Canine Health Care
Before choosing your perfect dog you must research the breed in its entirety. Look at what the dog’s life expectancy is, their health issues, grooming and nutritional needs. Each and every breed is so different in what they need to live a happy and healthy life. Please take into consideration where you live, the temperature, surroundings like heavy forests, desert, ocean, and so forth. By doing all these you can make better decisions on the vaccinations your dogs will need each year and how the dog will live. Your dog’s health is as important as your own. Dogs cannot speak so please learn your dog’s behaviors and see the signs of pain, injury, and illness. Know what to do in case your dog gets sick from eating too much food or drinking too much water. Yes, it can happen and some breed i.e. the lab will eat and drink until they vomit. The Great Dane is known for bloating. And the Pug cannot handle the heat. These are just a few things that can and will go wrong so know the warning signs. Always rub your dog’s whole body from head to toe to make sure there are no ticks or fleas. You are also checking for any unfamiliar lumps and bumps that would put up a red flag. Get to know every inch of your dog. Make sure your dog ALWAYS has fresh water and clean bowls.
Make sure to always check your dog’s ears for cleanliness and infection especially those floppy ear dogs. A sure sign is when your dog is shaking their head or always scratching at their ear. Look in their ear for redness or brown yucky stuff. If the ear is just dirty clean it with an ear cleansing solution and check it daily. If the ear is red and inflamed this may warrant a trip to the veterinarian to ensure everything is ok.
I know some dogs won’t like this much but always check their teeth. Dirty plaque filled teeth can lead to many health problems for your dog including heart and kidney problems. You veterinarian may recommend a dental and provide you with a special food and cleansing solution to keep the plaque from building up again. You can also go to your local pet store and purchase a dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste. Never use human toothpaste this is harmful to your dog.
Please do not let your dog’s nails get too long. Make sure to always touch your dog’s feet so they get used to how it feels and make them familiar with the nail clippers. Some dogs will never allow the owner to cut their nails so make regular trips to the groomer to get them cut and grinded. By grinding the nails this takes off all the rough edges. You can also use a heavy duty metal nail file. When cutting the nail be aware of where the dog’s quick is. The quick is the blood source in the nail. If your dog has clear nails you will be able to see it but if they are black be careful not to cut this quick as it bleeds a lot and can be quite painful. Make sure to always have some quick stop handy in case there is an accident this can be picked up at most local pet stores by the grooming supplies.
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Video Summary
As 'man's best friend,' there is a welcomed obligation for pet owners to care for their dogs, and every pet owner knows that this can be a full-time job. Our dogs lovingly weave their way into families, and much like a child that encounters the occasional accident, dogs can find their way into trouble as well. With that in mind, it's important to take care of dogs through grooming, veterinarian visits, health, nutrition, exercises and proper training. A healthy and happy dog usually makes for a happy pet owner. In this free video series, a veterinarian demonstrates how to take care of a dog, including tips on hygiene, grooming, medication and preventative care. Discover how to brush a dog's teeth, how to check a dog's heart rate, how to clean a dog's ears and how to determine if a dog has ringworm. With these tips and this information, any pet owner will be able to keep their dog healthy.
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Below you will find the traditional vaccination schedule for all puppies.
Puppy Vaccination Schedule
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Puppy’s Age
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Recommended Vaccinations
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Optional Vaccinations
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6 to 8 weeeks
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Distemper, measles, parainfluenza
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Bordatella
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10 to 12 weeks
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DHPP (vaccines for distemper, adenovirus [hepatitis], parainfluenza, and parvovirus)
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Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordatella, Lyme disease
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12 to 24 weeks
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Rabies
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None
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14 to 16 weeks
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DHPP
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Coronavirus, Lyme disease, Leptospirosis
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12 to 16 months
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Rabies, DHPP
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Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Boradetella, Lyme disease
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Every 1 to 2 years
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DHPP
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Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease
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Every 1 to 3 years
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Rabies (as required by law)
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None
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If your dog will be going to daycare, grooming or a boarding facility it is recommended to have the dog vaccinated for canine influenza. This is a very highly contagious disease and it has been recorded that some dogs have died from this disease. Most healthy adult dogs can overcome the illness but some weaker, older and puppies will not. It may mimic bordetella (kennel cough). Please ask your veterinarian if your dog should receive this vaccination.
Getting your adult dog vaccinated may be more controversial than you think. Some people, including many vets, believe adult pets are over vaccinated and think that too many vaccinations pose health risks. Others believe vaccinations should be performed yearly to keep dangerous diseases like distemper from getting a hold on the pet population like they did in decades past.
Your adult dog may not need annual vaccinations and can instead have titer tests — tests that check a dog’s immunity levels — to determine exactly which vaccinations are needed. One exception is the rabies vaccine, which is regulated by law and may be required every one to three years, depending on where you live and the type of rabies vaccine the vet uses. Reference dummies.com
We hope the information provided in this section was helpful to you. Should you have further questions feel free to join our community and ask questions to our members. Most of the answers are opinions unless you directly ask a veterinarian.
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