Health & Safety
Intake Procedures
Personal Protective Equipment
Cleaning and Disinfection
Transport
Infectious Disease & Control
Zoonoses & Public Health
Glossary of Terms
  • Antibodies– A protein that is produced by the immune system and used to identify and deactivate any foreign bodies (ie. viruses, bacterial)
  • Antibiotic– An pharmaceutical agent that kills or inhibits the growth of a microorganism
  • Antimicrobial– An pharmaceutical agent that kills and/or inhibits the growth of organisms
  • Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide –A disinfectant which kills both nonenveloped and enveloped viruses
  • Asymptomatic– (of a disease or suspected disease) without symptoms; providing no subjective evidence of existence
  • Biosecurity– Set of preventative measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious disease, quarantined pests, invasive alien species, living modified organisms
  • CBC– Complete Blood Count
  • Centrifugation– A process that involves the use of the centrifugal force for the separation of mixtures with a centrifuge, used in industry and in laboratory settings
  • Contagious– Transmittable disease from one to another
  • Dyspnea– Difficulty breathing
  • Disinfectants– A chemical agent which kills harmful microorganisms- does not necessarily remove dirt or grease. Inactivated by organic material to some extent and must be applied to a clean surface to work effectively
  • ELISA Test– Diagnostic test
  • Fomite– An object or item that is able to carry infectious organisms and transfer them from one body to another
  • Geriatric– Senior animal
  • Intake– Admittance into the shelter
  • Incubation Period– The time between exposure to a pathogenic organism and when the signs/symptoms are evident
  • Isolation– A physically isolated area in which sick or infectious animals are housed in the shelter
  • Intranasal– In the nose
  • Inanimate Object– Not endowed with life, non-living
  • Immunocompromised– a state of decreased immune system function caused by administration of immunosuppressive drugs, by irradiation, by malnutrition, or by certain processes rendering the person more vulnerable to infectious diseases
  • Nebulization– Conversion into an aerosol or spray
  • Necropsy– Post mortem examination
  • Observation Room– A separate room in which new arrivals are housed for an observatory period (watching for signs of disease, administering treatments etc) before going up for adoption
  • Parenteral– A route of administration that involves piercing the skin or mucous membrane
  • Pathogen– An agent that causes disease, especially a living microorganism such as bacterium or fungus
  • Prevail– An accelerated hydrogen peroxide disinfectant
  • Quarantine– Voluntary or compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of disease
  • Sterilization– The removal of microorganisms to achieve a sterile environment
  • Subcutaneous– the innermost layer of the integumentary system (skin)
  • Spot Cleaning– To remove and/or clean ONLY areas/items that are soiled or dirty, thereby maintaining the cats “presence” (scent) as much as possible. This will significantly minimize the cats stress.
  • Vaccine– A biological suspension that helps improve the immunity towards a certain disease
  • Viremic– Presence of a virus in the blood
  • Zoonoses– A zoonotic disease is an infection that is naturally transmitted from vertebrate animals to human