Medical Information and Vaccines*The usual vaccines will include Distemper, Parvovirus, Coronavirus, Hepatitis and Parainfluenza.
*A minimum of two multivalent vaccinations (including distemper and parvo) given three to four weeks apart are required for every dog or puppy over three months old. An additional vaccination against rabies is also necessary. Vaccinations against coronavirus, Bordatella, or Lyme disease are based on owner's needs and veterinarian's advice.
For young puppies, vaccinations usually start at six-to-eight weeks of age and are given every three-to-four weeks until the puppy is 16 weeks of age. Recent information regarding parvovirus may extend this recommendation to 18 or even 20 weeks, especially for Dobes and Rottweilers.
*How does a vaccination work?
In simplest terms, a vaccination stimulates the dog's immune system to protect itself against disease. When the antigen or infectious agent enters the dog's body, it is recognized as foreign and antibodies are produced to bind to it and destroy it. Even though the invader is gone, the cells that manufactured the antibodies "remember" it and will respond more quickly the next time the same agent is confronted.
*How to Take a Dog's Pulse
1.Move your dog to, or get your dog to lie on it’s side.
2.Put your hand under the top back leg.
3.Find the crease that divides the leg from the body.
4.Put your index and middle fingers alongside the crease, that is where a main artery is located.
5.Count the pulse beats for a full minute. If you have difficulty you can count for twenty seconds and multiply by three.
*Healthy Pulse Rates
The smaller the dog, the faster it’s pulse will be. If you believe your dog is in pain, or is ill, and their pulse rate varies significantly from the chart below, bring your pet to a veterinarian for medical assistance.
*Take the pulse at least two or three times over an hour’s time, as the first few times your pet may get excited or upset at the unfamiliar handling, and that would change a normal pulse. Do Not wait an hour if it is an emergency. Get them to the vet ASAP.
*allow at least a 5 to 10 beat variance due to generality of sizing chart
*obesity and age of pet are both factors in gauging answer
-Small Dog - from 140 to 160 beats per minute
-Medium Dog - from 120 to 140 beats per minute
-Large Dog - from 60 to 80 beats per minute
*How To Prevent Fleas and Ticks or Heartworms
How To Prevent Fleas Flea infestation is one of the most common health problems in dogs and cats. Almost every dog and cat will become infested with fleas at some time during their life. These tiny, almost-invisible pests are much more than an annoyance. They make life miserable by disrupting your household with a vicious cycle of biting and scratching. Fleas don't just make your pet itchy, they can actually make him/her quite ill. Be aware of how fleas can irritate your pet! It might be difficult to see fleas, but they certainly can make their presence felt, especially to your pet. When infestations are very heavy, the accumulations of grayish larvae and white eggs give the sleeping quarters of dogs a "salt-and-pepper" appearance that easily identifies the infestation.
*How To Prevent Ticks
Ticks are second only to mosquitoes throughout the world in transmitting infectious disease to humans and animals, including Lyme Disease, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis. Due to the serious potentially life-threatening nature of these diseases, they are very important when they occur. If your pet is bitten by a tick, the results can be fatal.
*How To Prevent Heartworms
All dogs are at risk of developing heartworm disease, regardless of whether or not they spend most of their day indoors. Once a dog has contracted this serious disease, treatment can be complicated, risky and expensive.
Without treatment, however, the disease is often fatal. Therefore, heartworm prevention is the best way to protect your dog. To avoid the need for extensive and risky treatment by your vet, all pet owners are advised to keep their dogs on an effective heartworm preventative, such as Interceptor, Heartgard, Sentinel or Revolution. Regular heartworm checks should also be performed (either once a year or every two years) to ensure that no infection has occurred.
