Caring for Adult Dog

 

1 to 8 Years

You’ve made it through the ever-eventful first-year puppy stage, and are now looking forward to many years with your canine companion. Here are some things you need to know to make those years as healthy as possible for your pal.

Typical Vaccination Schedule
Once your dog is out of the cute puppy stage, she will have some different needs.

1 Year after Puppy Shots

• Distemper (booster in 1 year)
• Parvo (booster in 2 years)
• Rabies (booster in 3 years)
• Bordetella (booster yearly)

 

From Then On

• Distemper, Parvovirus, and Rabies vaccinations are all 3-year vaccinations after the initial sets are finished. We recommend receiving these vaccinations on a rotation where the dog will receive one of these vaccinations per year.
• Bordetella is a yearly vaccination, although some boarding and grooming facilities do require this to be given more often.

 

Optional Vaccinations

Contact us at St. Paul Pet if you think your dog may be in need of any of these additional vaccinations:

• Giardia
• Canine influenza
• Lyme
• Rattlesnake vaccine
• Leptospira

 

Recommended Tests

• Annual Intestinal Parasite Exam (fecal)
• Heartworm Antigen Test is recommended by the State Veterinarian to be done every other year in addition to regular preventative medications.

 

Dental Care

After your dog reaches a few years of age, tarter begins to build up at the junction of the gums and teeth. If this tarter is not removed, it builds up until it undermines the tissue and causes receding gums. The area then becomes infected, which leads to bad breath, as well as pain for your pet. Severe gum infections, abscessed teeth, and cheek ulcers can develop as a result.

Chronic infections of the teeth and gums also cause other health problems throughout the body. Bacteria enter the bloodstream from infected teeth and cause infection in organs such as the liver, the kidneys, the heart, and also the joints.

Good dental care care can lengthens your dog’s life an average of 10 to 20% through the prevention of secondary problems.

You can help reduce dental problems through the following:

• Feeding a dry pet food daily.
• Brushing (with toothpaste designed for animals only) daily or weekly.
• Scheduling regular dental exams and/or routine dental cleaning and polishing.

 

Spaying and Neutering

Spaying or neutering your pet not only means a longer and healthier life, but a better companion, as well. It is best to spay or neuter your pet anywhere from 4 to 6 months, but this can be done at any age over 4 months.

Heartworm Disease

According to the American Heartworm Society, canine heartworm disease develops when a dog is bitten by a mosquito carrying microscopic heartworm larvae (juvenile worms) of a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis. As a mosquito feeds, these microscopic larvae are deposited on the dog and quickly penetrate the skin to begin their migration into the dog’s bloodstream. Adult heartworms can grow 10 to 12 inches in length and make their home in the right side of the heart and pulmonary (lung) arteries, often causing lung disease and heart failure.

Happily, this is an easily preventable disease! It is recommended to have your dog tested at least every other year, as well as to keep your dog on a preventative medication.

Give us a call for more information.