veterinary care
Vet Visits
Next to you and your family, your veterinarian is one of the most important people in your pet's life. You should identify a veterinarian for your new pet before you bring it home and arrange for a first appointment as soon as possible. The first vet visit gives you and your veterinarian an opportunity to establish your pet's baseline level of health and identify any potential long-term or chronic health problems. This visit can confirm the health status identified when you purchased your pet.
When you meet with the vet, be sure to discuss your daily care routines, home environment, any anticipated problems or concerns you may have, ask questions about any behaviors about which you need more information and your grooming preferences, including nail clipping. Your vet will examine your petg to ensure healthy bones, joints and muscles, and good heart, eye, ear and other organ functions. The vet will also may do a blood test to check to make sure your pet has the right levels of nutrients and minerals.
Your pet may experience some stress going to the vet. The best way to alleviate this is with positive reinforcement, attention and happy visits. Stop in at the vet's office with your pet a couple of times when it doesn't need to be examined so that they associate the clinic with positive experiences. Pet your dog and give it praise when it behaves calmly and well at the vet's office. Take some treats to help keep your dog happy and to have staff give your pet. Fortunately, vet staff is experienced at handling pets of all sorts and will likely make your job much easier.
After the first visit and your pet's initial vaccinations, you should plan on getting your dog checked by the vet once a year. You may need to go more frequently if the vet is clipping your dog's nails.
Vaccinations
A basic vaccination series should be a part of your puppy or kitten's schedule during the first four months. A combination vaccine is given once a month from two months through four months and then once annually. It protects your pet from leading infections and illnesses, including distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. Your pet will also need a rabies vaccination. However, laws around the country differ about when this vaccination must be given, so check with your vet about scheduling a rabies vaccination for your pet. Your vet can also tell you about other vaccinations that may be appropriate depending on where you live.
Spaying and Neutering
Most pets are spayed (females) or neutered (for males) to remove reproductive organs and prevent pregnancy. But health issues provide other compelling reasons for spaying and neutering pets.
Female dogs have a high incidence of cancers of the reproductive system. Spaying removes the ovaries and the uterus, preventing the production of estrogen, which leads to most of the reproductive cancers. A vast majority of unspayed older females contract a life-threatening infection of the uterus, call pyometra. This infection is caused by problems with progesterone, another female hormone which is eliminated through spaying. Female dogs should be spayed before their first heat, if possible, which generally occurs between six months and one year of age.
Males that are not neutered often exhibit extremely aggressive behaviors, which can be dangerous to them, other animals and people. A dog that was well-behaved and calm in its youth can suddenly show a pack mentality and become more aggressive, chase cars, try to get loose to roam freely, or bark and growl a lot -- all as a result of high testosterone levels. Many of these habits become hard to break. A male dog neutered between six months and one year of age may retain its youthful calm.
Spaying and neutering are common surgeries. Pets are put under general anesthesia and monitored continuously in surgery, recovery, and post-op. Pets who are spayed or neutered can usually go home the same day, and recovery time is normally 10 - 14 days.
Common Health Issues
Your pet is likely to have some health issues during its life. The worst can be prevented through vaccinations and spaying and neutering. Others, such as cancers and other diseases may not be avoidable. That's why it is important to maintain your pet's diet, nutrition and exercise at all times. However, there are a few common health problems you need to take care of to keep your dog well.
Fleas and Ticks
Fleas are external parasites that cause a skin allergy, a common skin disease for dogs and cats. Ticks latch on to the skin and burrow in to feed on blood. Both can be itching, annoying and unhealthy for your pet and you. Keeping your pet flea and tick free is easier today thanks to new products that can be applied once-a-month. However, you need to visually inspect your pet's skin for signs of fleas during daily grooming and check for ticks after returning from an area known to have them, like wooded camping sites.
Heartworm
Heartworm, roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm are other parasites that can enter your dog's intestinal system and create serious health problems. Heartworm parasites are passed on to dogs through infected mosquitos. Hookworm and roundworm larvae end up on your dog's feet, which, through licking, enters its intestinal system. The best form of treatment is early and regular prevention. A monthly medication will help your dog avoid these parasites. If your dog does contract a parasite, it is important for your vet to do testing to determine which kind it is suffering from and what level the development the parasite has reached. A correct diagnosis is needed because the treatment for one parasite is not the same as for another. Symptoms of heartworm disease can include coughing, fatigue, weight loss and difficulty breathing. Talk to your vet about how often they recommend checking for heartworms and intestinal parasites, since the symptoms may not present themselves before serious damage occurs.
Poisoning
Many common indoor and outdoor plants can be poisonous to your pet. Before your bring your pet home, be aware of any houseplants that appear on the list below. You will want to make sure that they are out of reach, or find new homes for them. Try not to let your pet eat plants and leaves when outdoors. If you do suspect poisoning, get your pet to the veterinarian immediately. You should also keep the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center hotline number near your phone in case of emergency. You can reach this 24/7 hotline by calling toll free 1-888-4ANI-HELP (1-888-424-4357).
Following is a partial list developed by the ASPCA's Poison Control Center of common plants that are poisonous to dogs and cats:
Alfalfa
Aloe vera
Amaryllis
Apple seeds
Apple leaf croton
Apricot pit
Asparagus fern
Autumn crocus
Avocado (both the fruit and pit)
Azalea
Baby's breath
Bittersweet
Bird of paradise
Branching ivy
Buckey
Buddhist pine
Caladium
Calla lily
Castor bean
Ceriman
Charming dieffenbachia
Cherry (seeds and wilting leaves)
Chinese evergreen
Christmas rose
Cineraria
Clematis
Cordatum
Corn plant
Cornstalk plant
Croton
Cuban laurel
Cutleaf philodendron
Cycads
Cyclamen
Daffodil
Devil's ivy
Dieffenbachia
Dracaena palm
Dragon tree
Dumb cane
Elaine
Elephant ears
Emerald feather
English ivy
Fiddle-leaf fig
Florida beauty
Foxglove
Fruit salad plant
Geranium
German ivy
Giant dumb cane
Glacier ivy
Gold dieffenbachia
Gold dust dracaena
Golden pothos
Hahn's self-branching ivy
Heartland philodendron
Hurricane plant
Indian rubber plant
Janet Craig dracaena
Jerusalem cherry
Kalanchoe
Lacy tree philodendron
Lily of the valley
Mother-in-law's tongue
Madagascar dragon tree
Marble queen
Marijuana
Mexican breadfruit
Miniature croton
Mistletoe
Morning glory
Narcissus
Needlepoint ivy
Nephytis
Nightshade
Oleander
Onion
Peace lily
Peach (wilting leaves and pit)
Pencil cactus
Plumosa fern
Poinsettia
Poison ivy
Poison oak
Pothos
Potato plant
Purgatory bean
Primrose
Red emerald
Red princess
Red-margined dracaena
Rhododendron
Ribbon plant
Saddle leaf philodendron
Sago palm
Satin pothos
Scheffilera
Silver pothos
Spotted dumb cane
String of pearls
Striped dracaena
Sweetheart ivy
Swiss cheese plant
Taro vine
Tomato plant (green fruit, stem and leaves)
Tree philodendron
Tropic snow dieffenbachia
Weeping fig
Yew