Keeping our Dogs Healthy

Healthy Dogs Sick Dogs

What are we going to talk about?

• Basic Health carefoodwatershelter

• Vaccinations/disease preventioncommon diseases

• Spaying/Neutering• Treatment of Injury and Trauma

What Dogs Should Eat

• Kibble– Good quality– Well balanced

• Homemade diet– Time consuming– Use balaced recipes

What Dogs Should Not Eat!!

• Table scraps– Certain toxic foods• grapes,raisins,onions,chocolate

,gristle,bones– Unbalaced

• Scavanging/Garbage– Dangerous• Toxins• injury

– Insufficient

Injuries/Accidents From Scavanging

Fresh water

Required year round-Snow/ice are NOT sufficient in winter

Without fresh water:

• Parasites• dehydration• Toxins– Oil,antifreeze

Shelter

• Dogs must be provided with shelter – Protection from wind,rain,cold,and heat

Appropriate Shelters• Should provide:– Wind break– Shade– Insulation– Protection from rain and snow

Important Factors In Disease Prevention

• Vaccination• Parasite Control• Spay/ Neuter

Vaccination

• Main diseases of concern– Parvo virus– Distemper– Rabies

• Vaccine Schedule

Parvo Virus

Canine Parvovirus

a particularly deadly, highly contagious disease among young puppies, about 80% fatal, causing gastrointestinal tract damage and dehydration .It is spread by contact with an infected dog's feces.

Signs, Symptoms, Outcome

• Lethargy,vomiting,bloody diarrhea,loss of appetire,dehydration ,death

• Treatment is intensive and costly,although often successful if begun early in the disease

• Most will die without treatment

Canine Distemper

• Canine distemper is a virus that affects a dog’s respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, as well as the conjunctival membranes of the eye.

Signs,Symptoms,Outcome

• sneezing, coughing and thick mucus coming from the eyes and nose. Fever, lethargy, sudden vomiting and diarrhea, depression and loss of appetite

• No known treatment• Very few affected animals survive

Rabies

• Rabies is a severe, and often fatal, viral infection that specifically affects the gray matter of the dog's brain and its central nervous system

• Death within 2-7 days from when symptims first noted

• Affected dogs must be euthanized• Contagious to humans through a bite

Early symptoms

• The early symptoms of rabies tend to be subtle, last 2 to 3 days, and include the following:

Change in tone of the dog's bark Chewing at the bite siteFeverLoss of appetiteSubtle changes in behavior

Second phase The second phase of infection usually lasts 2 to 4 days and not all rabid animals experience it. Animals that enter immediately into the final paralytic phase are sometimes said to have dumb or paralytic rabies. Animals that spend most of their diseased state in the furious phase are sometimes said to have furious rabies.

They may show the following signs: •Craving to eat anything, including inedible objects •Constant growling and barking•Dilated pupils•Disorientation•Erratic behavior•Episodes of aggression•Facial expression showing anxiety and hyperalertness•Irritability•No fear of natural enemies (e.g., wild animals may not be afraid of people)•Restlessness•Roaming•Seizures•Trembling and muscle incoordination

Third Phase

The third and final phase of infection usually lasts for 2 to 4 days. Initial symptoms include the following:

•Appearance of choking•Dropping of the lower jaw (in dogs)•Inability to swallow, leading to drooling and foaming of saliva (i.e., "foaming at the mouth")•Paralysis of jaw, throat, and chewing muscles

Vaccination Schedule

• Puppies– 3 sets of vaccines– 8,12,16 weeks of age– Vaccinated for Parvo,Distemper each time,and rabies

during th third set• 1 Year old– Booster vaccines for distemper ,parvo,and rabies

• Adult– Yearly booster vaccines for distemper and parvo– Rabies vaccines every three years

Parasite control

What is contagious to people?Mange

Worms

Rabies

Spay and Neuter• Population control

– Helps decrease spread of disease– Less stray dogs= less bites– Maintaining health is expensive. Less

dogs=less cost

Disease prevention

Females-Mammary cancer-Uterine infections

Males-Prostate disease-Testicular cancer

Dog Fight/ Aggression Prevention

Treatment of Accident/Injury

Basic Maintenance/Grooming

Last Point!

If looked after and treated right your dog can be your best friend!