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PUPPY HEALTH
please click here for info on pet passports
As for children (especially babies) the first few months in a dog's life are the formative ones and the ones where they are most vulnerable to disease and parasitism. As we grow, our immune system develops and responds to the environment around it. Young animals haven't had much exposure to pathogens in their envirnoment. This, coupled with their small size, makes them more vulnerable to disease.
At VIP we have the knowledge and all the prophylactic medicines to work with you in giving your pet the best start in life. If you have any questions regarding this article, you know that the VIP staff will be happy to talk you through them.
We look at canine health from the very outset, as diseases for older dogs can be prevented when addressing them early in life. All the following categories are relevant for all dogs. |
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VACCINATIONS
Dogs can become sick and indeed die from the viral infections that we vaccinate against. Pups being immunologically naive are much more likely to die (even with supportive treatment) if they contract these infections.
We routinely vaccinate against Distemper, Parvo, Hepatitis, and Parainfluenza viruses and the Leptospirosis bacteriae.
Vaccination courses start from 8 weeks of age and finish after 12 weeks. If parvo virus exposure is a particular concern (eg at times of outbreak or in certain areas) vaccinations are started earlier (6 weeks of age). |
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Vaccinations must be given yearly to maintain immunity to these diseases Annual rabies vaccinations are a legal requirement for all dogs who belong to anyone who has residencia in Portuga .
Rabies vaccination is also essential for obtaining a pet passport for those wishing to travel internationally with their dogs. Kennel cough vaccines are available and recommended prior to boarding your dog. Some kennels insist on this vaccination before accepting dogs for boarding. The vaccine we use at VIP is shown to be effective in as little as 3 days after administration.
The final vaccine available is against Babesia canis. This is a red blood cell parasite and causes serious anaemia and eventual death if left untreated. Babesia is a tick-borne parasite and is one of the causes of ‘tick fever'. There are four different parasites which cause tick fever, unfortunately Babesia is the only organism which you can vaccinate against. |
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WORMING
Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms are the four main types of intestinal parasites that cause ill-health in dogs.
Roundworms can be transmitted from dam to pup whilst in utero. The larvae are also excreted in the bitches milk, thus pups are exposed whilst feeding. Roundworm causes severe anaemia and hypoproteinaemia in infested pups. Without medical intervention, this eventually leads to death.
All dogs need to be wormed regularly but because of their minimal exposure to worms, pups need to be wormed more frequently.
The recommended worming regime for pups is at 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of age. |
Then every month until they are 6 months old. After 6 months of age, they are wormed as adults.
This recommendation is every 3 months. However, as dogs age, they develop their own innate immunity to worms and worming frequency can be modified, as appropriate to the individuals environment/exposure. It should be noted that older dogs tend to suffer from whipworm infestation more often. This is seen as blood in the dog's droppings and often accompanied by loose motions.
You should be aware also that larvae found in dog's faeces from worms can infect people either orally or even by being absorbed through the skin. These larvae can migrate through a human's skin and vital organs causing serious disease. Once again it is the young (our children) which are most at risk from these larval migrations
A final note on worming: Any dog travelling to the UK and Ireland needs to be wormed (by a vet) 24-48hrs before they travel. This is to prevent spread of the hydatids tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus. Hydatids is not as prevalent as it was, but if accidently consumed by a person, cysts form in vital organs, including the brain. Nasty stuff. |
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NUTRTITION
Pups have very important nutritional requirements from adults. They differ not only in protein and carbohydrates for growth, but in calcium, phosphate, iron and vitamins, including folate. Also these foods need to be more concentrated as young animals have smaller stomachs. Pups should be fed three times a day until 3-4 months of age and then twice daily up to 6 mths of age. Puppy food shouldn't be fed beyond six months of age.
We strongly advise feeding your dog a highly nutritious diet throughout all of their life, but it is even more important to do so at this formative period in life. |
There are a number of growth problems that can arise from feeding your dog a poorly balanced diet early in life. The market leaders in canine nutrition are Royal Canin (whom we work with at VIP ) and Hills. Feeding your pup a high quality food not only minimises growth disease risk but gives it the best start in life as it's immune system and organs develop.
For more information on Nutrition, please click here
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SOCIALISING
The scope of this topic extends well beyond this article, and there are different view points from many different people. Here we will outline some basic points, however
Pups are the young of ‘pack animals'. When they are young, it is important that they learn that they are the lowest on the ranking of (your) pack. This is includes your children and any of your friends. A dog is happy with this relationship, as long as it is made clear early on. If your pup grows up thinking they are number one it WILL lead to any number of aggression problems; be that between other dogs or with people or children. |
You are the pack leader, and it is your attitude towards a situation which will influence your pup's responses. When a pup is frightened by a non-threatening situation, it is important that behave in a relaxed manner, neither trying to calm the animal, nor chastise it. Any such behaviour will only encourage the fear response next time. Pups will copy what the pack leader does. As much as you want to tell them what to do...they will never really learn English. Or Swedish. Or Portugese. I know, I've been trying with my dog for 10 years.
So it is only through experience that your pup will learn. It is thus important that your pup socialises with other canines when they are young. Being mindful of other pups' vaccination status, if you can do this at 8 – 12 weeks of age, your puppy will understand inter-dog relationships better as it grows. The best meeting place for 2 new dogs (or pups) is on neutral territory where no-one feels like they're ‘on their turf'. Once again, your attitude to the situation is important. If you are worried, your pup will follow suit. So be positive, calm and try not to pay too much attention to them, cause they will play up to you, just like children do.
As I mentioned at the start this is potentially a very expansive topic. But the key to having a well behaved dog is for it to understand that it is the lowest in the pack hierarchy and to have a calm approach to all social encounters. Not too different from people, really. |
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