Veterinary Care For Your Puppy

So, you finally gave in a got a puppy. Now you need to know what to do next. Puppies are at risk for many different diseases, but they can be prevented. One of the first things you need to do after bringing your puppy home, is make an appointment with a veterinarian for a check-up and vaccinations.

Your puppy will need a fecal exam to screen for parasites. Worms can make your pup very sick but they can easily be treated with medication. There is a series of vaccines to be given between 8 weeks and 16-20 weeks of age. The first shot your puppy will get protects against several different diseases. It is known as DHLPPCv. The vaccine covers the following:

D- Canine Distemper - A viral infection which can be fatal. Affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems.

H- Hepatitis - Affects the liver

L- Leptospirosis - Bacterial infection of the kidneys

P- Parainfluenza- upper respiratory infection

P- Parvovirus - Potentially fatal, affects the lining of the intestines. Many veterinarians recommend that certain breeds, such as Dobermans and Rottweilers, should have 2 parvo vaccines. The final vaccine should be given at 20 weeks of age.

Cv- Coronavirus - similar to parvovirus but not usually fatal.

After the puppy is a year old, this vaccine should be given yearly. There are several other vaccines your pup will need to stay healthy. The rabies vaccine is given to pups at 4 months of age and repeated the following year. After the second year, the rabies vaccine is given every 2 years. 

If you are going to board your puppy (or dog), the vet will give a Bordetella vaccine. This is given as a spray in the nose and protects the dog from kennel cough, which is exactly what it says...a cough, and is highly contagious. The Lyme vaccine is given to protect from a tick-borne illness. Lyme disease causes joint pain, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. It is given in a series of 2 doses, one at 8 weeks and one at 12 weeks.

Besides the vaccinations, your puppy, at 6 months of age will have a blood test for heartworm. If the test comes back clear, he will start on a monthly dose of heartworm prevention medication. Finally, between 6 and 12 months of age, veterinarians recommend your puppy be spayed or neutered.

Together, you and your vet can ensure a long and healthy life for your new puppy.

Source:https://ezinearticles.com/?Veterinary-Care-For-Your-Puppy&id=2162150

Can You Get Sick From Your Dog?

We are surrounded everywhere with viruses and infections when we leave the house - bird flu, swine flu or stomach flu. These are the viruses we expect to encounter at the play field or at the office. In our own homes, we can get infected from our friends and family members but we don't expect our pets to infect us.

It is very possible for a pet owner to get an illness from their pet - there are some illness that are more common than others. There are a number of pet diseases that can get a human being and they are transmitted differently depending on the specific ailment. For example you can get roundworm parasite if you touch feces that are infected and you do not wash your hands well.

With hookworms it is a little different. The larvae has to penetrate the skin for you to get infected. With toxoplasmosis - it is very dangerous to pregnant women for it can cause birth defects. It is transmitted if you touch infected feces or if you handle raw meat without proper washing of your hands after.

Some of the illnesses can be transmitted from cats and dogs to human though body contact with their fur and skin. Ringworm is a fungal disease that is more of a skin infection than a worm. Other infections include: mite, Scabei - these infections can affect dogs, cats and people and its main sign is loss of hair and/or rash on the skin.

There are other dog ailments that have to be transmitted through a 3rd party - Lyme is a perfect example. A tick can bite an infected dog, then that trick may crawl around and bite a human.

There are some ailments that can be transmitted if the infected animal injured a person. For these category, there are fewer cases. An example is rabies. It is transmitted if you get a bite from a wild animal or a pet that has rabies. If you are bitten by such a dog, you should seek immediate medical help as it may result to death. There is vaccination for your pets too.

Knowledge is power and knowing the diseases you can get from your pet is very important.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Can-You-Get-Sick-From-Your-Dog?&id=8952869