In this section you can access all of our information on caring for your dog. If you have a puppy, we encourage you to come to one of our Puppy Parties - Click here for more info.
Vaccinations
Dogs require vaccination against Distemper, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Hepatitis and Leptospirosis.
Distemper is now fortunately rare in Dorset. Parvovirus is still endemic in some areas in the south and appears occasionally when dogs visit us from other areas. Leptospirosis is common throughout the practice area.
We recommend that the first vaccinations be given at 8 weeks of age, with the second following on 2 weeks later, at 10 weeks of age. Booster vaccinations should be given annually (once a year) from the time of the second vaccination onwards, to help keep your dog immune to the above problems.
Worming and Fleas
Dogs should be wormed every 3
months to help protect not only their health, but your health
too. Dogs carrying roundworms are not ill and do not
pass worms in their faeces. However, they do pass eggs in their
faeces, which then stick to their coat. Roundworm can cause
seriously problems if they infect children, including blindness.
If you have a bitch that has just whelped, we recommend worming them twice, as they often excrete worm eggs at this time. For adult dogs we can supply wormers that treat many varieties of worm, including tapeworm, with a single dose.
The life cycle of the flea is dependant on temperature, flea
eggs can develop into adults in as little as 14 days in very
warm conditions, whilst eggs can also sit dormant for months if
the weather is cold. Although treating pets is paramount, if you
suspect you pet has fleas you should also treat your house - All
bedding should be washed at a high temperature, and a suitable
insecticide, such as Acclaim Aerosol, should be used to treat
the home environment
For treatment of fleas we recommend a product called
Advocate, a monthly spot-on treatment which is both long lasting
and incredibly effective. Advocate contains a compound that
penetrates through the skin, which then kills fleas when they
bite your pet, and also controls worms. However, Advocate should
not be used in puppies under 7
weeks of age or in animals under one kilo bodyweight.
Neutering
We recommend that, unless you are going to breed from your pet, you have him or her neutered.
In male dogs, neutering (castration) reduces unwelcome male behaviour such as aggressiveness, wandering off and unwanted sexuality. Castration is commonly performed at 6 months of age; However, castrating male dogs can be done at any point onwards from this. Castration is a relatively simple procedure that involves removing the dog's testicles, which produce male hormones.
If a female dog is not neutered, she will usually come in season every 6-7 months and will be attractive to male dogs for a period of around 21 days during each heat, which many owners find to be a problem. Neutering (spaying) female dogs eliminates these seasons and avoids unwanted pregnancies. If done before the bitch's first season, it reduces the incidence of mammary masses (breast cancer) by 99%. After the first season the risk is reduced by 50%, and from then onwards the risk increases greatly. Spaying also eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers developing, and reduces the potential of diabetes occurring in later life.
Spaying involves removing both the ovaries and the uterus. Although an invasive operation, with modern techniques it is now very safe and one of the most common surgeries performed in all veterinary practices. At Heathlands we advocate spaying before the first season, at roughly 5 months of age.
With both Castration and Spaying, some dogs may put on weight afterwards (however, with the correct diet and exercise, this can be easily prevented) and some breeds, such as spaniels and setters, can develop a woolly coat.