All Creatures Pet Hospital
Processing ....|
Congratulations on the arrival of your new puppy. It is our hope that we may help you have many years of companionship and fun with your pet. At this age it is the time to address many of the preventive care measures that will help promote a long, healthy life for your new friend.
Puppies differ from adult dogs by requiring a series of vaccinations to ensure protection against the most common diseases of dogs. This is necessary for several reasons but the most important is the passive immunity that puppies acquire from their mothers. Early in their life puppies receive antibodies directly from their mother that help protect them during the critical first weeks of life. The level of antibody will fall gradually as the puppy grows and develops and may be different for each puppy in the litter. It must decline below a certain level before the puppy can respond to vaccines and develop his own specific immune response. We try to encourage the early development of this response. The series of vaccinations is designed to give immunity at the earliest age following the loss of passive immunity from the animal?s mother. It is for this reason it is very important to complete the series of boosters and for the boosters to come at the right time. If for any reason your personal schedule prevents you from bringing your puppy in at the proper intervals, please contact our office and explain your situation so that we may advise you on what the best solution may be. In addition to the core vaccines for distemper, parvovirus and rabies, we recommend vaccination against bordetella to help your pet develop immunity against the most common causes of canine infectious tracheobronchitis. This a common ailment affecting dogs in high traffic pet areas such as grooming salons, boarding kennels and dog shows. Please ask our staff if your pet is at risk and if vaccination for bordetella may be necessary.
Nutrition
One of the most rapidly developing areas of knowledge in pet preventive health care is the subject of proper nutrition. In recent years, it is rare to see nutritional deficiencies in pets that are fed modern dog foods, but of increasing concern to veterinarians is the subject of excesses in the diet. While deficiencies present themselves early in the pet?s life in the form of growth or developmental problems, excesses may be present for years before they manifest themselves in health problems. We recommend the Science Diet line of foods due to the manufacturers commitment to research and development of a food that has nutrient precision (a diet that has neither deficiencies nor excesses) and is appropriate for each stage of the pet?s life. The current research suggests that an excess of daily calories may also shorten the pet?s life and cause development of disease at an earlier age. Diabetes is highly preventable and other diseases that may not be prevented can be delayed until later in life. It is important to remember that even when feeding a high quality diet, the benefits may be offset by overfeeding or supplementation with table food or treats. We no longer consider an animal whose ribs are showing to be below optimum body condition if muscle mass is adequate and the quality of the skin and hair coat is good.
Heartworm Disease
When worms are discussed in conjunction with preventative health care in dogs, most people think of intestinal parasites. Heartworms are different parasites that slowly grow within the right chambers of the heart and the blood vessels of the lungs. Heartworms are deadly and are more commonly diagnosed than in years past. Heartworm disease spreads when mosquitoes bite a dog that has been previously infected, siphon up the microscopic heartworm offspring, then bite another animal. Heartworms are particularly dangerous because often animals do not show evidence of the disease until they have been present for months. Heartworm preventatives work by stopping the microscopic larva soon after being injected from the mosquito bite before they have arrived in the heart or begun to do damage. As these larvae mature they become progressively more difficult to kill, this is why heartworm preventatives must be used regularly (once monthly) to effectively prevent the disease. Adult animals require an annual blood test to determine if they are infected, if negative they may safely take the preventative medication. Heartworm prevention should begin before 4 months of age so that we may be assured that the puppy is negative at the time the medication is started.
Flea Prevention
Flea prevention is very important for many reasons. Fleas can make an animal anemic, act as a carrier for tapeworms, and are a contributing factor in many skin diseases (including allergy to flea bites). Fleas can be a particularly bothersome parasite because of their ability to reproduce so quickly. One adult female flea can produce up to fifty eggs each day. Because fleas can be present for many days before they are noticed, modern flea control is aimed at controlling reproduction of the flea as well as killing the adult fleas. This is truly a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Once fleas become established in your pet?s environment it can take weeks to eliminate them.
Heartworm and Flea Preventatives
We recommend these heartworm and flea preventative medications based upon your particular circumstances: 1. Trifexis ? This is a once monthly combination drug that is taken orally. Using the combination of Interceptor and Comfortis, this new preventative is able to combat hookworms, roundworms, whipworms and heartworms, as well as killing adult fleas within 4 hours. 2. Heartgard Plus ? This medication is given by mouth once monthly and comes in a highly palatable beef chewable. Giving with food is not necessary with this medication and it will serve as a monthly dewormer for roundworms and hookworms as well as providing protection against heartworm disease. Flea prevention is necessary with this medication.
3. Frontline Plus - This monthly topical flea preventative provides protection against ticks and is waterproof as well. Heartworm preventative is necessary with this product. 4. Comfortis - This monthly chewable tablet for flea prevention provides excellent protection against fleas and eliminates infestations quickly. This medication must be given in conjunction with a meal. Heartworm preventative is necessary with this product. 5. Revolution - This medication is applied topically at the base of the neck once monthly and is absorbed to provide protection against heartworm disease, adult fleas and flea eggs, ear mites, the sarcoptic mange mite and provides some control of ticks. This medication also has some activity against roundworms and hookworms. When external parasites are of primary concern this medication is the product of choice.
Body Handling Training All dog owners should teach their dogs to enjoy and allow handling of their body. When puppies are young, they can be taught to allow all parts of their body to be examined. You can reward the puppy with food rewards for allowing handling. Handle the puppy, give a treat. Look in the puppy's mouth, give a treat. Pick up the puppy's feet, give a treat. Soon the puppy will realize that when you approach the puppy you bring good things and will learn to trust you and not be afraid to have different areas of the body examined or handled. Early handling can make later medical treatments, dental care, ear cleaning and nail trims easier. For breeds that have hair coats that will require grooming, it is also recommended that the puppy begin being groomed by 12 weeks of age. This is so that they may become used to the body handling that will be necessary to keep the coat at its best.
Introducing Puppy to Dental Care
Your puppy is beginning to lose his baby teeth and cut his first permanent teeth. The conditions in a dog?s mouth are different than in a human mouth. The saliva is much less acidic and the teeth are less prone to decay and the development of cavities. While tooth decay is much less of a problem, the development of gum disease is much more of a problem. Dogs are prone to build-up of tartar at the gum line, inflammation of the gums and the development of pocketing under the gum line around the tooth root. These changes can lead to premature tooth loss and the absorption of bacteria (and their toxins) through the gum tissue. Research demonstrates that good oral care can not only preserve the teeth but reduce the development of organ disease (heart valves, kidneys and the liver can be affected). Oral care is divided into two areas, slowing the build-up of tartar and dental cleaning to remove tartar at the gum-line.
Slowing Tartar Build-up
Tartar build-up can be reduced by several methods. Prescription veterinary diets (Hill?s Prescription Diet T/D) can be very effective. After years of research it was found the most effective texture of food to prevent tartar build-up is neither hard nor soft, but somewhere in-between. This food is soft enough that when the animal?s tooth bites into the food and is withdrawn it will retain the impression of the tooth. But the food is hard enough that some plaque on the tooth is removed as the tooth is withdrawn from the bite. While this food can be used for any dog it is more strongly recommended for short-faced dogs or dogs with overbites and underbites. It is also used for pets when brushing of the teeth is not possible.
Brushing the teeth is the gold standard for the removal of plaque. C.E.T. Toothpastes have mild abrasives and cleaning enzymes that combine with the mechanical scrubbing of the toothbrush to give the greatest reduction in tartar and gum disease. Although your puppy does not have all of his permanent teeth at this age, it is a good time to introduce him to the toothbrush. Begin by introducing the dry toothbrush into the mouth, brushing only one tooth and then remove the brush and reward the puppy with praise and a treat. Gradually increase the number of teeth that are brushed before the reward is given over the next four weeks. Then after this routine has become enjoyable to your pet, begin to use the C.E.T. toothpaste on the brush. Animal toothpastes differ from human pastes in that they do not foam or contain fluoride (making them edible). Remember anything less than three times weekly will not significantly reduce tartar build-up.
C.E.T. Beefhide Chews can also assist in the reduction of tartar. These chews have the cleaning enzymes that are present in some animal toothpastes impregnated into the chew. This is a good product to help on those days when brushing is not done but should not be considered a complete substitute for brushing.
Dental Prophylaxis
You can help us watch for the early signs of inflammation of the gums and the earliest signs of gum disease. Tartar build-up occurs first on the cheek-side surface of the upper rows of teeth. Keep a watch on these areas at least once monthly. At the first sign of redness and swelling where the gum tissue and tooth meet, please call our office. Professional dental cleaning is most effective before the gum tissue has began to recede. As is the case in your mouth, once the gum tissue has receded it will never again be the same. 80% of dogs over three years of age have some evidence of gum disease. In our hospital, we use scaling and polishing instruments similar to what is used in human dentistry to remove the tartar both from the crown and the area just below the gum line. Dental cleaning is potentially one of the most important things we can do to prevent pain and extend the healthy years of your pet.
Care of Ears
Spaying and Neutering
Spaying or neutering your pet at or before six months of age is important for many reasons. Behavioral problems are much less common in neutered animals and it reduces the risk of developing certain diseases later in life.
Male Dogs
Neutering is the surgical removal of both testes. The beneficial effects that are seen following this procedure are directly related to reduction in levels of the male hormone, testosterone. A reduced level of this hormone affects many behaviors. Neutering male dogs has been shown to reduce the percentage of dogs that bite, roam, urine mark and exhibit overly territorial behaviors. Neutering is much more effective at preventing these behaviors than it is in eliminating them once they have begun. It is for this reason that it is advised to have this procedure performed before six months of age.
In addition neutering has some beneficial effects on health. Beyond the age of seven, enlargement of the prostate gland can occur and result in difficult or painful urination. This enlargement is caused in large part by the hormone testosterone. Since neutering reduces the levels of this hormone, prostate enlargement is very uncommon in older neutered male dogs.
Female Dogs
Spaying is the common name for ovariohysterectomy. This procedure is the complete removal of both the ovaries and the uterus. This eliminates a female dog from having heat cycles, which occur roughly every 6 months. Pet owners usually notice this cycle by swelling of the vulva and spotting of a blood tinged fluid. It is shortly after this spotting that the female dog becomes receptive to breeding. One in five unspayed female dogs will become pregnant unintentionally at some point during their life.
Spaying at an early age (at or before six months of age) has numerous health benefits in female dogs. The development of breast cancer is relatively common in older female dogs. Research has shown that if a female dog is spayed before her first heat cycle, which usually occurs at 6 to 10 months of age, her chance of developing this type of cancer is greatly reduced in later years. Pyometra is another serious medical condition that occurs in older unspayed females. It is a condition in which the uterus fills with infection and enlarges to many times its normal size. As the female dog ages, her cycles often become irregular. This can lead to the cervix remaining open and allowing infection inside the uterus. The toxic principles released by this infection often lead to this life threatening disease. Spaying early in life is preventative and is our recommendation for all dogs not intended for breeding purposes.
Early Training
Training your friend can be divided into two distinct parts, socialization and obedience training. Socialization of your puppy is the first step and is critical at this age. Puppies are most impressionable during the stage of 5 to 16 weeks of age. Socialization is nothing more than exposing the puppy to all the things that he will be exposed to later in life so that he may begin to become comfortable with these things. Introduction to things that may be new (interacting with your family, people outside your family, locations outside the home, vehicles and any other thing that may potentially frighten your pet) will help him accept them more readily when he is older. Allow your puppy to watch these things from a distance, give a treat and praise, and then slowly lead him closer as his comfort level increases. This will help your puppy become a well-adjusted, confident companion and lay the groundwork for the next phase of training.
Obedience training is teaching your dog basic commands that will help him to be more easily controlled, as well as a better companion and family member. We believe that ?no?, ?come?, ?sit?, ?stay? and teaching your dog to accept a leash are the ?basic equipment? needed. These commands will cover 90% of day-to-day situations. We recommend pet owners attend obedience classes. These classes provide professional advice on ways to speed training, allow for a safe environment for socialization, teach your pet to work with distractions, and help you achieve your weekly goals. Once your pet has mastered these commands many other things can be added to your puppy?s training.
AVID identification implants
a. What is the AVID Microchip? The microchip is a tiny computer chip, which has an identification number, programmed into it and is encapsulated within a biocompatible material. The whole device is small enough to fit inside a hypodermic needle and can be simply injected under the skin of our pets, where it will stay for the life of the animal. This provides a permanent, positive identification, which cannot be lost, altered or intentionally removed ? a safe, simple and inexpensive way to protect your pet against loss or theft.
b. How much does the injection cost?
The fee includes placement of the microchip. The fee is $37.25. A one-time $15.00 registration fee with the national microchip registry insures that your pet is identified any place in the United States.
c. What is the youngest age a pet can be identified?
Animals of any age can be injected with the AVID Microchip. We recommend puppies and kittens be identified during their initial vaccine series. Birds and exotics can be identified at any time.
d. My pets never leave my yard. Why should they be identified with an AVID Microchip?
It only takes one time for the mailman, meter reader, neighbor or friend to leave the gate open or the door ajar. Unaltered pets in particular have a desire to roam. Pet theft is also a frequent occurrence. Well-behaved pets are stolen by individuals to be their own pet or for resale. Most shelters destroy the majority of pets they impound. They are destroyed only because they are not identified. The Southwest Missouri Humane Society has agreed to scan every pet for the presence of a microchip.
e. Does my pet have to be sedated for the injection?
No! Injecting the AVID Microchip is just like any other injection or vaccination. Anesthesia is not required or recommended since there is minimal discomfort with the procedure.
f. How do I know the shelter/veterinarian will be able to check for the AVID Microchip?
AVID offers an innovative program designed to place readers in shelters at no cost to the shelter! The Southwest Missouri Humane Society has agreed to check every pet soon after arrival. More area shelters are getting readers.
g. If my pet is found, how does the shelter know to contact me?
When a shelter finds a pet with a microchip they will call AVID. If the pet is registered with AVID?s recovery network, PETtrac, the shelter will be given the owner?s name. If the pet is not registered, they will be given the name of the veterinarian who injected the microchip. The veterinarian will provide the owner?s latest information.
|
