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Pre-Surgical Information
Spaying or neutering your pet is a big step! There is a lot to consider
when we are planning your pet’s surgery. Here is some information to help
you make wise decisions.
Click here . . .
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Special LibraryOur Special Library
is a collection of informative articles on a variety of health topics.
Click here . . .
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Discharge InstructionsClick here for
information on how to care for your pet at home.
Click here . . .
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Puppy Visit One
A new puppy needs three things: Protection from infectious
diseases, such as Parvovirus and Distemper,
protection for them and your family from the internal
parasites, and help to have appropriate interactions
with members of your family, friends, and other dogs.
Overview of Vaccinations
Just like children, puppies are highly susceptible to
many dangerous diseases. To us, in America in the
twenty-first century, words like polio or smallpox don't
mean nearly as much as they used to. In our
grandparents' and even parents' generation, these words
struck fear into the hearts of parents. These days,
however, such childhood diseases are nearly a thing of
the past, and this blessing is due to vaccination. Our
puppies are not nearly so lucky, however. While almost
all children are vaccinated against deadly diseases,
many puppies are not, and this provides for a reservoir
of infection that allows the puppy-hood diseases to
proliferate. Many wild animals also can harbor the same
diseases that infect puppies. This makes it vitally
important to see that your puppy is properly vaccinated.
We follow the New Guidelines published by the American
Animal Hospital Association. For puppies, not much
has changed. The only thing that is really new is
the discontinuation of the Corona Virus vaccine
and the implementation of the intranasal form of Bordetella and Parainfluenza vaccine.
Click here for a
link with more information.
The worst disease that puppies can get is called
Canine Parvovirus. People often call it "parvo" for
short. Parvovirus is a deadly intestinal virus that is
very common. Puppies catch Parvovirus from other puppies
that have the disease. "This is easy!" you are saying.
"All I have to do is keep my puppy away from sick
puppies and he'll never get parvovirus!" Unfortunately,
Parvovirus is an extremely tough virus, and can live for
years in the ground and on other surfaces. This means
that you can take a walk through the park, step on a
spot that another dog had contaminated last year, and
then bring parvovirus home to your puppy on your shoe.
Puppies need to be vaccinated for parvo every 4 weeks
untill they turn 16 weeks old.
Distemper is the second most common deadly puppy-hood
disease. It is very difficult to treat, and so it is
commonly fatal if contracted. Like parvo, puppies catch
distemper from other sick puppies. Fortunately, the
distemper virus is not nearly as tough as parvovirus,
and while you can still carry it home to your new puppy
on your hands and clothing, it does not live as long in
the environment. It is also easier for puppies to
develop immunity to distemper with vaccinations than
parvo. Puppies need to be vaccinated for Distemper every
4 weeks until they turn 16 weeks old.
There are other diseases puppies get that are not as
serious as parvo or distemper. That doesn't mean they
are fun, though, and it is a good idea to vaccinate your
new puppy against them. Kennel Cough is very
common these days. Also called "Bordetella" after the
bacteria that causes it, kennel cough is a highly
contagious upper respiratory disease. It is
similar to Whooping Cough, a disease we vaccinate all
our children against. Parainfluenza is
another upper respiratory disease against which we
vaccinate. These viruses resemble the "common cold" that
modern science still has failed to find a cure for.
These vaccines are best given intranasally by squirting
the vaccine up their nose. This mimicks natural
exposure and triggers both circulating and surface
immunity. Puppies need at least two vaccinations for Bordetella and Parainfluenza.
Immunity to all these diseases doesn't happen at once.
It takes a series of booster shots to get good
 immunity
to all these diseases. Although the specifics are
complicated, and are best evaluated on an individual
basis, in general puppies need to be vaccinated every
three to four weeks, starting at eight weeks of age, and
not ending until they are at least 16 weeks old.
It is also important to minimize your puppy's exposure
to other puppies and dogs until the vaccination series
is completed. This includes places other dogs have been,
like the Greenbelt or the Park. Because you can
carry diseases home to your puppy on your hands or
clothing, this means that you will also have to minimize
your contact with other puppies and dogs and places
puppies and dogs have been as well.
Vaccine Reactions
It is important to watch for vaccine reactions.
While rare, they do happen, and it is good to be
prepared. By following the new
AAHA canine vaccination Guidelines, we avoid
over-vaccinating and minimize the chances of a vaccine
reaction happening, but
we still see the occasional reaction. There are
three main types of vaccine reactions.
Although
they have fancier
names, we will call them the
Same Day Reaction, the
Day
After Reaction, and the
Lump Reaction.
Click here
for more information.
The Same Day
Reaction happens the same day as the vaccination, often
within a few hours. The dog's face swells up, they
may vomit, and they feel ill. Kind of like the
image to the right. Or, you might see hives, especially
on the short-coated breeds. A boxer with hives is shown
to the left. The Same Day Reaction can be severe,
so if you obs erve your dog's face starting to swell,
please call the clinic number at 523-2513 immediately.
The Day After Reaction happens, well, the day after
usually. With the Day After Reaction, your dog
will feel sluggish, lethargic, etc. He may vomit
once or twice. He may have a fever. Or, your
dog may feel fine but ther may be some swelling or pain
at the injection site. The Day After Reaction is
not a serious problem, generally. My youngest
daughter gets this when she gets her vaccinations.
We think of it more as a day of rest. If your dog
does not feel better in 24 hours, then please call us
the next business day.
The Lump Reaction can happen right away or it can take a
while. You may notice that your dog has some pain
and a lump at the injection site shortly after the
vaccination. Or you may notice a painless lump
days or weeks later. Most of the time, these lumps
resolve without consequence over the next few weeks.
I can still recall the last tetanus vaccination I had.
I was sore for several weeks. If you notice a lump
at the injection site, we will be happy to check it for
you at no cost during regular business hours.
Parasite Control
Far from a favorite topic of conversation, internal
parasites, or "worms," as they are commonly called, are
nonetheless a major problem. The problem is two-fold:
"Worms" not only infect your puppy, they can infect your
children as well! Most puppies have worms. They
are in fact born with them, acquiring the infection from
their mother before birth. Young puppies are very
susceptible to worms, and have little ability to fight
off the infection. Young children are also very
susceptible to these same worms, and can catch them from
puppies. Puppy worm infections in children can be very
serious. Adult humans are at very minimal risk of
acquiring a puppy worm infection unless they have an
immunosuppressive condition.
Puppy worms are not very smart. Puppy worms like to
live in puppies best, but they can infect a child
thinking the child is a puppy, and then migrate and
travel all over the child looking for a puppy to live
in. The migration can cause serious damage. Of
particular concern is Ocular Larva Migrans, a condition
where parasite lavra migrate into a child's eye,
seriously damaging it. Just in case you think I am
kidding, take a look at what the Center for Disease
Control, the CDC, has to say on this topic.
Click here to go to the CDC website article.
For these reasons it is very important to de-worm all
puppies. Two doses of an appropriate medication usually
does the job. It is advisable to deworm the puppy again
at about six months of age, and yearly after that.
Sit, Ubu, Sit
Behavior problems are the leading cause of premature
demise in dogs. Begin now to teach your puppy how to
behave appropriately. Housebreaking is an immediate
concern, but there are other things that it is desirable
to have your puppy learn now that will make your
interactions with him pleasant and enjoyable throughout
his life. Remember that a puppy's attention span is very
short, so patience and consistency are very important in
training.
A Disclaimer: I Am Not a Good Dog Trainer
My dog is not a shining example of good canine behavior.
My dog receives excellent health care, because I am a
professional veterinarian and know all about such things,
but unfortunately, my dog was trained by an amateur
(me). So I am not personally a good source for dog
training tips. However, I know people who are
expert dog trainers, and I would be happy to introduce
you to my people. They are listed below under Puppy
Kindergarten.
Potty Training is the first behavior problem you are
likely to come up against. I have found a few
websites out there that I believe are pretty good.
Try these links: www.littleshelter.com/library/housebreaking.htm,
and
www.peteducation.com/article.cfm,
are all good places to start.
Puppy Kindergarten is an excellent idea. There are
various classes and programs available, and we highly
encourage you to enroll in one of them. It will not only
teach your puppy how to behave, you and the whole family
will have an opportunity to learn how to teach your
puppy the things he will need to learn. There are
several puppy kindergartens in the area. Contact
information for them is listed below.
High Country Shepherds, Ann Christensen is
the instructor. 357-7973
http://highcountryshepherds.com/
All Breed Dog Training, Melanie Montgomery
is the instructor, 346-1070
www.allbreedhomedogtraining.com
This concludes your First Puppy wellness Visit e-handout.
We look forward to seeing you again in three to four
weeks for your next visit.
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