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Dog Health Care
Dog Health Care Start off on the right paw with a good health care plan. Finding a veterinarian The first step in a good dog health care plan is to find a veterinarian that you and your dog will be comfortable with. You may want to ask friends, family or co-workers for a recommendation. I personally found my vet through trial and error. Through the years I looked for just the right vet. I tried all of the clinics until I found one that I was happy with. There are certain things you may want to consider before choosing a vet that will be providing your dog’s health care. Do they offer 24 hour emergency care? If not, what do they recommend that you do in an emergency? Is the clinic a clean and friendly atmosphere? How well does the veterinarian and the staff interact with your dog? Will their hours of operation fit in with your schedule? Who will cover for the veterinarian if she or he is unavailable? Choosing a veterinarian is a personal choice and is similar to what you look for in your own family physician. It is beneficial to establish a good relationship and feel comfortable with your vet as he or she will be a part of your dog’s life for many years. It is wise to select your veterinarian before a crisis occurs. Establishing a relationship and a dog health care routine with your vet right away is important. If your pet should happen to become injured or sick, you will know where to turn for veterinary care. Vaccination Schedule Vaccinations are another essential part of your dog health care plan. If you are bringing home a new puppy, it is especially critical that he gets his vaccinations so he can build up a good strong immune system. The basic vaccinations are listed here but you will want to consult with your veterinarian on the vaccination schedule that is best for your pet. Recommendations will vary depending on the age, health status, breed and geographical area in which you live. There is some controversy on whether or not annual vaccinations are needed in a good dog health care program. This is something you will need to discuss with your veterinarian. I personally have my pets vaccinated every three years. If you and your veterinarian choose to do that, please remember that your pet still needs an annual exam even if he is not due for his shots. Puppies: 6 to 8 weeks – First puppy shot (DHLPP) 11 to 12 weeks – Second puppy shot (DHLPP) 15 to 16 weeks – Third puppy shot (DHLPP) 16 weeks or older – Rabies (repeat 1 year later) Adult Dogs DHLLP – Annually or every 3 years. Please be sure to discuss this with your veterinarian. Rabies – 1st Year Rabies Shot is good for one year. Second year rabies shot is good for three years. After your pet has received his second rabies shot, he will only need it every three years. This is a must in your dog health care plan as it is required by law that your pet be vaccinated against rabies. Bordetella – Some veterinarians will give the bordetella vaccination annually, and some will recommend it only if your pets are going to be boarded at a kennel. Most, if not all, boarding facilities require proof of vaccination before your pet can stay with them. DHLPP is often referred to as the five-in-one shot, it contains vaccines for Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Para influenza and Parvovirus. Flea and Tick Prevention and Treatment Fleas and ticks are nasty little parasites just looking for a host of feed from. One flea can bite your pet as many as 400 times a day! They can cause itchiness and allergic reactions on your pet. They also can give your dog tapeworms, which is an intestinal parasite. Ticks can carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and even transmit this disease to humans. Luckily, there are products out there that are great at preventing and/or killing fleas and ticks. The most effective that I have seen are the once-a-month spot on treatments such as Frontline, Advantage, or K-9 Advantix. You can get these products from your veterinarian and in some stores that sell pet supplies. The type of climate where you live, will determine how often you need to give your pet flea and tick prevention. Some pet owners (usually in the Northern states) only have to give their pet flea and tick prevention during the spring, summer and fall months, while others must give preventative all year round (usually Southern states). Your vet can offer you the best advice on when to add flea and tick prevention to your dog health care routine. Heartworm Prevention Heartworm prevention is absolutely necessary in you pet healthcare program. Heartworms are a parasitic worm that normally lives in the right ventricle of the heart. They are about the diameter of thin spaghetti. These parasites are transmitted from one dog to another by mosquitoes and can be diagnosed with blood tests. It takes about 6 months from the time of transmission before they will show up on a blood test. It is common practice for your veterinarian to heartworm test your dog every spring because if your dog did contract heartworms during the previous spring or summer months, they would have time to mature and would show up in the test. The annual test will be something your veterinarian will want to include in your dog health care routine. Untreated heartworms can be fatal to a dog, but there is no reason why a dog should get heartworms as long as you are responsible and give your dog preventative treatment once a month. In some areas of the United States, heartworm prevention is recommended during the spring, summer and early fall months. In warmer climates, it is recommended to give the preventative all year round. This is something you will want to discuss with your vet when discussing a dog health care program. Heartworm prevention come in pill from usually and can only be purchased with a prescription from your vet.
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