Lifesaving Strategies for Managing CDV in an Animal Shelter

FREE for Ohio Fed Members!

Lifesaving Strategies for Managing CDV in an Animal Shelter

Speakers: Cincinnati Animal Care's Medical Director Amanda Gilbert, RVT, VTS (ECC), and Shelter Director Meaghan Colville 

September 18, 2024

12:00 - 1:00 p.m. on Zoom

You may think that Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is just a disease of the South, but you would be wrong. Respiratory illnesses in an animal shelter are very common, but CDV is the most serious and life-threatening of them all, and it can spread like wildfire in a shelter setting. Make no mistake - CDV is in our communities whether or not it is accurately diagnosed, and it's only a matter of time before it finds its way into our shelters across Ohio, with the potential to wreak havoc on operations and staff, while threatening animal lives. 

Managing a CDV outbreak is one of the most challenging crises a municipal shelter will ever face. Early detection of CDV is difficult because its clinical signs appear similar to other common illnesses, but accurate diagnosis is absolutely critical to minimizing its potential deadly impact. 

Cincinnati Animal CARE (CAC), Hamilton County’s municipal shelter, successfully navigated two bouts of CDV within the past 18 months, saving 75% of the dogs despite an infection rate of 40% of their on-site population. Join this webinar to learn how CAC finally identified CDV after months of false negative test results, then quickly established new housing options to support their incoming, healthy and sick populations, leveraged essential external expertise, and employed cross-functional strategies to minimize the impact of this potentially fatal disease with all shelter departments working together in alignment to improve the chances of live outcomes for its population of 400+ dogs. 

TOPICS INCLUDE

• What is CDV and how to spot it - clinical signs, symptoms and testing. 

• Disease management - diagnosis, treatment and recovery. 

• Housing needs and animal care protocols for protecting herd health.

• Population management - segmenting and quarantine to improve save rate and expedite recovery. 

• Actively minimizing CDV risk from all areas of the shelter, beginning with field services and community support to shelter intake, medical and animal care. 

• How to responsibly place CDV+ dogs in foster or adoptive homes.

• Internal and external communication and media strategies to dissuade panic and gain support.

• Managing the trauma and mental toll on staff.

• Clearing a shelter of CDV - what to expect.

• Reviewing and resetting SOPs to mitigate the risk during future CDV exposures.

• Establishing and adjusting to a “new normal” post-CDV.

• Proactively crafting a game plan for when CDV inevitably enters the shelter again.

REGISTRATION FEE

• FREE for Ohio Fed members  (no registration limit)

• $50 per organization for non-members 

Registration fee includes a link to a recording of the webinar that will be emailed after the program and available for a limited time. Not sure if your organization is a member? Click here. 

Ohio Animal Welfare Federation is an approved provider of content which enhances professional competence and aligns with the 5 domains of the CAWA Exam specifications. Every hour of training equals 1 CE towards CAWA Recertification.

This webinar has also been approved for Continuing Educational Units by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). National certificate holders can submit for credit consistent with the NACA CEU policy located here.