Low Numbers or Empty ICU

This document contains information on the protocol for when the ICU is empty. Although many things continue as normal, specific attention should be paid to the information outlined in this document.

Low Number of Dogs

If there are four or fewer dogs and kittens (combined) and shifts have been short, you can contact your co-volunteers within 24 hours of your shift and make arrangements for only one of you to come in. 

• Be On-Call: prepare to go in should we get any new intakes.   

• Check your email for new intakes

• Two volunteers will still be necessary if:

  • Relatively new volunteer (<3 months) is scheduled

  • Patients that need extra restraint for meds - please note this in the end-of-shift report

  • Panleuk kittens may treatments & syringe feeding (volunteer feeding schedule)

• Come in for at least half your scheduled shifts

Use your best judgement: if there are 6 dogs on orals, one volunteer will be fine. If 4 critical dogs, two volunteers may be best. You are always welcome to come in for your shift even if one person could handle it. You can have a really fast shift, catch up on laundry, or love the dogs extra-well, and there is always something that can be cleaned. 

Empty ICU

If the ICU is completely empty with no dogs or kittens, you do not have to go in for your parvo shift. You will be notified by the manager when the ICU is empty and if new patients come in. Please be on-call in case of new intakes and check your email.  If there is a large amount of dirty laundry or dirty cages, please consider coming to help clean up.