Life Lng Health fr Yur Dg We at Lee Veterinary Clinic are grateful that yu chse ur clinic t help care fr yur pet. ur recmmendatins t keep yur pet healthy and happy fr many years t cme! Belw are Vaccinatin Schedule: Vaccinatins are an imprtant part f yur pet s health. They prevent yur pet frm develping serius diseases, and als prevent risk f sme diseases frm being spread t humans. Each vaccine requires a slightly different timing f initial vaccinatins t assure that yur pet is fully prtected. Belw are the vaccinatins we recmmend fr dgs: Rabies: (RV) This prtects against a fatal neurlgical disease. It is extremely imprtant t keep yur pets up t date n rabies vaccinatin as it can be spread t humans as well. ( Age: 12 weeks +) Initial vaccinatin: 1 year immunity After 2 nd vaccine: 3 year immunity Required every 3 years thereafter t maintain immunity Distemper cmb: (DV) This cmbinatin vaccine prtects against 4 viruse : distemper, adenvirus-2, parainfluenza, and parvvirus. These viruses cause a wide range f prblems frm irreversible brain damage, t life threatening intestinal infectin. ( Age: 5 weeks +) Beginning vaccinatins Pet ver 4 mnths: Initial vaccine+ bster within 4 weeks: 1 year immunity Pet under 12 weeks Initial vaccine + bster every 3-4 weeks until 4 mnths ld: 1 year immunity If given again within 1st year: 2 year immunity Required every 2 years t maintain immunity Lyme : (L) Spread by ticks, lyme disease can cause jint pain, lethargy, general sreness, and in sme cases even kidney damage. ( Age: 9 weeks +) Initial vaccine+ bster within 4 weeks: 1 year immunity Required every year t maintain immunity Brdetella (B) (kennel cugh): This is a virus causing a cntagius hnking cugh. We recmmend this if yur pet will be arund many ther dgs such as ging t training class, grming, barding r dg parks. ( Age: 3 weeks +) Initial vaccine: 1 year immunity Required every year t maintain immunity
Parasites: Intestinal Parasites: Including rundwrms, hkwrms, tapewrms and mre. Adult petsare still at risk frm ingesting rdents, birds, bugs r even just frm being expsed t sil. We recmmend checking a fecal sample and dewrming yur pet n a regular basis (yearly) fr best health and t prtect yur family frm expsure as well. Heartwrm: This parasite is carried by msquits and nly requires ne msquit bite t infect yur pet. The msquit carries an immature wrm which, nce mature, mves t the heart and will ultimately cause heart damage and failure. If given every mnth, Heartwrm preventatives (HWP) such as Heartgard r Iverhart will kill the immature wrms befre they can mve t the heart. We recmmend keeping yur pet n a HWP at least 9 mnths f the year (April- Nvember). We recmmend a yearly heartwrm test (HWT) as this wuld catch any pssible infectin befre serius heart damage. Pets ver 1 year ld will be required t have a HWT within the last 3 years t recieve HWP. We dn t require a heartwrm test t start HWP in puppies under 6 mnths ld, but it will be required at their 1 yr annual appintment t cntinue HWP. External Parasites: Fleas and ticks can spread disease and internal parasites. Once established, fleas can seem near impssible t get rid f. We recmmend using a tick and flea preventative such as Frntline r Certifect t prtect yur pet. We d nt recmmend ver-the-cunter flea pwders/dips/cllars ect., as we see mre reactins and side effects frm the chemicals used as well as the prducts d nt tend t be effective. Dental care: Dental disease the MOST cmmn disease in dgs and cats, and is cmmnly verlked by wners. If unnticed it cntinues until the tissues hlding the teeth in the muth are replaced with tartar and infectin. These teeth are extremely painful and can cause abscesses within yur pet s nse r skull. Having a chrnic infectin in the muth is just as unhealthy as having an infectin n the skin, bladder r elsewhere n the bdy. The bdy can be s busy fighting infectin that it will predispse yur pet t ther illnesses as well. Pets are extremely gd at hiding pain, and mst cntinue t eat withut wners nticing a prblem. Hwever after the dental disease has been addressed, mst peple reprt that their pet hasn t played r acted this well in years shwing that the pet was likely in significant pain prir t the dental care. Preventin is very easy! It is as simple as a daily smearing f tthpaste n the teeth. The CET tthpaste has enzymes that prevent plaque frm develping int hard tartar. Sme chews/treats can help with tartar cntrl, but mst are nt effective and are just well marketed extra calries. The mst effective preventin is using enzymatic tthpaste daily.
Once the hard tartar is established there is little yu can d at hme. At this pint the best thing is t have a thrugh dental cleaning and exam. During this prcedure, yur pet will be carefully mnitred while under anesthesia and we will remve the tartar and determine the health f each tth. Any teeth that have dental disease t advanced t stay will be remved at that time. Yur pet will wake up with a clean, healthy muth which will sn be pain free. Feeding: Crrect nutritin is very imprtant fr yur pet s lng term health. Studies have shwn that even slightly bese pets have their lifespan shrtened by 2 years, when cmpared t a lean pet. Bdy Cnditin Scre (BCS): We rank fitness n a scre frm 1-9. Ideal is 4-5 with underweight being 1-3, and verweight 6-9. Underweight (left): Visible spine r hip bnes Ideal weight (middle): Visible waist frm abve and frm side, ribs easily felt (maybe slightly visible n shrt haired dgs). Overweight (right): Lss f visible waist, ribs hard t feel, may have fat depsits ver tail r sternum. Spay and Neuter: Bth f these prcedures remve the reprductive rgans frm the pet. It prevents unwanted puppies, and cmplicatins frm pregnancy and birth. It als has lng lasting health benefits as well as a decrease in behavirs such as raming, aggressin and urine marking. Spaying females befre their first estrus cycle ("heat") greatly reduces her chance f mammary tumrs, varian cancer and uterine infectin (all f which can be fatal and cstly t treat). Giving birth t a litter can be dangerus t yur female. Sme breeds have a high rate f cesarean sectins, which are expensive and can be risky. Neutering a male eliminates the pssibility f testicular tumrs and greatly reduces the chance f prstate prblems. Neutering decreases the incidence f perianal tumrs and hernias, which are cmmnly bserved in lder, unaltered males. Neutered males are less likely t try t escape a yard t find a female in seasn. This reduces the chance f them being hit by cars, getting int fights r becming lst. The greater gd: Many peple are surprised t learn that natinwide mre than 3 millin cats and dgs are euthanized in shelters. Spay/neuter is the nly permanent, 100-percent effective methd f birth cntrl fr dgs and cats.
Micrchipping: Micrchipping allws a frm f permanent identificatin fr yur pet. It cnsists f placing a small micrchip, which is abut the size f a grain f rice, underneath their skin. The micrchip is then able t be scanned and the number will crrespnd t yur pet s infrmatin. If yur pet is fund wandering, withut anther frm f ID (many animals slip their cllars) then this may be the nly way f finding yur pet again. Shelters, rescues, and city and cunty animal cntrls use this methd f trying t reunite pets with their wners. Nail trimming: Trimming yur pet s nails is quite easy but can take sme practice. Ease yur pet int the rutine by handling the feet ften and just clipping a nail r tw at a time. Clip small pieces ff and avid clipping int the quick. The quick is where the nerve and bld vessels run. Yu can see the quick easily n white nails, but can als see a change n dark nails when yu are appraching this area. As yu cut ff small pieces f the nail, lk at the cut edge f the nail. The light tissue (1) is the curved bttm part f the nail. The mttled light and dark tissue (2) is the tp part f the nail. As yu cut the nail deeper, yu will see a gray t pink val (3) starting t appear at the tp f the cut surface f the nail. This is where yu shuld stp clipping. Ear Cleaning: Keeping yur pet's ears clean is the best preventin against ptential health hazards such as ear mites, ear infectins and wax build up (which in turn can be excruciatingly painful fr yur pet) 1. The ear wash slutin is squeezed int the ear canal, until almst ver flwing. 2. Yur pet will likely shake its head as sn as the wash is inserted int the ear, shaking ut sme f the slutin. Massage the base f the ear t distribute the wash slutin thrughut the ear canal. Yu shuld hear a wet squishy nise, which is the cleaner mving arund lsening and cllecting debris. Pets usually like this part. 3. Use cttn balls t remve discharge frm the inner side f the ear flap and ear canal. Q-tips can be used t clean the flds f the uter ear, but d nt place them farther than yu can see. Deep placement f a Q-tip can rupture the ear drum r can pack wax and ther debris further int the ear canal, preventing medicatins frm getting t the deeper parts f the ear canal.
Rutine Bldwrk: If yur pet becmes ill, we may recmmend different tests based n yur pets symptms. We use bld wrk f varius types t help diagnse and screen fr diseases, but it is als useful thrughut yur pet s life. When healthy: Its beneficial t check bld wrk when yur pet is nt feeling ill, as this gives us infrmatin n yur pets baseline levels and t screen fr diseases that may be in early stages. These can be cmpared t the same values when yur pet is nt feeling well and gives us mre infrmatin as t what is causing yur pets illness. Befre surgery r anesthesia: Certain bld wrk can help us evaluate hw yur pet s rgans are functining. We use this infrmatin t make decisins n what drugs t use t make anesthesia r surgery as safe as pssible fr yur pet. Aging pets: As yur pet ages, it is ideal t screen fr signs f early diseases such as liver disease r kidney failure. Many times we can start treatment befre yur pet becmes ill which allws a much better lng term prgnsis and the lngest, healthiest life fr yur pet. Thanks fr chsing Lee Veterinary clinic fr yur pets health care. Please feel free t call whenever yu have questins r cncerns. Lee Veterinary Clinic 218-486-5660 Email: leevetclinic@yah.cm