Your dog's Health                Prevention is Key

Your dog's heath is a team effort depending on you and your veterinarian. Dogs are at risk for different infectious diseases throughout their lives.  Vaccinations can help protect your dog from these diseases. Proper nutrition and regular exercise along with yearly visits to your veterinarian will help maintain your pets health.

A yearly exam for your dog is the best way to ensure continued good health.  Dogs age more rapidly than people, making the yearly exam an opportunity to detect and prevent potential health problems.  During and exam your vet will check your pets teeth, ears, heart and lungs, check for any skin problems, lumps and bumps and address any health issues at that time.  Laboratory testing and other diagnostic test may be needed. Some of the more common test that may be performed are, checking stool sample(fecal), urinanalysis, blood testing, skin scrapings to check skin for parasites or infection from either bacteria or fungus.  Preventative health care measures such as vaccinations, parasite control(internal and external), nutrition, dental care may be discussed. Early diagnosis of diseases is important.  If you notice any of the following ask for advice: sooner is always better than later.            Abnormal behavior, sudden viciousness, lethargy, break in house training            Abnormal discharger from nose, eyes, or other body openings                   Change in appetite that last a few days(increase or decrease)            Excessive head shaking, scratching, odor from ears            Abnormal lumps, limping or difficulty getting up or down            Foul breath             Changes in drinking or urination habits            Persistent vomiting or diarrhea

Preventing Disease There are many diseases your dog may possibly be exposed to during its lifetime. These diseases are caused when viruses, bacteria or parasites enter the body. Vaccination is a way to help boost your dog's immune system and prepare it to fight against some viral and bacterial infections. Viral and Bacterial Diseases Rabies: Is a fatal disease that can infected all mammals including the dog.  Rabies is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can infected humans if an infected animal bites a human.  This vaccine is a required vaccine by each state. Parvovirus: produces a potentially fatal disease of the gastrointestinal tract and can also affect the heart.  The most common clinical signs include very bloody diarrhea, fever, dehydration, vomiting. Coronavirus: is another virus that attacks the gastrointestinal tract. Usually not as severe as parvo but if combined with another infection can prove deadly.  Signs may begin with a fever, vomiting, diarrhea. Distemper: highly contagious and potentially fatal viral disease in dogs.  Clinical signs may be a fever, runny nose, coughing, vomiting progressing to twitching muscles or seizures, odd behavior hence the name distemper. Hepatitis(CAV-1): is a virus that can damage the liver, kidneys, spleen, and lungs in dogs, Puppies are more likely to die from infection.  Clinical signs may include fever, diarrhea, respiratory disease. Parainfluenza:causes chronic respiratory disease.  In comination with other disease it is more serious.  Infected dogs cough alot, spreading infections to other susceptible dogs.

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