Dog Vaccines |

Seeing that your aging dog receives regular expert vet care is vital in maintaining its good health. Regular checkups and preventive veterinary care can add years to the life of an older dog.

Many pet dogs are living longer lives due to early diagnosis of diseases and quicker treatments. Early intervention in a disease means the dog has a better chance of recovering and living a longer life. Most veterinary clinics and animal hospitals have special preventive care programs for older dogs. These programs may go under the moniker of “geriatric wellness programs,” or “senior care programs.” These exams usually include blood tests, urine tests, stool tests, and x-rays.

A dog’s health is partly determined by the health of its parents when conception occurred. The rest is up to the dog’s owner. A dog should have the necessary vaccinations, proper nutrition, good dental care, heartworm prevention, and other professional vet care during its life because all of these will have a direct bearing on a dog’s health as it ages. The healthier a dog is while growing up, the better its chances of being healthy as it grows older.

Appointments with a veterinarian usually include measuring the dog’s weight each visit. Any rapid or unexplained weight gain or weight loss is often the first sign of disease. Regular visits to the vet should be a part of every dog’s health care. It’s also very important to follow the vet’s recommendations on the proper feeding of older dogs. This helps ensure the dog is receiving the correct nutrition as it ages, and assists in preventing obesity which is one of the most common and preventable diseases in older dogs.

Older dogs should receive regular physical exams. How often these exams should be given depends a lot on the health of the dog; but older dogs, no matter their health status, should be examined by a vet at least once a year. Some older dogs who are diagnosed with health problems will need more visits with the veterinarian.

A physical assessment of the dog will include an examination of the mouth, teeth, gums, tongue, and throat. A rectal exam is also a part of the examination of an aging dog. The veterinarian will examine the inner pelvic area, the lining of the colon, check the dog’s lymph nodes, and the prostate in male dogs.

The physical exam will also include checking the dog’s skin and ears for ticks, fleas, or mites. Heartworm prevention is another important treatment for dogs of all ages but more so for aging dogs. Heartworm medications are available at all pet stores so it’s not difficult to prevent this disease.

If a dog shows any warning signs of heart, lung, kidney, or liver disease, X-rays will need to be taken. When a dog grows older and is still healthy, an X-ray of its chest and abdomen should be taken in case the dog later develops signs of disease. An X-ray taken when the dog was in good health can be compared to a new X-ray and will be valuable in diagnosing any symptoms the dog exhibits.

Owners of senior dogs should understand that the immune system of an older dog is not as strong as it was when the dog was younger, so it’s imperative that an aging dog be kept up-to-date on its vaccinations.

The problem of trying to control an animal’s pain must be handled by the vet. There are medications available that can help relieve pain in older dogs and make their lives a little more comfortable.

Older dogs need expert vet care to help prevent disease and to diagnose any health problems that can be treated and cured with the proper care. A veterinarian is the best partner a dog owner can have for keeping their dog healthy and making its senior years pleasurable.

Not all animal shelters are alike. Some shelters are operated by cities or counties and are supported by resident’s tax dollars. Animal Control Officers are usually the ones responsible for bringing abandoned or stray animals to these shelters. Some shelters are independently run and rely on charitable contributions to pay expenses. There are even shelters associated with national groups such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) which provides guidelines on operating the shelter.

Shelters also differ in the kinds of services they provide, which are usually dependent on their operating budgets. Unfortunately, many shelters supported by local taxes have small budgets. Other shelters supported by animal rights groups and ones that receive private donations, have bigger budgets and are able to provide more services to a larger number of dogs.

But no matter where the financial support for a shelter is coming from or the size of its budget, there are dedicated staff members and volunteers in every shelter who truly care about the welfare of the animals in their care.

There are many reasons animals end up in a shelter. Some pets are there simply because their owners can no longer care for them. Owners will bring their dog to a shelter for a variety of reasons. They may be moving and can’t take their dog with them; the dog may have serious health problems and an owner cannot afford to pay the costs; a family no longer has time for the dog because they have a new baby; or the family member who was the pet’s owner has gone away to college, or perhaps has died.

Some unfortunate dogs are brought to animal shelters because they are homeless or they were rescued from an abusive owner.

The extent of care an animal receives after being surrendered to a shelter depends on the shelter staff and the financial status of the shelter. Some shelters will do an in-depth evaluation which includes obtaining a history of the dogs health and its behavior in its former home, if it had a home. Most shelters have a part-time veterinarian on staff, or if they cannot afford it, will have vets who volunteer their time to help these defenseless animals. Dogs will be screened for different diseases and an assessment will be made of the animal’s temperament and behavior in the shelter. Shelters with budget constraints are able to provide only a minimal evaluation.

If you want to adopt a dog from a shelter, there are several steps you must take. These usually include filling out an application, choosing the right dog for you, signing a contract for adoption, and paying a fee. Some shelters have a waiting period of 24 hours before a dog can be picked up by its new parent or parents. The purpose of this “waiting period” is to give the adoptive parent or parents time to think about their decision and voice any concerns they may have about the dog they chose. During the waiting period, the shelter will put a ‘hold’ on the dog you have selected so no one else can adopt it while you are waiting for the 24 hour time frame to end.

If you do adopt from a shelter, it can be overwhelming to see the number of dogs you have to choose from. A dog’s size, temperament, age and sex are important traits to be considered when deciding on the “right” dog. Be aware that a caged dog does not always display the same behavior it would if in a home. Don’t do yourself a disfavor by overlooking the dogs that are quiet, scared, or very excited. Once a dog is in the loving environment of your home, the chances are excellent that you will have adopted the best friend you’ve ever had. The shelter staff should be able to tell you about each dog’s temperament and personality.

Many shelters will neuter and spay all dogs before they can be adopted. Smaller, less well-financed shelters may only be able to provide you with a certificate that will pay for a portion of the surgery. Most of the dogs will have been wormed and vaccinated before being put up for adoption.

In most cases there will be an adoption fee that has to be paid to the shelter and you will be required to spay or neuter the dog if it has not already been done. If the dog has had any health problems while at the shelter, you may be asked to help pay some of those costs. This will be different at every shelter.

Some shelters will offer a trial period or “trying out” period to let you take your chosen dog home and see how it behaves in the new environment. It’s very rare that you’ll take home a dog with serious behavioral or medical problems. These things are usually discovered while the dog is still in the shelter.

Adopting a dog from an animal shelter can be incredibly rewarding. Most adoptive dog parents say they are happy that they were able to save the life of a wonderful animal by giving it a new and loving home. The sad fact is that between 4 and 6 million dogs and cats are euthanized in animal shelters every year. Every shelter is filled with dogs who were wonderful, loving pets and will continue to be great pets once they become a beloved member of its new family.

Animal shelters provide an invaluable service by providing safe havens for pets and matching them up with new, loving owners. Adopting an animal from a shelter can be a wonderful experience. If you’re looking for a new “best friend”, a shelter is a great place to find the right dog for you.

Unfortunately there are many common dog illnesses and diseases that can be life-threatening to your pet. Many of these illnesses are viral and the easiest way to prevent them is by vaccination.

If you think that your pet is very ill, you’ll need to monitor your dog’s behavior and make notes on what you observe. Then call your vet as soon as possible and report your observations.

Some of the most common illnesses in pet dogs include heartworm, bloat, canine distemper, parvovirus, tapeworm, and rabies.

Heartworm is a parasitic disease that is spread by mosquito bites. Once a dog is infected, the parasitic worms grow and live inside the dog’s heart chambers. The most common symptoms of this disease are coughing, difficulty in breathing, an aversion to exercise, and congestive heart failure. Heartworm is very difficult to treat and the sad news is that many dogs don’t survive heartworm treatment. The good news is that heartworm is easily preventable by giving your dog a monthly dose of a heartworm medication available at most pet stores.

Bloat is a life threatening condition commonly found in large dog breeds like Great Danes and Mastiffs. Bloat occurs when a dog overeats or eats its meals too quickly on a regular basis. This causes gas or fluid to build-up in the dog’s stomach. The stomach can then become twisted and will cut off circulation to the internal organs. If this serious condition is not treated immediately it can kill your pet.

Symptoms of bloat include:
• Dry heaves that occur every 5 to 30 minutes
• Weakness or collapsing
• Swollen, bloated abdomen
• Restlessness or anxiety
• Lack of normal digestive sounds in the abdomen
• Tapeworms in the dog’s feces

Another common dog illness is canine distemper, a dangerous and incurable disease that can seriously affect your dog’s health and longevity. Treatment for distemper can be expensive. If your dog survives canine distemper it may suffer neurological damage for the rest of its life.

Symptoms in the early stages of canine distemper are coughing, diarrhea, and mucus discharge from the eyes and nose. As the disease progressively worsens and enters the final stage, the dog will have seizures.

Adult dogs have a fifty percent chance of surviving canine distemper but unfortunately, puppies have only about a twenty percent chance of survival. It is vital that your dog receive a distemper vaccine shot to prevent catching this deadly disease.

Parvovirus is another viral illness that is especially dangerous for puppies. The symptoms of parvovirus include vomiting, decreased appetite, bloody diarrhea and lethargy. Treatment requires lots of fluids and antibiotics. Parvovirus kills about eighty percent of the dogs that become infected with this disease, but it is preventable through vaccination.

Tapeworm is a common dog illness caused by parasites and affects many dogs. Tapeworm parasites live inside a dog’s intestines and can grow as long as eight inches. When a dog gets fleas and swallows one that contains tapeworm eggs, the condition will spread.

It’s easy to tell if your dog has tapeworms because you’ll see small white segments of the worm moving around in your dog’s feces. Tapeworms can easily be treated with medication taken orally.

Rabies is a very serious viral disease that spreads from one animal to another through saliva. Rabies will cause an animal to become aggressive, and it can easily spread the disease through bite wounds. Rabies is deadly and contagious to humans also. In all U.S. cities dogs are required to have rabies vaccinations.

The symptoms of rabies in the beginning stages include fevers, behavioral changes, and slow eye reflexes. As the disease gets progressively worse, a dog will become increasingly aggressive, bark excessively and without reason, and is bad-tempered and restless. In its advanced stage rabies leads to coma and death. Dogs who contract rabies are required to be euthanized.

No ailment in your dog should be considered just a common dog illness and left untreated. The consequences can be the loss of a dearly beloved pet.

Diseases that affect older dogs can be more serious simply because the dog is older.

Our pet dogs are susceptible to many of the same diseases that we as humans have to deal with. Here is a list of the most common diseases that can affect your pet and the symptoms or warning signs to guide you in knowing when to contact your vet. Some are serious and require immediate attention while others may have slow onsets and can be more difficult to diagnose. Many of these diseases affect older dogs more than younger ones, but a dog’s age does not render it immune to any of these debilitating diseases. When deciding whether any of these symptoms affecting your dog are serious enough to warrant a visit to the vet, you should always err on the side of caution and contact your vet when any of these symptoms persist in your pet.

Cancer – Signs and Symptoms

Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
Sores that do not heal
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Bleeding or discharge from any opening in the body
Unusually strong stinky odor
Difficulty eating or swallowing
Hesitant to exercise or suffers from a loss of stamina
Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating

Dental disease – Signs and Symptoms

Bad breath
Difficulty eating or swallowing
Weight loss

Arthritis – Signs and Symptoms

Difficulty getting up from prone position
Difficulty climbing steps and/or jumping
Behavior changes – irritable, reclusive
Urinating or defecating inside the house
Loss of muscle

Kidney disease/failure – Signs and Symptoms

Increased urination and thirst
Weight loss
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Weakness
Pale gums
Diarrhea
Blood in vomit or black, tarry stool
Bad breath and oral ulcers
Behavior change

Prostate disease – Signs and Symptoms

Urinating or defecating inside the house
Dribbling urine
Blood in urine

Cataracts – Signs and Symptoms

Cloudy appearance to the eyes
Bumping into objects large enough to be avoided
Not retrieving objects when thrown

Hypothyroidism – Signs and Symptoms

Weight gain
Dry, thin coat
Lethargy and/or depression

Cushing’s disease – Signs and Symptoms

Thin coat and thin skin
Increased thirst and urination
Pot-bellied appearance
Abnormally increased appetite

Urinary incontinence – Signs and Symptoms

Urinating in the bed or the area where the dog was sleeping

Gastrointestinal disease – Signs and Symptoms

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Loss of appetite
Loss of weight
Blood in stool
Black and/or tarry stool

Inflammatory bowel disease – Signs and Symptoms

Diarrhea
Vomiting
Mucous or blood in stool
Increased frequency of defecation

Diabetes mellitus – Signs and Symptoms

Increased thirst and urination
Weight loss

Anemia – Signs and Symptoms

Exercise intolerance
Very light-colored gums

Liver disease – Signs and Symptoms

Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Behavior changes
Yellow or pale gums

As you can see from this list of symptoms, it would be nearly impossible to self-diagnose your pet with any of these diseases that can affect older dogs. If you notice that one or more of the above symptoms persist for any length of time, make an appointment with your vet and have your dog thoroughly checked for these serious diseases. You owe your faithful companion the best care you can afford.

You’re at the pet store and you see the perfect Christmas gift – a beautiful, cuddly little puppy adorned with a big red bow – the ideal present for someone you love. But stop for a moment and consider that while a dog as a Christmas gift may seem like an irresistible gift, and one that the intended recipient will surely love and appreciate, it actually can be a very bad idea.

There are good reasons to avoid giving a new puppy or dog as a present. Are you certain the person really wants a new dog? If they do, what kind of dog is going to be best for their life style – a Golden Retriever with it’s people loving personality? A German Shepherd to guard the house? A big dog? A little dog? There are many things you really need to consider before gifting someone with a puppy or dog.

Two good reasons why giving a dog for Christmas is a bad idea:

(1) You need to ask yourself is, does this person even want a dog? Is the intended recipient of your gift actually ready for a dog? If the person is a dog lover, but doesn’t have a dog, there’s probably a good reason why. If he or she already owns a dog, maybe it’s not the appropriate time to add another dog to their family. You should be aware of how the gift recipient really feels about dog ownership.

(2) The gift of a new dog or puppy is something many kids dream about. Unfortunately, most children don’t realize that dog ownership comes with a lot of responsibility. If a child comes to the conclusion that caring for the dog is too much, the responsibility will ultimately transfer to the parents. If you are not the child’s parent, then you definitely should not give that child a new dog unless the parents are in agreement that it would make a great gift. If you are a parent of the child, then getting a dog becomes a family decision. If it’s your child, you should have a parent-to-child talk about the responsibilities involved in raising and caring for a puppy who soon grows into an adult dog.

If the receiver of the gift is truly open to welcoming a new dog into their home, there are still some important things to consider. Dogs given as gifts to kids on Christmas are often caught up in all the hustle and bustle of the season, and sadly, they may be soon forgotten, ignored like new toys and games.

If someone you care about is an adult and has indicated an interest in becoming a dog owner, you may want to give them a book about dog ownership as a gift. Use that as an opportunity to discuss whether or not they really want a pet dog, then if the answer is yes, make future plans to go with them to pick out their new dog or puppy. If the future owner of the dog is included in the decision process, it will be in everyone’s favor.

Make this Christmas a very merry one for the one you want to give the gift to, and also for the dog who deserves a loving, happy home where he or she is appreciated and wanted.