Doghouse UK

Health

I am not a vet and cannot give medical advice. This is merely a guide to keeping your pet dog healthy.
A few suggestions concerning basic emergency treatment can be found at the bottom of the page.

All dogs should be vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases while they are puppies, and given a booster vaccination every 12 months afterwards.

The common infectious diseases protected by vaccine are:
Distemper (including Hardpad), Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Adenovirus 2, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Leptospira canicola and Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae.

Two vaccinations are given at fortnightly intervals and the puppy should not be taken from the garden until 2 weeks has elapsed after the 2nd vaccination.
As soon as you get your puppy make an appointment with a vet in order to have him checked over for any minor ailents such as worms or fleas, and discuss when is the best time to vaccinate.

Rabies is not routinely vaccinated against in the UK as we are free of the disease, but if you plan on taking your dog abroad he must be vaccinated. Contact your vet well in advance of your proposed travel date.

It shouldn't have to be said that feeding too much, or feeding the wrong diet can cause vitamin deficiency or obesity, which in itself could bring on heart failure. Wolves are predators and so should be fed a diet primarily consisting of meat. Proprietry dog foods are fine and have the correct balance of everything a dog needs in order to lead a happy healthy life. He cannot exist properly on human left-overs alone, and many human foods are very bad for dogs.

Anyone who really knows their own dog as they should, will be able to tell immediately if he is ill.
Some signs to look out for are: refusal of food, vomiting and/or diarrhoea, blood in the urine or motion, excessive drinking and passing of urine.
Of course a simple stomach upset could be the cause of most of these symptoms, but if blood is present, or the symptoms persist for more than a day without improvement it is wise to have the dog checked over.
A dog cannot tell us when he is in pain but dull eyes, general malaise and listlessness often indicate something is wrong. A limp could mean a fracture, or simply be a slight sprain. Puppies in particular tend to limp and appear to have a serious problem, then quickly recover and begin running around again.
If you are ever in doubt about your dog's health do not hesitate in seeking professional advice.

Worms.
All dogs pick up worms and need regular worming treatment. Roundworms and Tapeworms are most common. They can easily be eradicated with treatment from your vet, or tablets bought from a pet shop.

External parasites.
Dogs can pick up fleas, lice, ticks and mites very easily, particularly during the warm summer months. The dog will scratch a lot if he has an infestation, sometimes making himself sore.
Fleas are quite easy to see, running very fast through your dog's coat as you groom him. Small black specks on his skin could be flea droppings. Fleas do not live in the dog's coat, but breed in his surroundings, so if fleas are suspected the dog's bedding and carpets must be treated as well as the dog.
Lice are tiny, grey-white creatures which lie close to the skin. They are far less common than fleas but cause intense irritation. Being hard to detect, the thing to look for is patches of dry scurfy skin. The coat may also appear dull and dirty.
Ticks are very uncommon, being mainly found around farms and areas where sheep roam. They are easy to see as a swollen pea sized body with head embedded in the skin. Do not attempt to remove ticks by pulling them as the body detaches from the head.
Mites are too small to see with the naked eye. Look out for a severe scurfy condition covering the skin.

Your vet can provide you with shampoos and sprays to eradicate parasite infestations, and can remove ticks with a special tool. Once your dog is clear of the condition place a flea collar around his neck. This can give protection for up to 5 months.

Keeping a dog clean.
When grooming your dog pay attention not only to to his coat, but to his ears, carefully cleaning them with damp cotton wool if necessary. Only clean the part of the ear that you can see. Do not insert cotton buds deep into the ear. Look at his nails and arrange for them to be trimmed if they are over long. The dew claws need special attention as these may grow long enough to curl around and embed into the dog's leg. Regular exercise on hard pavements will naturally wear down a dog's nails, but an older dog that exercises less often will need them clipping. Special clippers are used by professionals to clip a dog's nails. Do not attempt to cut them with human nail clippers. Care must be taken not to cut the 'quick', a vein running down the nail which is difficult to see in dogs with dark nails. The 'quick' will bleed profusely if cut and it is difficult to stop. A silver nitrate pencil to stem heavy bleeding from a nail should be kept in case of emergency, but it is not expensive to have nails cut by a professional mobile dog groomer who will call at your home, eliminating the stress of having to take your dog to a surgery or parlour. Check your dog's teeth. They should be kept clean and regular brushing with a dog toothpaste helps to do this if he does not eat much hard biscuit or bone. As he ages tartar can develop around the base of the teeth and may need removing by a vet. Again, hard biscuits or bones help prevent the formation of tartar. The eyes should be checked and any excessive tear marks or a slight discharge should be wiped away gently with damp cotton wool.

Basic emergency treatment.
Emergencies should of course always be treated by a vet, but what should we do initially?

Road Accidents.
Dogs cause thousands of road accidents per year, but as hard as we try to keep our pets safe they occasionally do run into the road and sometimes unfortunately get knocked over by a car. It is not easy to asses what damage has been done as often a dog is knocked unconscious, then makes a complete recovery without needing treatment, but sometimes the dog appears fine, only to collapse later as a result of internal injury. If your dog is involved in a road accident try to keep him warm and quiet. You will have to remove him from the road for his own and the safety of others. If broken limbs or back is suspected a stretcher must be improvised. A blanket or coat should folded lengthwise and placed against the dogs back, the fold being nearest the dog. Gently and carefully slide the dog onto the 'stretcher' and equally carefully pull the folded over part of it from under the dog. 2 people if possible should remove the dog from danger holding the corners of the stretcher. If possible take him indoors and wrap him with a blanket to keep him warm. Consult your vet, clearly telling him of the dog's condition and any other relative symptoms. He may ask you to take the dog to the surgery immediately, or he may make a home visit.

Bites.
Bites from other dogs, rats or cats can cause painful abscesses and bacterial infection. Clip the hair from the area surrounding the bite and asses the damage. A very deep wound or a wound bleeding heavily as could have come from a dog will need treatment and stitches. If the wound appears superficial, bathe the area with lightly salted luke-warm water. Do this several times daily in order to keep the wound clean. Do not allow your dog to lick the wound as he could introduce secondary infection from his own saliva. If the condition worsens or does not begin to improve after a day you will need to take him to your vet.

The adder is the only poisonous snake found wild in the UK and is quite common in moorland areas. If you suspect your dog has been bitten by a snake you must consult a vet immediately! Keep the dog warm and quiet until the vet arrives or until you reach the surgery.

Bleeding.
A dog may easily stand on broken glass or other sharp implements while exercising. The pads often bleed profusely without there being serious damage, but if the paw is bleeding excessively you must apply a clean padded cloth (small folded towel, not cotton wool), and seek the assistance of your vet. Heavy bleeding on the body or face following a fight with another dog or a road accident should also have immediate treatment.

Burns and scalds.
Dogs which sit too close to a fire in winter, or which knock into you while cooking can receive severe burns or scalds. Immediately soak the affected area with cold water to relieve the pain, and try to clip away hair from the area. Keep your dog as warm and quiet as possible. Notify your vet immediately as your dog could fall into shock.

Choking.
Bones and balls are the most common causes of choking in dogs, although a dog which swallows just about anything it lays its teeth on could be in danger. If you can easily see a small object you can very carefully attempt to remove it or if that can't be done, twist it so that it slips down the throat. Large obstructions are difficult and home first aid should not be attempted. Call your vet immediately choking is suspected.

Poisoning.
Dogs are very susceptible to picking up poisons such as weed killer, slug pellets, rat and mouse poison and even human medications, all of which should be kept well out of a dog's (and a child's) reach. If you know, or strongly suspect that your dog has taken a poisonous substance give him a drink of strong salt water to make him vomit. Call your vet immediately!

If you have any questions concerning problems with your dog's health please check out Doghouse Forums
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If you are not breeding from, or showing your dog, please consider Spaying and Neutering.