Dog Illness And Treatments
What vaccinations and booster shots does my dog routinely need?
All dogs need vaccines, and it's where you live and your lifestyle which will determine what vaccines are necessary for your particular dog. There are core vaccines like distemper, parvo and rabies which all pets need. Those core vaccines oftentimes are the diseases that are highly transmissible and can also be fatal in dogs. Then there are the non-core vaccines, so if you go out hiking and biking with your dog, you may need to have protection against lyme disease, kennel cough and giardia if your dog drinks standing puddle water. Therefore which vaccines are best for your dog, is really a matter of your lifestyle, but more information can be gained by talking to your veterinarian.
How do I get my dog to swallow a pill?
Dogs love to eat first and think later. So most of the time it's pretty easy to get your dog to swallow a pill. You might try giving your dog something like peanut butter, a little bit of cheese, a little bit of liverwurst or something else he thinks is good and then hide the pill inside that. Before they know it, the pill's gone down and life is good.
How do I take my dog's temperature?
Taking your dog's temperature might not be the most fun thing in the world for you, but it is important for you to know what is normal for your dog. Taking a dog's temperature is just like taking a human baby's temperature. You pop a thermometer, often digital is a little bit easier than the old-fashioned glass one, into the dog's backside. Put a little bit of KY jelly or petroleum jelly, gently insert it into their rectum and have somebody help hold on to your dog. Normal dog temperature is between 11 to 12.5 Fahrenheit.
How do I get rid of my dog's fleas?
Fleas are ubiquitous. Depending on where you live in the United States it may be seasonal; it may be year-round. A flea's life cycle can be as short as six weeks to as long as six months. A flea, an adult flea, will spend about ninety percent of the time on your pet. Getting rid of them is going to be a matter of taking care of the pet as well as taking care of the environment. If you don't have many fleas, there are some very safe flea products available. Asking your veterinarian what might be best for you is important. You always want to read the label directions to make sure you're using it properly. If you're having a big flea problem you'll also need to treat the yard.
Where should I check for ticks on my dog?
Ticks are these little creatures that are actually related to spiders. They can be anywhere on your dog's body, including on the head, the neck and the belly. The ticks are actually going to be on bits of grass just waiting for your dog to go by. They don't fly, but they jump and they will go for those places that are closest to the grass, such as your dog's head and body.
How do I protect my dog against ticks?
Ticks can carry many diseases, so it's very important to protect your dog against these. Oftentimes, a dog that goes out with you when you're hiking and biking goes through those wooded areas, areas where you're going to typically find ticks. There are many products that are safe for taking care of ticks. If you just don't want to use any kind of product on your dog, keep it out of harm's way. Don't let your dog go in areas where there are ticks.
How do I remove a tick from my dog?
You need to be careful when removing ticks from your dog because ticks can carry diseases that can actually be transmitted to people. If you find a tickon your dog, oftentimes people will say, "Is this a wart, or is this a tick?" If you look close and you see little legs, it's a tick. You don't have to twist left or right, or burn it off; it's not a good idea. Get yourself a pair of tweezers or needle nose pliers, get as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out quickly. There might be a little bump left afterwards; it's usually just a reaction to the bite itself. You want to make sure you got the head parts. Clean it with some clean soap and water and if you have questions, take your dog to the vet.
How can I tell if my dog has worms?
Internal parasites, worms, are really quite common in dogs, especially in puppies. You can also have older dogs that also get internal parasites. Some of these are actually transmissible to people. They're called zoonotic diseases. So, how do you know? Sometimes you can't tell; you may look at your dog and it looks healthy. If you take a stool sample; a faecal sample (you don't need three pounds) then your veterinarian can run special tests to see if there's a worm there. There are also very safe and effective medications that you can give to your dog on a monthly basis to take care of internal parasites like heartworms, roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms. They are very safe, and very effective.
How do I protect my dog against worms?
Protecting your dog against worms is very important. There are many different types of worms are out there. Some worms the puppy will get from mother while it's still in the uterus. Other types of worms your dog can get while nursing on the mother. But many of these worms, later on in life, are going to be caught by an oral fecal transmission. So keep your dog away from other dogs' poop. It's not a good idea for them to be getting into that, and you should take your pet to the veterinarian to make sure that it's getting a monthly deworming medication. This is both safer for your pet and your family.
