throughout the day when the temperature is below freezing and had added water to the bowls prior to the inspection. At the start of the inspection, all dogs had water. However, nothing is being done otherwise to protect the water from freezing and the facility representative acknowledged that the water is freezing over night when they are not out to attend to it and that all of the water in these receptacles froze solid last night. The temperature at the start of the inspection was 24.8 degrees F. Dogs that do not have continuous access to water can become dehydrated and inadequate water consumption can exacerbate some medical problems. The licensee must ensure that potable water is continuously available to the dogs. Frozen water is not potable water as it cannot be consumed. To be corrected by 6 Jan 2022
3.11(a) (Direct) – Cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control.
The enclosure in the whelping barn housing one Akita has loose fecal waste on much of the floor. This dog’s ongoing diarrhea has increased the need to spot clean excreta from the enclosure to ensure the dog can avoid the waste. The licensee must ensure that excreta is removed from primary enclosures daily or as often as necessary to prevent an excessive accumulation of feces and food waste, to prevent soiling of the dogs or cats contained in the primary enclosure, and to reduce disease hazards, insects, pets and odors. To be corrected by 7 January 2022.
3.13(b)(2) (Non-Critical) – Veterinary care for dogs.
The medical record being maintained by the licensee for “Dinky”, an adult Maltese with chip number 4B560F7F1D does not have any information regarding her current condition as cited under 2.40(b)(2) of this report. Incomplete medical records for dogs impede the licensee’s ability to assess for medical problems, monitor progression of problems, communicate with the attending veterinarian about ongoing problems, and treat the animal for the problem. Dealers must keep copies of medical recodes for dogs and make then available during inspection. If a problem is identified (such as a disease, injury, or illness) the date and a description of the problem, examination findings, test results, plan for treatment and care, and treatment procedure performed must be included in these medical records. To be corrected by 10 January 2022. This inspection and exit interview were conducted with the facility representatives. End Section
