Preventive Dog Medicines & Dog Vaccination

Almost all of the serious diseases can be prevented through a preventive medicine program that includes periodical visits to the veterinary, routine explorations at home, vaccinations, and an adequate diet and as much exercise as every dog in concrete may need.

If you have a very young puppy, you may want to protect if from the infections that any other dog may transmit it. However, it is essential for your puppy's mental health to have relations with other dogs (the correct socialization) at this age because otherwise, it may develop problems conduct problems in the future. The socialization process is absolutely important between the 6 and 12 weeks of age. During this time you should make your puppy meet as many people and dogs as possible, they should be as different from each other as possible. Ask you veterinary if the risk of transmission of diseases around your area is high or low. fancy dog harnesses

PUPPY VACCINATION

All the puppies must have a vaccination cycle. The vaccination calendar will depend on the risk of infection around your area and the nature of the vaccines that have to be administrated. The puppy will normally get its first shot when it is about 8 or 10 months and the second one when it is 12. However, you must have a very clear the idea that the animal will not be protected until it has been one week since it got the second shot, at the minimum.

Veterinarians normally prefer to wait until the dog gets comfortable in its new home before starting with vaccination cycle, but you can also ask for a complete check of your dog right after buying it. Every time you vaccinate it, the veterinary will take the chance to make sure the dog in healthy and developing well and you also have to take the chance to ask any question you may have about how to take proper care of the puppy.

DISEASES THE VACCINES FIGHT

The vaccines that are normally provided immunize the dogs in front of diseases as serious as:

Distemper. Viral infection that used to kill dogs until not long ago and is less frequent nowadays thanks to the vaccination cycles. The dog coughs, the truffle suppurates, and the dog suffers from diarrhea and sometimes also spasms.

Parvovirus. Documented in dogs for the first time at the end of the 70's, when an epidemic killed a lot of dogs with serious symptom of gastroenteritis. It is currently controlled thanks to the vaccination.

Infectious Hepatitis. Provoked by a virus that attacks the wall of the blood cells, specially the liver.

Leptospirosis. Produced by two different forms of bacteria: the Leptosira icterohaemorrhagiae that affects the liver and provokes jaundice and the Leprosaria canicola that affects the kidneys. The majority of the vaccines protect against both of them. The bacteria are present on the infected dogs and rodent's urine through which it is transmitted. Both forms of the disease can infect the man; which is why the dog's periodical revaccinations also protect the owners.

Rabies. Endemic disease among wild animals in some parts of Europe, where the wolf constitutes the first source of virus. Very dangerous not only for animals but also for humans since once the virus reaches the nervous system, death is inevitable. In some countries, vaccinating dogs against rabies is not mandatory, but in the countries in which the risk of getting it is very high, the anti rage vaccination is legally imperative.

Kennel Cough. Is a lot less serious than the others previously mentioned. It is a very common and highly contagious disease that provokes coughing on infected dogs. The name "kennel cough" really doesn't designate only one disease, but many of them that provoke very similar symptoms. The annual revaccinations normally protect also against the main virus that causes it. Against the main bacteria that cause it, the Bordetella bronchiseptica, the veterinarian give special vaccines, sometimes in the shape of drops that are placed on the nose.

Dog DE-PARASITIZING

Puppies normally have worms, so the periodical de-parasitizing should begin at a young age. The treatment will depend on the way it is applied. The veterinary will indicate you which are the most suitable way to internally de-parasite your dog. The medicines used nowadays are very effective, harmless and easy to apply.

In some parts of Western Europe, fleas are a plague that is safer and easier to prevent than to fight once the infestation is produced. There are many anti-fleas medicines to choose from. Even when they are harmless with puppies it is convenient to carefully read the instructions on the package. There are other areas where ticks are common.

Dog ORAL HYGIENE

Even when the infections provoked by tartar accumulation on the teeth usually appear at an advanced age, it is important to get the puppy used to tooth brushing because it will have to be daily in the future. The veterinary can teach you how to brush your puppy's teeth, besides periodically check its mouth to prevent teething problems; the first teeth usually fall down when the dog is about 5 months old, but sometimes, the definite pieces begin to grow before the provisional one falls down. In this case, the milk teeth have to be taken out because they may damage the permanent ones.