There are many different breeds of dog and choosing the correct dog for your situation should not be based on appearance alone. The dog's personality, temperament, exercise and grooming requirements all need to be taken into account in your dog's selection. Vaccinations Puppies need to have a course of vaccinations to protect them against the serious viral diseases of dogs - this includes parvovirus, distemper and hepatitis. The first vaccination is given at 6-8 weeks of age with a follow up vaccination at 12 weeks of age, then annual boosters.

Yahooligans! Eastwood Vets Pets Pointers Eastwood Vets Question and Answers Why dogs don’t live as long….. “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life… like loving everybody all the time and being nice” “Dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long” (Quote: from a 4 year old)

Parvovirus is a viral disease which can affect dogs of any age group but is more serious in young pups. Death may occur without warning in very young pups as the virus can attack the heart muscle. Older pups and dogs may show signs of severe vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and abdominal pain as the virus affects the intestinal tract and may cause death in a short period of time. The virus is capable of surviving in the environment for very long periods of time and is resistant to most household disinfectants. Distemper is a serious contagious viral disease affecting dogs of all ages and can cause symptoms of fever, coughing, nasal discharge, vomiting, diarrhoea and depression. Central nervous symptoms may occur later on in the disease and may cause continued problems in dogs which happen to survive. Survival rates are low and the treatment is usually ineffective. Hepatitis is also very contagious and mainly affects dogs less than two years of age. It can cause fever, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal changes. Dogs which survive may develop long term liver and kidney problems. Until a puppy has had it's initial course of vaccinations, it is recommended that public areas be avoided to reduce the risk of infection, especially with parvovirus.

Vaccinations against canine cough are also available and are recommended for any dog which may come into contact with a large number of other dogs, for example in kennels or obedience school. Following vaccination, some dogs may feel off colour for a day or two and may have a slight swelling and tenderness around the injection site. If you are concerned about your pet following vaccination - please contact your Vet.
Worming

Puppies require regular worming to remove intestinal parasites. Roundworm and hookworm can cause severe illness in young pups and these parasites can also potentially affect humans. Pups need to be wormed every two weeks up until three months of age, then once a month until six months of age. After this, continue worming every three months. After 3 months of age, it is recommended that an all-wormer such as Drontal be used for worming as this will remove roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworm (including hydatid which can also cause disease in humans). Ensure that your dog is dosed according to its weight.

Other Parasites

Heartworm is a parasite which will not be prevented by routine treatment for intestinal worms. It is transmitted by mosquitoes and is capable of causing illness and death in infected dogs. Although there is only a low risk of heartworm in the Ballarat area, this risk increases once outside Ballarat and heartworm prevention is recommended for any dog that may be travelling. Young pups may be started on heartworm prevention from eight weeks of age. For any dog over the age of six months, a heartworm test is recommended prior to starting heartworm prevention. There are several options for heartworm prevention available including monthly tablets and yearly injections - contact the Vet for further information.

Dogs and puppies may be infected with fleas, which can cause skin irritation and, in large numbers also cause blood loss anaemia. You not only need to treat the adult fleas which are visible but also the flea larvae and eggs. There are a large range of products available from your Vet to treat fleas on dogs which are easy to use and safe for both your pet and the family. Ensure that the label instructions are read and, in the case of young puppies, that the product used is suitable for the age of your pup. If you live in an area where ticks are a problem, then your dog should be checked daily and if you find a tick you should contact the Vet immediately.

Dogs, and especially puppies, may also be infested with ear mites. These parasites cause irritation in and around the ears, and are often associated with a black discharge in the ear canal. If you suspect ear mites in your pets, please contact your Vet.

Desexing

It is recommended that any dog not intended for breeding be desexed at 5-6 months of age. As well as preventing unwanted pregnancies, desexing can also benefit the health of your dog. Spaying in female dogs reduces the risk of mammary cancr and infections in the uterus. Desexed males have a reduced risk of prostatic disease, and are less likely to wander and mark their territory.

Feeding

Up until three weeks of age, a puppy satisfies all its nutritional requirements from its mother's milk. After this time, puppies start to be weaned onto solid foods. These need to be highly palatable, easy to eat and contain a high concentration of vitamins and minerals in a balanced formulation.

How often you feed your puppy depends on age, breed and individual characteristics but in general, until they are about four months old, your puppy will need to be fed three times a day. You can then reduce the feeding to two times a day and at six months of age you can then reduce it to one to two feeds a day depending on the individual characteristics of your dog.

Allow your puppy 10-15 minutes to eat at each meal. After this time remove any uneaten food and serve fresh food at the next meal. Your pup should always have its own feed and water bowl and these should be cleaned daily. Always ensure fresh clean water is available.

Puppies may develop stomach upsets with sudden changes in diet. To help reduce this, gradually change to a new diet over several days to give the puppy time to adapt. If diarrhoea develops and persists for longer than 24 hours or if it is severe or accompanied by other symptoms, consult the Vet for advice.

Training

House training can be started as soon as your puppy arrives home. Choose a suitable place in the garden which is away from the general traffic area. Take your puppy to this area after waking, after eating, any time it circles, whines or stands anxiously near the door and every couple of hours.

Accidents will occur initially - do not punish your puppy if this happens as it will not understand. If your puppy does make a mistake inside, take it immediately outside to its toileting area and offer praise when it does it correctly.

Dogs are social animals and need firm discipline in order to feel secure and understand their place in the 'family pack'. When learning to respond to sit, drop, stay, heel and come, you must reinforce the fact that you are the leader and are to be obeyed. A dog's aim is to please its owner, so a positive attitude to training is best. Keep training sessions short and always end them on a happy note.

We have puppy pre-school classes to help you with early training and socialisation. These are suitable for puppies from 8 weeks to 16 weeks of age and both you and your puppy can learn a lot from these classes. Adult obedience classes are available for dogs over 4 months of age.

Identification

All dogs should be identified with a collar and tag with the pet's name and your phone number to assist in reuniting lost dogs with their owners. For permanent identification, a microchip can be implanted under the skin by your Vet. If your dog is lost - contact the local RSPCA and vets.