Caring for your dog

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A consistent healthcare routine for your dog is extremely important and will help ensure that your dog remains happy and healthy.
An essential healthcare routine should include;

• Vaccinations against diseases such as parvo
• Treatment against worms and fleas
• Spaying / Neutering
• Regular dental care,
• Regular grooming

Vaccinations – Dogs can be vaccinated against Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, Distemper, Hepatitis and Kennel cough. Despite the availability of vaccines against such diseases many dogs die each year because they have not received the vaccinations.
Pups should receive their first vaccine between 8 – 9 weeks of age and their second vaccine at 12 weeks. It is essential that your dog receives a Booster vaccination on a yearly basis in order to keep it protected.

Fleas - it is important to treat your dog regularly for fleas. Most dogs will suffer from a flea infestation at some point in their lives and it is important they are treated as it can be very uncomfortable and a severe and long-term flea infestation can make a dog anaemic.
There are a number of flea treatments available for both dogs and their environment – please ask a vet for the best one for your dog.

Worms – It is extremely important to worm your dog regularly.
Pups are at most risk from worm infestations which can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, a swollen abdomen, and in some instances death.
Pups should be wormed from two-three weeks of age at two weekly intervals until they are twelve weeks of age, (so twice each month for 3 months) then every month until they are six months of age. Worming should continue at least three times a year for the rest of the dog’s life.

Spaying / Neutering – getting your dog neutered is essential in order to prevent litters of unwanted pups being born. Northern Ireland has thousands of dogs that are unwanted and rescue centres such as ours are struggling to pick up the pieces.  As already mentioned above far too many dogs are being destroyed in pounds so we need to work hard on bringing this shocking number down drastically rather than adding to it.

It is best to get your dog spayed / neutered at the age of 6 months.

There are many advantages to neutering

Males
• It may reduce some sexual-related unwanted behaviour.
• It will eliminate the risk of testicular cancer.
• It greatly reduces the risk of problems with the prostate gland.
• It reduces the risk of some anal and perineal tumours.
• It removes the stress of being a male entire dog in a modern society, where he has to share his territory and isn’t allowed to express his normal ‘male’ behaviour.

Females
• It eliminates the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.
• It will eliminate ovarian cysts and tumours and the potentially fatal pyometra.
• It reduces the risk of mammary cancer if spayed before or after the first season.
• It prevents the sexual advances of male dogs when out on walks, in your garden or outside the house.
• It eliminates the inconvenience and mess of the season (red/pink ‘spotting’ on the carpet and floor
surfaces).
• It removes the distress associated with false pregnancies and the potential risk to her health from real pregnancies.

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