Canine Health Information!

All the information on this page is intended to be simple guidelines. Visit your veterinarian regularly to keep your dog healthy. Your dog needs routine vaccinations and a physical exam performed by a veterinarian to detect potential health problems early.

A Guide to Vaccinations for your Dog.   (Please see your Vet for details)

Adult Dogs: Annually (or as determined by your veterinarian)

Canine Distemper

Canine Adenovirus-2

Canine Parainfluenza

Canine Parvovirus

Rabies

Canine Coronavirus

Bordetella Bronchiseptica (kennel cough)

Leptospirosis

This looks like a long list, but some of these vaccinations are mixed together in one injection. The RABIES vaccination is required by law and can be given only by a veterinarian who will then provide your dog with a license as proof of the vaccination.

Dogs are wonderful companions. Their love is unconditional, and we regard them as members of our family. The least we can do is give them the care they need and deserve!!

Heartworm Disease

Heartworm disease is one of the major health problems of dogs in the United States and throughout the temperate and tropical areas of the world. This disease is caused by worms that actually live in the heart. These worms may grow to be 14 inches long, living in the right ventricle and the arteries of the the lungs. Heartworm infection can cause potentially serious damage to these arteries. In severe cases, this disease can damage other organs such as the liver and kidneys, and may eventually lead to heart failure. In extreme cases, a dog can be infected with several hundred heartworms.

The risk of infection varies in different communities, however, heartworm disease is a threat to unprotected dogs in most areas of the 48 contiguous states and Hawaii. Heartworms are spread from animal to animal by mosquitoes.

Treatment for a dog infected with heartworms is expensive.

PREVENTION is the best way to avoid heartworm infection. It is much less expensive than treatment of the disease, and it does not involve swatting any mosquitoes.

A dose of medicine given on a monthly basis is the most effective heartworm prevention. It is available in several formats including specially formulated tablets, chewables, and a topically applied liquid.

It is important to have you dog tested for heartworm on a yearly schedule along with your dogs vaccinations.

Heartworm disease is a complex subject! This information is intended to be only a basic guideline. For more information, click on this link to go to www.heartwormsociety.org.

Reasons to Spay and Neuter

An altered dog or cat is a better pet.

Males neutered early in life are less aggressive toward other males and are not distracted by females in heat. Neutered males also are less likely to mark every one of your expensive shrubs with urine as well as furniture inside the house. Spaying your female pet eliminates the problem of stray males camping in your yard and decreases her desire to roam and breed. Many pets that run away or get hit by cars are compelled by hormonal urges to leave the safety of their own yard.

Spaying results in a cleaner female dog and home.

Twice a year, female dogs pass bloody fluid for about ten days as a part of their estrous cycle. Constant care must be taken to avoid carpet stains in homes with such animals. Spaying your dog eliminates this problem.

Increase your pet's chances for a longer, healthier life.

Spaying your pet before her first estrous cycle greatly reduces her chances of developing breast cancer, and completely eliminates the threat of uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine infection - all of which are common in older unaltered females. Neutering your male dog prevents testicular tumors and may prevent prostate problems, and decreases the possibility of perianal tumors and hernias, which are commonly observed in older, unaltered dogs.

Puppy Hypoglycemia

Potentially, hypoglycemia is an emergency. A symptomatic puppy will be listless and maybe even uncoordinated. In an extreme case, the puppy will become cold, lose consciousness and begin to have seizures. For first aid, a small amount of Karo syrup can be rubbed on the gums. (It will absorb through the gums; actual swallowing is not necessary). Beyond this, the puppy should be rushed to an animal hospital for treatment.

PREVENTING PROBLEMS

Puppies under three months of age do not tolerate fleas. They are simply too small to have any blood to give away to blood sucking parasites. They need to be adequately wormed and checked over for any signs of infectious disease. Diarrhea is common for puppies but a very tiny puppy cannot withstand the dehydration that accompanies diarrhea.

Be sure your puppy is eating and well. Look in your puppy’s mouth to see if there are teeth present. In particular look for the molars and premolars along the sides of the mouth. These are teeth needed for chewing and they may come in late. This will not stop your puppy from lapping up soft food. Be sure the food you are using is soft enough and that your puppy will reliably eat it.

DOG POISONS

Do not feed your dog the following food.

chocolate coffee beans no caffeine no alcohol grapes raisins onions broccoli garlic castor beans apricot seeds peach pits plum pits apple seeds nutmeg sugarless candy or anything with xylitol

Poison Plants

aloe vera asparagus fern azalea cactus daffodil deadly nightshade dumbcane elephant ear ficus foxglove holly honeysuckle horse chestnut ivy Japanese yew jasmine lilies lily of the valley marijuana mistletoe mourning glory mums oak oleander philodendron poinsettias poppies rhododendron rhubarb skunk cabbage tobacco tulip bulbs Virginia creeper wild mushrooms.

Household Poisons

antifreeze (even a very small amount!) cleansers bleach toilet bowl cleaners drain openers soap insecticides mothballs polishes rodent poisons sunscreens fireworks citronella fertilizers herbicides batteries ibuprofen aspirin naproxen acetominophen anitdepressants multi vitamins antibiotics gasoline motor oil transmission fluid

Know your local poison control centers telephone number!