Preventive health check-ups for your dog - do you remember them?

Prevention is the most effective weapon in the fight against disease - it's no wonder we take care of our own health by visiting various doctors, but we should also examine our four-legged friends in the same way. Many diseases do not manifest from the very beginning, but only later, when treatment often turns out to be difficult and very long.  

Advantages of prevention

Owners often report to veterinary clinics when they notice disturbing symptoms in their dogs. Unfortunately, it often turns out to be too late. Prevention helps detect a disease state at the very beginning and can save a life. Isn't this a sufficient reason to visit the vet once a year to check on our pet? A sick dog shows symptoms when the disease has already developed, so let's not wait for such a situation.  

Which dogs are particularly susceptible to diseases?

The most important factor here is genetic predispositions. Unfortunately, every dog breed is burdened with certain diseases. Before acquiring a dog, it is worth inquiring about the puppy's parents and grandparents, which is not a problem if the dog has a pedigree. Shelter dogs often do not have this option, but much can be determined from their posture and build. As a rule, what I have noticed myself - the larger the dog, the more potential problems. For example, with a Bernese Mountain Dog, we need to watch out for joints, weight, gastric torsion, eyes, ears, but most importantly, it's the joints and bones. With female dogs, we need to watch out for diseases related to the birth canal, and similarly with male dogs to prevent serious diseases. The truth is, when we take our dog to the vet preventatively, who not only vaccinates the dog but also generally checks its health - blood, abdominal ultrasound, eye and ear check-ups… These are basics, but we are able to react when something alarming appears.  

How to preventively treat a dog?

Maintaining proper dog nutrition and health based on regular vet visits is usually sufficient to properly care for a four-legged friend and practice good prevention. We do not administer any supplements on our own; instead, we always consult with a veterinarian about all possible additives. Let's remember about walks, fresh water, and playtime. Let's not allow stress in dogs to occur too often - it is also a factor that causes various diseases. Let's take care of both the body and the psyche - this is the best we can do for our four-legged friend's health.

Beef tripe is an excellent solution for our pet's dental prophylaxis.

Dog deworming

Alongside vaccinations, this is one of the most important procedures that should be carried out regularly. An infested dog releases parasites with its secretions and excretions, leading to environmental contamination, and the infection of other animals and humans. Internal parasites are most often nematodes, tapeworms, and flagellates. They mainly become infected orally through contaminated water, food, plants, birds, feces, and rodents. Symptoms of worms in dogs are mostly apathy, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, shortness of breath, itching, skin changes, and decreased immunity. We can only get rid of them with preparations prescribed by a veterinarian. If we notice any ailments in our dog, it's worth going to the vet and saying what we suspect, especially if we witnessed it eating or drinking something it shouldn't have. How often do we deworm a dog? Older dogs every 3-6 months, and puppies more often with vet visits. Increasingly, deworming is being discussed when worms appear in the pet's body, meaning we periodically submit stool for tests that detect parasites. Let's remember one important thing - if we have several animals at home, the others should also be dewormed! This is a so-called iron rule when one of the dogs has parasites.  

Dog vaccination

The mechanism of vaccine action in dogs is identical to that in humans - we protect ourselves from various diseases that can have terrible consequences. Thanks to immunological memory, the immune system remembers the enemy that was previously administered via vaccination, and upon repeated contact, there will already be antibodies in the body that will prevent infection or make the disease milder. Dog vaccinations are divided into three categories; which one to follow depends on when the puppy was vaccinated for the first time.   We distinguish early vaccinations:

• 6 - 7 weeks: distemper and parvovirus (for puppies),
• 9 - 10 weeks: distemper, parvovirus, coronavirus, Rubarth's disease, kennel cough, leptospirosis,
• 12 - 12 weeks: distemper, parvovirus, coronavirus, Rubarth's disease, kennel cough, leptospirosis,
• 15 weeks: rabies.

After 12 months, booster vaccinations are necessary.   Standard vaccinations:

• 9 - 10 weeks: distemper, parvovirus, coronavirus, Rubarth's disease, kennel cough, leptospirosis,
• 12 - 13 weeks: distemper, parvovirus, coronavirus, Rubarth's disease, kennel cough, leptospirosis,
• 15 weeks: rabies.

After 12 months, booster vaccinations should be performed.   Late vaccinations:

• after 12th week: distemper, parvovirus, coronavirus, Rubarth's disease, kennel cough, leptospirosis,
• after next 2 - 4 weeks: distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, kennel cough, viral hepatitis, coronavirus,
• after next 2 - 3 weeks: rabies.

After 12 months, booster doses as in previous sets.  

Dog obesity control

We can control a dog's weight through observation. A dog's diet should be determined by a veterinarian from the very beginning, especially if our dog is simply a glutton. The appropriate food is then selected based on the dog's activity, which is extremely important in this matter. We also control the dog through play - when stroking the dog, we should feel the dog's ribs; if we feel that it has a lot of fat tissue - the answer is obvious. An interesting place to observe overweight is… the tail. The area near the tail is characterized by low fat tissue growth, so if we feel fat accumulation there, it's a sign that the overweight is advanced and much more than it should be. It is visible on a four-legged friend, just as it is on a human, when we can start talking about overweight, hence observation is crucial in this matter. Read also: What to do when a dog doesn't want to drink?  

Protection against external parasites

External parasites are not only fleas, ticks, but also scabies, demodex mites, lice, other mites, fly larvae, and… mosquitoes! For most worms in dogs, widely available remedies can be purchased at the vet's office. Drops, collars, tablets - it's up to us how we want to administer them. It is often said that collars are not for long-haired dogs, which the veterinarian will certainly confirm - the product does not touch the skin and therefore does not work. However, this is not the case for everyone - I only use the Foresto collar on my Bernese Mountain Dog, and as you know, he has a lot of fur.  

Maintaining dog hygiene

Ears, eyes, coat and teeth - four areas that require closer attention. Hygiene in dogs is also part of prevention! Brushing or washing your dog can be particularly time-consuming if your furry friend has a lot of fur that requires more effort. As for the ears, we check if they are clean - if we see any dirty marks, we buy cleaning products at pet stores or from the vet and clean them according to the instructions. With eyes, remember to be gentle! I usually avoid doing anything near the eyes and go to the vet to show me how to handle the organ of sight so as not to cause additional problems.

Silicone grooming and massage glove. Your dog will surely appreciate it.

Claws should wear down naturally if the dog doesn't only run on soft surfaces. Generally, when a dog stands freely, its claws should not touch the ground. Similarly, a characteristic "clicking sound on the surface" indicates whether our dog needs its nails trimmed.   Let's remember these basics - let's not delay starting prevention. After all, our four-legged friend is more than just a dog.