Diseases that you should know about when raising your dog
 |
You can prevent your dog from getting any serious diseases by taking measures to have your dog obtain regular vaccinations and by keeping a good eye on where he plays and what he is putting in his system.
Obviously you are in control of his nutritional needs so that is a huge part of preventing dog diseases from occurring. In addition to a healthy and well balanced diet you must share lots of love and affection with your pet as well.
Each time you groom your dog you should check for signs of parasites like fleas and ticks so groom him on a regular basis. Check the dog's eyes and ears in addition to the skin. This practice can tell you an lot about the dog's health.
When you take your dog to the vet for checkups they will also listen to the dog's heart and examine the feces to check for evidence of any abnormalities and diseases.
An ongoing process of disease prevention is to have regular vaccinations. Puppies especially are very vulnerable to germs and the sooner they are vaccinated the better. With your puppies you must keep them from being outside and going near other dogs. This rule should be in effect for up to 15 weeks, maximum.
Let's walk through a few of the typical diseases to look for with your dog. The first one we will discuss is Rabies. Rabies is a very deadly virus that can harm all mammals by attacking the nervous system. Although this disease has been almost entirely eradicated in parts of Europe, the US still has it's share of infected dogs and other animals. Your puppy should be vaccinated when about 3 months old. Every 1-3 years a booster shot should be given to keep up with Rabies protection.
The next disease to look out for with your dog is called Canine Distempor. This often fatal disease causes major problems to the respiration, intestine, and nervous system. Puppies should have a high volume of vaccinations for this, one about every three weeks, until the dog is around 15 weeks old. Then a yearly booster shot is recommended for the
rest of the dog's life.
This vaccination alone will help protect the dog from being infected by Canine Hepetatis (this virus attacks the liver) and Parainfluenza. Parainfluenza is actually is a broad name for a group of bacterial diseases like Canine Parvovirus (similar to our common cold).
Last but certainly not least, another major dog disease to watch for and have vaccinated against is called Leptospirosis. This is a bacterial disease which causes kidney and liver failure in a dog. The vaccination for this dog disease does not need to be started until
after the pup is nine weeks old but the exact age to have this shot will be determined by your vet.
There are other vaccines to get but they are mostly dependent on the area you live. Again, your vet will correctly give you the ideal schedule of dog vaccinations.
Checking your dog's skin and treating it for fleas
Your dog should always have regular check-ups to make sure his health is in top shape. The most important place to look at during these check-ups is on the dog's skin. There are several different types of infestations that can occur from parasites like the flea, ticks, lice, etc. A sure sign t. . .