The Granby Animal Clinic, Inc.
General Health Recommendations for Dogs
All dogs that have finished their “puppy” visits should plan on visiting the Veterinarian’s office at least once a year for an annual physical. The annual exam helps to screen your dog for abnormalities that you might not have noticed at home (such as weight loss, dental problems, anemia and growths) and gives your veterinarian a baseline of information that is helpful to compare against when your dog becomes sick. During this visit your dog will receive any vaccinations that are due. You will be updated on new health issues and your questions concerning the care of your pet will be answered.
We highly recommend all dogs to be on year round heartworm medication. If no doses of heartworm medications are missed, your dog can be tested every two years. If you choose not to give your dog heartworm medication year round, you need to get your dog tested for heartworm each year in March or April and continue the medication until December. In addition to preventing heartworm, the preventative we recommend helps to control common gastrointestinal parasites.
Lyme disease is common in this area; therefore, we strongly recommend that your dog be vaccinated against Lyme disease. If your dog is not currently vaccinated, please talk to the doctor about vaccination. Lyme disease is a painful disease and if left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to long-term problems.
We also offer a vaccination for Leptospirosis, This disease in not common but can lead to serious disease (even death) and has the potential to be zoonotic (transmissible to other pets and people). If you are interested in this vaccination for your dog, please let the doctor know.
Your dog should have a stool sample checked for parasites at least once a year (more frequently if you live in a heavily contaminated environment). In addition, your dog should be dewormed at least 4 times a year. If you are using Heartguard PLUS for your dog’s heartworm preventative, no additional medication is needed unless you have a known problem with a parasite not killed by the medication.
Some breeds of dogs are predisposed to developing glaucoma or heart disease. Routine screening for these diseases can lead to early diagnosis and a better ability to control your pet’s disease. Ask if your dog should be screened.
Dental disease is very prevalent in our pet population and causes both systemic illnesses and pain for our pets. If possible, you should clean your dog’s teeth daily (we recommend using CET toothpaste). During your dog’s annual exam, his/her teeth will be examined as well as possible. If significant dental disease or tartar is present and your dog’s health is OK, your dog should have a dental cleaning. To properly clean your dog’s teeth, they need to be given an anesthetic. During the cleaning and the following oral exam, any tooth deemed to be causing your dog pain or putting your dog at increased risk for illness will be extracted. We are unable to do dental xrays at this time. If you want your dog’s teeth x-rayed, we can refer you to a Veterinary Dentist. If you have questions on how to take care of your dog’s teeth, please ask. We offer a variety of canine dental treats that have been shown to decrease tartar production. They are an easy way to improve dental health.
Dogs that are over 7 years old (Giant breed dogs over 5) are starting to enter their golden years. Like with your own heath, the more preventative steps you take in general, the better your dog’s health will be. Disease states often progress faster in our pets due to their shorter life spans. You should consider having a semi annual (twice a year) physical done on your dog to track changes better. In addition, bloodwork and a urinalysis should be done at least once a year to help alert us to possible problems. Some diseases that are very common in our older dogs that can be picked up with these tests are kidney disease, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, hyperadrenocorticism and some cancers. Other less common diseases can be found as well. Please let us know if you would like this additional care.