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2013年9月27日星期五

Truenorthlabradors"s Blog




It’s been an interesting 18-months on the east coast.  A number of breeders have alerted the rest of us to a Parvo virus that is breaking through the vaccinations that are supposed to protect our puppies.  As a dog owner I can not stress enough the importance of following through with the vaccination plan we give you–to the letter.



The contract will ask you to visit your own vet with 72-hours of bringing your True North Labrador puppy home.  We will have fully vaccinated and wormed the pup, and even though it’s expensive, we will vaccinate the pup on its 8th-week-birthday.




We then vaccinate our own dogs when they are 12-weeks with a 7-way booster; and again at 16 and 20 weeks with a 7-way booster.  Since you are not breeding, it’s pretty safe to stop vaccinating your puppy after it has received its 4-month Rabies vaccinate (at 16-weeks) and its 7-way  booster.  During summer and fall, you should definitely worm your puppy at least once monthly, as well as document your use of Flea prevention and Heart Worm preventative.  For cost savings ideas, give us a call.



Please do not put off these vaccines.  First, Parvo is everywhere and it is a very determined virus.  It’s sort of like Kudzu.  Without the right serum levels, your dog has no immune system to fight the deadly Parvo virus.  The virus, which causes a very painful, intestinal illness, just takes over the dog’s immune system.  We have seen dogs belonging to friends get Parvo after missing the 12-week booster by one week.  The puppy came down with Parvo and died a few days after getting its 12-week booster a week late, and just two or three days after getting the booster shot.



The second reason why you don’t want to miss a vaccine date is because I feel so strongly about this issue, that you will void your health guarantee with True North Labradors if you miss your vaccination dates.  We’re not trying to scare you, well, maybe just a little bit.  Our intention is to teach you how to take the best possible care of your wonderful puppy.  As always, go to our website for more information about our program:  http://www.truenorthlabradors.com.



Lastly, your dog should not be out in public until 10-days after its 16-week vaccine.  Ten days after the last booster at 4-months, your puppy’s immune system should be strong enough to ward off all the nasty illness that lurk on or near its environment, and it’s time to show him/her off at the local Dog Park, and of course engage in the “Walk of Pride” when you show your dog off at PetCo or PetSmart



If you keep your puppy loved, well-fed, groomed, vaccinated, and free of pests like fleas, ticks, worms and heartworms, you should have a loyal companion for the next 10-15 years of your life, and hundreds of happy visits on Sundays at PetsMart.

















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It’s been an interesting 18-months on the east coast.  A number of breeders have alerted the rest of us to a Parvo virus that is breaking through the vaccinations that are supposed to protect our puppies.




As a dog owner I can not stress enough the importance of following through with the vaccination plan we give you–to the letter. Most breeder’s contracts will require that you take the puppy to your own vet with 72-hours of bringing your puppy home.



We vaccinate our own dogs at five, seven, eight, and  12-weeks with a 5-way booster; and again at 16 and 20 weeks with a 7-way booster.  Since you are not breeding, it’s pretty safe to stop vaccinating your puppy after it has received its 4-month Rabies vaccinate (at 16-weeks) and its 7-way  booster.



During summer and fall, you should definitely worm your puppy at least once monthly, as well as document your use of Flea prevention and Heart Worm preventative.  For cost savings ideas, give us a call.



Please do not put off these vaccines.  First, Parvo is everywhere and it is a very determined virus.  It’s sort of like Kudzu.  Without the right serum levels, your dog has no immune system to fight the deadly Parvo virus.  The virus, which causes a very painful, intestinal illness, just takes over.  We have seen dogs belonging to friends get Parvo after missing the 12-week booster by one week.  The puppy came down with Parvo and died a few days after getting its 12-week booster a week late, and just two or three days after getting the booster shot.



The second reason why you don’t want to miss a vaccine date is because I feel so strongly about this issue, that you will void your health guarantee with True North Labradors, and many other reputable breeders,  if you miss your vaccination dates.  We’re not trying to scare you, well, maybe just a little bit.  Our intention is to teach you how to take the best possible care of your wonderful puppy.



Lastly, your dog should not be out in public until 10-days after its 16-week vaccine.  Ten days after the last booster at 4-months, your puppy’s immune system should be strong enough to ward off all the nasty illness that lurk on or near its environment, and it’s time to show him/her off at the local Dog Park, and of course engage in the “Walk of Pride” when you show your dog off at PetCo or PetSmart.

2013年9月25日星期三

Vaccines | Jenn Pet Vet"s Blog




The Scoop About Vaccine Titers October 24, 2012







Which Vaccines Does My Pet Need???



Sometimes deciding the appropriate way to vaccinate your pet can be very confusing. Beyond deciding which vaccines, there is also the question of how frequently should your pet get those vaccines. The vaccine titer is a useful tool that can help determine when your pet needs a vaccine and result in your pet getting fewer vaccines.



So what is a vaccine anyway?


A vaccine is a weakened form of the disease that it is meant to prevent. When a live vaccine is administered it will cause a mini-disease in order to stimulate the immune response. This immune response should then, in theory, protect your dog or cat from the real deal.


A vaccine is not 100% effective. There are many factors that contribute to a vaccines effectiveness. If a pet is sick, has a problem with their immune system, or is otherwise weak their immune response to the vaccine will be diminished.



What is a vaccine titer and what are the pros and cons?


A vaccine titer is a blood test performed by a veterinarian. It measures the amount of antibody in the blood to a specific disease. An adequate titer indicates that the body should be able to fight off that disease.


Pros: The benefit to performing a titer over blindly giving vaccines at predetermined intervals is that it provides a much more fine tailored approach for vaccination. The decision to vaccinate or not is determined by the individual’s immune response, not an arbitrary vaccine schedule. And because vaccines have been linked to autoimmune diseases and other chronic conditions like allergies, seizures, arthritis, endocrine disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and cancer – the fewer vaccines, the better.


Cons: A vaccine titer does cost more than the actual vaccine. But providing a pet with good health is definitely worth the extra cost. There is also a small possibility that because vaccine titer can’t predict future immunity, your pet’s immunity could drop in the months after the titer test.



For which diseases are titer tests performed?


The main diseases that are titer tested for in dogs are Parvovirus and Canine Distemper Virus. There are titer tests for Rabies but this is a vaccine that is required by state law. There are times when a rabies titer might be accepted by a certain jurisdiction, but you will need to contact the local authority that issues rabies licenses in your area to see if they will accept a titer result instead of a vaccine.


For cats the main disease that is titer tested for is Feline Panleukopenia.


If you are performing titer tests for your dog or cat make sure that your veterinarian is able to give individual viral vaccines. This means Parvovirus, Distemper Virus, or Panleukopenia on their own, not the typical DAPP (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza) or FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Panleukopenia) combination vaccines.


I hope that all of this information is helpful in helping you  and your pets on your journey towards good health!




If you’d like more information on vaccinations, please consider joining me on November 3rd from 7 pm until 9 pm at WonderDogs in Berlin NJ for my complete vaccination discussion. 


Peace, love, and plenty of tail wags~


Jennifer Forsyth, VMD



 




 









2013年9月19日星期四

Hands to Paws Blog


Massage Event at Pet Elements 8th Anniversary




 


 


 






 




During Pet Element’s 8th Anniversary & Re-Grand


Opening


Bring your “best friend” in for a free mini massage & consultation


When:


Saturday July 13, 2013


Time:


11:30 am to 3:30pm


Where:


Pet Elements


6511 California Avenue SW


(206-932-0457)


 gravatarFor more information call Jen Streit, SAMP at 206-938-8539


Or 206-579-7572





2013年9月15日星期日

The Oakland Press Blogs: The Dog Blog: Cheap vaccinations this weekend



Michigan has the worst unemployment rate of all the states, and Oakland County isn’t faring much better than the state.
My dog’s annual trip to the vet, to update his vaccinations, usually costs upwards of $ 120.
If my husband or I were to lose our job, paying that would be a real burden.
On the other hand, taking preventative health measures for your pet is the best way to protect your wallet from vet bills that result from sickness or disease.
Not vaccinating your pet is taking a real risk, both to your pet’s health and to your wallet.
So if you’re down on your luck in the job and cashflow department — which many of us Michiganians obviously are — take advantage of the low-cost vaccination clinics scheduled right here in the county.
One is coming up this weekend, and here’s all the details.
It’s from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18 at the Centerstage Rental Hall & QTMC, Inc., 586 N. Perry in Pontiac.
For $ 10, your dog — so long as it’s older than 6 weeks — can get a distemper/parvo vaccine.
Dogs and cats older than 3 months can also get a 1-year rabies vaccine. That’s the big one, really. You need it to license your pet and it’s protection against one of the nastiest diseases that can hurt both our pets and ourselves.
For the same price, kittens and cats 6 weeks and older will also be given a distemper vaccine.
At $ 10, that’s a really good deal.
Got a dog or cat that’s recently given birth? Bring the whole litter down and get them all vaccinated for just $ 25.
The clinic is open to pets from any corner of Oakland County, and Pontiac residents can also pick up 2009 dog licenses.
It’s pretty easy to find Centerstage too. If you’re unfamiliar with Pontiac, here’s some quick directions. Take I-75 to exit 81 for Lapeer Road, or M-24. You want to go south on Lapeer Road, toward Pontiac.
Once you cross Walton, you’ve entered Pontiac and Lapeer Road becomes Perry Street. It’s just a few more miles south to find the rental hall, which will be on the left between Martin Luther Kind and Wide Track.
The clinic is put on by The Animal Care Network, Centerstage & QTMC and the City of Pontiac. Let’s thank all of them for helping us keep our pets healthy!