MAP Service Dogs, A Path to a New Life...

Caring for your MAP Service Dog:

We at MAP encourage a holistic approach to dog care as well as training.  We encourage our clients to research about proper dog feeding and vaccination protocols before their dog comes home.

All MAP Service Dogs must pass preliminary health evaluations, such as hip and elbow x-rays that are then evaluated by a board certified orthopedic veterinarian, eye evaluations by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist, blood work that tests internal function as well as blood tests for heart worm and tick born illnesses, basic health checks by a veterinarian, parasite checks, and any other specific health checks that may be required based on the breed of dog (patella, cardiac, thyroid, etc.). 

When feeding your MAP service dog, we encourage our clients to read dog food labels to find the one that is best fit for their dog's needs and we teach our clients how to do that.  Some clients are interested in feeding an alternative to dog food to their Service Dog and to those clients we council on raw or home cooked diets and give them a real-life view on the pros and cons as well as recommended reading.  We recommend that ALL of our clients subscribe to Whole Dog Journal and read their yearly 'Pet Food Review' issue.

It is incredibly important that your MAP Service Dog remain at a "working weight."  Added pounds do nothing but hinder your dog's ability to do his job and may also be life threatening.  Even 1 or 2 extra pounds can be the sign of a pending health problem.  If your dog has gained a few unsightly pounds, please consult your veterinarian or contact us at MAP for assistance. 

At this time, we follow the Dr. Jean Dodds protocol for vaccinations with the puppies and adults in our Foster Home and Facility programs and encourage our Owner-Trainers to do the same.  We encourage the use of titering for certain diseases such as Parvo and Canine Distemper Virus and then vaccinating appropriately based on the titer result.  Clients who travel out of country must follow the laws and regulations for their destination of travel with their Service Dog.

We do require that all of our clients follow their state laws for rabies vaccination.  In MA that means the dog is vaccinated as a youngster and then boostered 364 days later.  That booster is then considered a 3yr vaccination, and the dog must be vaccinated for rabies every 3 years from that point on. 

For dogs that need to be vaccinated, we do not recommend 'piggy backing' vaccines in one setting, but instead spreading them out over a period of months.  This allows your dog's immune system to better handle the foreign proteins that are injected into his body.  We encourage those clients whose dog's are to be vaccinated to use proper homeopathic treatments to avoid negative vaccine reactions.

In areas where heartworm, and/or fleas and ticks are prevalent we require our clients take appropriate preventative measures through either traditional or homeopathic care. 

We also encourage our clients to take their dogs for regular chiropractic and if needed acupuncture treatments.  We have a number of certified, licensed veterinarians and other practitioners that we recommend to our clients for these services, many of whom will give a discounted rate for Service Dogs. 

All dogs that represent the MAP Service Dog program must be kept groomed and clean at all times they are in the public setting.  This may mean frequent trips to the groomer or baths at home, weekly nail trimming, spot cleaning, frequent brushing, etc.  All dog's shed to some degree, and many dog's hair or fur can become matted or tangled especially behind the ears or on the feet and tail.  It is a requirement that your MAP Service Dog be clean and well groomed at all times.

We understand that properly taking care of a Service Dog is a costly venture, but one we expect our clients to meet.  A Service Dog is willing to give you his life's work, and we believe in doing all that we can to keep him active, healthy and working for as long as he is capable and willing, both physically and mentally.

If you are a MAP client and need assistance finding a veterinary health care professional, for routine or specialized care, please contact us for an area referral list.   

Our goal is to provide happy, clean, healthy, well trained and well taken care of dogs to our clients and that well cared for team to the general public.

Maplewood Assistance Partners, Inc

katrin@maplewooddog.com