Health Care

Vet Visits

Next to your family, your veterinarian is one of the most important people in your pet's life. You should identify a veterinarian for your new pet before you bring it home and arrange for a first appointment as soon as possible. The first vet visit gives you and your veterinarian an opportunity to establish your pet's baseline level of health and identify any potential long-term or chronic health problems. This visit can confirm the health status identified when you purchased your pet.

When you meet with the veterinarian, be sure to discuss your daily care routines, home environment, and any anticipated problems or concerns you may have. Please ask questions about any behavior which you need more information, as well as grooming recommendations, including nail trimming. Your veterinarian will examine your pet to ensure healthy bones, joints and muscles, as well as heart, eye, and ear health. The veterinarian will also recommend appropriate lab tests to evaluate the health of your pet.

Your pet may experience some stress going to the veterinary office. The best way to alleviate this is with positive reinforcement, attention, and happy visits. Stop in at the vet's office with your dog a few times when it doesn't need to be examined so your dog can associate the clinic with positive experiences. Praise your pet when it behaves well at the vet's office. Take some treats to keep your pet happy and encourage their cooperation. Fortunately, vet staff is experienced at handling pets of all kinds and will likely make your job much easier.

After the first visit and your pet's initial vaccinations, you should plan on having your pet checked by the veterinarian at least yearly. You may need to go more frequently depending on your veterinarian's recommendations and the health of your pet. 

Vaccinations

A basic vaccination series should be a part of your pet's health care. A combination vaccine is given once a month from two months through four months and then once annually. It protects your pet from leading infections and illnesses. If you acquired a pet that is older than four months and that has not been vaccinated, the veterinarian will use a different protocol -- two vaccinations given three to four weeks apart and then annual vaccinations. 

Your pet will also need a rabies vaccination. Laws around the country differ about when this vaccine must be given, so check with your veterinarian about scheduling a rabies vaccination for your dog. Your vet can also tell you about other vaccinations that may be appropriate for your pet depending on where you live.

Spaying and Neutering

Most pets are spayed (female) or neutered (male) to remove reproductive organs to prevent pregnancy, but health and behavior issues provide other compelling reasons for spaying and neutering your pets.

Female dogs have a high incidence of cancers of the reproductive system. By spaying your pet, your veterinarian surgically removes the ovaries and uterus, preventing the production of estrogen, which leads to most reproductive cancers. A vast majority of unspayed older female dogs contract a life-threatening infection of the uterus called pyometra. Female pets should be spayed before their first heat cycle, which generally occurs around six months of age.

Male pets that are not neutered often exhibit aggressive behaviors which can be dangerous to them, other animals, and people. A dog that was well-behaved and calm in its youth can suddenly develop a pack mentality and become more aggressive, chase cars, try to get loose to roam freely, or bark and growl -- all as a result of high testosterone levels. Male cats may start spraying urine around the house as well as become aggressive. Many of these habits become hard to break. Male pets should be neutered around six months of age.

Spaying and neutering are commonly performed surgeries. They require anesthesia and most veterinarians prefer the pet to remain in the hospital overnight.

Common Health Issues

Your dog is likely to have some health issues during its life. The worst can be prevented through vaccinations and spaying and neutering. Others, such as cancers and other diseases may not be avoidable. That's why it is important to maintain your dog's diet, nutrition and exercise at all times. However, there are a few common health problems you need to take care of to keep your dog well.

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas are external parasites that cause a skin allergy, a common skin disease for dogs and cats. Ticks latch on to the skin and burrow in to feed on blood. Both can be itching, annoying and unhealthy for your dog and you. Keeping your dog flea and tick free is easier today thanks to new products that can be applied once-a-month. However, you need to visually inspect your dog's skin for signs of fleas during daily grooming and check for ticks after returning from an area known to have them, like wooded camping sites.

Heartworm

Heartworm, roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm are other parasites that can enter your dog's intestinal system and create serious health problems. Heartworm parasites are passed on to dogs from mosquitoes to the blood stream. Hookworm and roundworm larvae end up on your dog's feet, which, through licking, enters its abdominal system. The best form of treatment is early and regular prevention. A monthly pill will help your dog avoid these parasites. If your dog does contract a parasite, it is important for your vet to do testing to determine which kind it is suffering from and what level the development the worm has reached. A correct diagnosis is needed because the treatment for one parasite is not the same as for another. Some symptoms of a parasite can be an occasional cough, fatigue, weight loss and difficulty breathing. Talk to your vet about how often s/he recommends checking for parasites, since the symptoms may not present themselves before serious damage occurs.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease that is spread by deer ticks. Lyme disease can cause a variety of symptoms such as inappetetance, lethargy, lamesness and fever. If left untreated it can damage the kidneys. Lyme vaccine is available for dogs. It is an initial 2 dose vaccination 2-4 weeks apart and yearly thereafter.

Poisoning

Many common indoor and outdoor plants can be poisonous to dogs. Before your bring your dog home, get rid of any houseplants that appear on the list below. Don't let your dog eat plants and leaves when outdoors. If you do suspect poisoning, get your pet to the veterinarian immediately. You should also keep the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center hotline number near your phone in case of emergency. You can reach this 24/7 hotline by calling toll free 1-888-4ANI-HELP (1-888-424-4357).

Following is a partial list developed by the ASPCA's Poison Control Center of common plants that are poisonous to dogs and cats:

Alfalfa Aloe vera Amaryllis Apple seeds Apple leaf croton Apricot pit Asparagus fern Autumn crocus Avocado (both the fruit and pit) Azalea Baby's breath Bittersweet Bird of paradise Branching ivy Buckey Buddhist pine Caladium Calla lily Castor bean Ceriman Charming dieffenbachia Cherry (seeds and wilting leaves) Chinese evergreen Christmas rose Cineraria Clematis Cordatum Corn plant Cornstalk plant Croton Cuban laurel Cutleaf philodendron Cycads Cyclamen Daffodil Devil's ivy Dieffenbachia Dracaena palm Dragon tree Dumb cane Elaine Elephant ears Emerald feather English ivy Fiddle-leaf fig Florida beauty Foxglove Fruit salad plant Geranium German ivy Giant dumb cane Glacier ivy Gold dieffenbachia Gold dust dracaena Golden pothos

Hahn's self-branching ivy Heartland philodendron Hurricane plant Indian rubber plant Janet Craig dracaena Jerusalem cherry Kalanchoe Lacy tree philodendron Lily of the valley Mother-in-law's tongue Madagascar dragon tree Marble queen Marijuana Mexican breadfruit Miniature croton Mistletoe Morning glory Narcissus Needlepoint ivy Nephytis Nightshade Oleander Onion Peace lily Peach (wilting leaves and pit) Pencil cactus Plumosa fern Poinsettia Poison ivy Poison oak Pothos Potato plant Purgatory bean Primrose Red emerald Red princess Red-margined dracaena Rhododendron Ribbon plant Saddle leaf philodendron Sago palm Satin pothos Scheffilera Silver pothos Spotted dumb cane String of pearls Striped dracaena Sweetheart ivy Swiss cheese plant Taro vine Tomato plant (green fruit, stem and leaves) Tree philodendron Tropic snow dieffenbachia Weeping fig Yew