Care

Our thanks to Dr.Jenny Price for kindly allow us to reproduce this article on this page. See link below to Vet and Pet Centre ,Aberdeen,N.S.W.

 

Owning a dog provides companionship, loyalty and affection for people of all ages and is an invaluable addition to families and individuals.However, it is important to find the breed of dog most suitable to your particular lifestyle and be aware of the responsibility that comes with dog ownership before you adopt or purchase a dog. As your vet, we are willing to discuss the many aspects of dog care, including breed-specific medical problems and routine health care such as vaccinations, flea and tick control, desexing and worming that your future dog may need. After purchasing your puppy or dog, there are several important aspects of their care, to consider:

  • We strongly recommend that you insure your new dog. Please see our information sheet on insurance for more about this topic.
  • Suitable bedding such as washable rugs, cushions or blankets need to be provided in a weatherproof kennel or indoors.
  • A secure area such as a dog-proof yard is essential. Your dog should never be left unsupervised when tethered.
  • All dogs need daily exercise and mental stimulation to help avoid behavioural and health problems. Dogs view their human owners as being part of their pack and can develop behavioural issues if they feel neglected or excluded. It is also vitally important that dogs are socialised with people and other dogs from an early age in order to learn appropriate interactive behaviours.
  • All pets require a minimum of one health check a year. On average, dogs age five to eight times faster than humans, allowing major health changes to develop in a relatively short amount of time. The risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, heart disease and other serious conditions all increase with age. However, a visit to us helps us diagnose, treat or even prevent health problems before they become life-threatening. Routine vaccinations, flea and tick control and worming are also recommended. A visit to us is also a good opportunity to ask about nutrition, behaviour, and other issues.
  • Nutrition is an important part of your dogs care. A healthy and balanced diet is essential. This will provide protein to build the body; fats for skin and coat health; carbohydrates for energy; and minerals and vitamins for good bone development and healthy tissues.
  • It is essential to keep your dogs teeth clean. A regular dental care routine will minimise tartar build-up on your pet’s teeth. Never give your dog cooked bones, as these can be brittle and easily splinter, causing harm to your dog.
  • Fresh water bowls must always be available for your dog. They should be kept clean and placed in the shade
  • Grooming and brushing is essential, particularly for long-haired breeds. This helps remove dust, dead skin, loose hairs, grass seeds, and tangles and it also assists to shorten the coat moult, which occurs every autumn and spring. Dirty or smelly dogs should be bathed. However, keep in mind that frequent shampooing can strip the natural oils from the coat and cause skin dryness and irritation.

Our staff are always keen to discuss routine health care for your current or future pets. For further information about pet care, please phone our helpful staff during business hours.

http://www.vetpetcentre.com.au/

 

 

WORMING & FLEA CONTROL

  • Seek Veterinarian advice for your animal health care and the best worming and flea control product to use.
  • Puppy should be wormed every fortnight for the first 3 months, then monthly for the next 3 months, after puppy is 6 months of age wormed every 3 months.

 DIET SUPPLIMENTS

  • Calcium Sandoz 1 mil daily to encourage healthy bone and ear cartilage development

 

 

RETAINED PUPPY TEETH

By Dale McDonell @  Scallywag mini foxies.

 

With so many of you having young pups now and some being new to small dogs, it is time to remind you to start checking your pups mouth from 5 months of age to about 7 or 9 months.

Small breeds are notorious for retaining puppy teeth which leaves no room for the permanent teeth to erupt in the correct position. If new teeth are just starting to erupt and the puppy tooth nearest to it is not loose, then your vet needs to be asked to remove the puppy tooth/teeth ASAP.

The roots on the puppy canine teeth are amazingly long. Dogs secrete an enzyme at the root of the puppy teeth which dissolves the root of the baby teeth at the time the permanent teeth are coming through. In small breeds, some of this enzyme seems to go missing so the puppy teeth cannot fall out because the lower root area has not dissolved.

The new and old teeth share the same hole in the jaw bone, so removing the retained puppy teeth early allows the new teeth to move across in that socket and align correctly. The is my Pippa and luckily the new teeth found room to start erupting in the correct alignment. I took her to the vet immediately I spotted the problem but the vet sent her home to wait for three weeks to see if the retained teeth dropped out. I waited two weeks, got antsy about the situation and took her back to have the teeth extracted.

 

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