P U P P I E S
Vaccines are critical to the health of your new puppy. Here are essential vaccines our doctors recommend:
DHLPP 5-way vaccine
(Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus)
- Distemper virus can attack multiple organ systems including the nervous system. This is a life threatening disease if your pet is not protected against it.
- Hepatitis means inflammation of the li ver . After entering the blood stream, this virus attacks the cells of the liver, eyes, kidneys and the inner linings of blood vessels throughout the body.
- Leptospirosis can attack multiple organ systems and has been known to cause kidney failure. Dogs who will be spending time in rural areas, especially around livestock, have particular susceptibility to this disease. This component of the vaccine is known to cause an increased incidence of vaccine reactions so depending on your pet's situation, we can decide what will be best (the DHPP vaccine is also offered, which excludes the Leptospirosis portion).
- Parainfluenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease very often mistaken for kennel cough. Factors that may exacerbate the potential for contracting this disease are high humidity, drafts and environmental conditions.
- Parvovirus is present in many public environments. This virus attacks the intestinal lining causing a severe and often life threatening bloody diarrhea.
Rabies is a serious viral disease seen in mammals that adversely affects the central nervous system, leading to death. Rabies is a zoonotic disease that is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal.
Lyme is a disease caused by a bacteria, Borrelia Burgdorferi, and is spread by ticks. It can cause polyarthritis, lethargy, and high fevers. It is recommended your dog get a lyme vaccination if there is a high exposure to ticks in areas where lyme is prevalent.
Bordetella is a vaccination used to protect your dog against kennel cough, which is a highly contagious upper respiratory illness. Bordetella is often required for boarding facilites and training classes.
Leptospirosis can attack multiple organ systems and has been known to cause kidney failure. Dogs who will be spending time in rural areas, especially around livestock, have particular susceptibility to this disease.
Puppy Vaccine Schedule...
DHLPP #2/Bordetella #1
DHLPP #3/Bordetella #2/Rabies
**For your puppy's safety, please do not take him/her to any public areas until the vaccine series is completed. Every vaccine listed above does not need to be administered to every pet. It is best to decide after discussing with your veterinarian, as it depends on you and your pet's lifestyle.
For information on what to expect after your pet is vaccinated, please click here .
We recommend every puppy be treated for roundworms. This is the most frequent intestinal parasite of puppies (please visit here
for information on more common parasites). We can supply you with some oral medicine during your first visit. It is normal to expect these worms to pass into the feces after treatment.
It is very important to bring in a fecal sample for us to evaluate with special testing under a microscope.
Heartworms are parasites of the dog in which worms lodge in the heart and vessels of the lung. It can be very dangerous to your pet if he or she contracts the disease. Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, so any dog is at risk, even indoor dogs. We recommend starting preventative tablets at the age of 8 weeks and monthly for the dog's lifetime. We carry two forms of heartworm prevention, Interceptor and Sentinal (prevention for heartworm and fleas).
SPAYING & NEUTERING
We recommend your puppy be spayed or neutered at 5 - 6 months of age. Spaying your female puppy prior to her first heat will critically reduce the chances she will develop mammary cancer as an adult dog. Neutering your male puppy will eliminate problems of prostatitis and testicular cancers seen in adult male dogs. To learn more about spaying and neutering, please go here
A flea is a wingless insect whose mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. They are external parasites and live off the blood of mammals (including humans and birds). In high quantities, fleas can cause life-threatening anemia to young puppies.
Ideal treatment options for flea control & prevention include:
Advantage - a topical insecticide which kills all adult fleas within 12 hours. Protection lasts approximately 4 weeks.
Frontline - a topical insecticide which kills adult fleas & ticks within 24 hours. Protection lasts approximately 4 weeks.
Comfortis (canines only) - a chewable tablet which kills adult fleas within 30 minutes. Protection lasts approximately 4 weeks.
Puppies should be fed a puppy brand diet that is AAFCO (Association of Animal Feed Control Officials) approved, and states the diet "provides complete and balanced nutrition". Ideally, you should train your puppy to be meal-fed rather than always leaving food out - this will help control problems with obesity that could develop later in life. For large breed puppies such as Great Danes, Dobermans, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, and Labradors, feed a puppy food designated for large breeds. This special puppy food has fewer calories per cup than regular puppy food. It has been scientifically proven that these foods can significantly reduce the chances of orthopedic illnesses from developing, including hip dysplasia.
We recommend puppy-training courses for every puppy and their owner. Normally, this is started after 12 weeks of age, once two sets of vaccines have already been given. While Sequoia Veterinary Hospital does not recommend any specific training school or instructor, we can provide a general list of names and phone numbers for you.