Controlling Fleas and Ticks

Indoor dogs in colder climates may never need flea treatment, whereas dogs in war, dry areas may need it year around. Outdoor dogs need to be checked for ticks frequently.

Flea and tick control is available from your vet and a Pet Med store. The spot treatments are put onto the skin between the shoulder blades and disperse through the epiderms, never entering the bloodstream. There are sever types, effective from one to three months.


Most spot treatments repel ticks. Ticks carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlicha, and Lyme disease. Because they can be very small and almost impossible to find on long-haired dogs, the only sure way to control them is with meds. Removing them with tweezers is the only safe method. If the head is embedded in the skin and won't come out, that's OK. Watch the spot to make sure abscess doesn't form; but usually the head falls off.

If your dog starts scratching, consider the possibility of fleas. You may not see fleas, but little specks of "dirt" in your dog's coat may be flea feces. Treat all animals in your house at the same time; if there is one flea, there could be hundreds.

Heartworms

Heartworm disease is named because the adult worms live in the right side of the heart. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, and thus are found throughout the world. In the United States gthe prevalence is highest along the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, but heartworms has been found in all 50 states. The disease is less prevalent at higher elevations. In theory, the best way to prevent heartworms is to keep your dog from being bitten by a mosquito. Unfortunately, preventing mosquito bites can never be 100 percent effective.


A prevention program should be started at 6 to 8 weeks of age in endemic areas, or as soon thereafter as climate conditions dictate. In the Deep South, where mosquitoes are a year-round problem, dogs should be kept on preventive drugs all year long. Consult your Pet Med store or your veterinarian.




Heartworm Preventives: Pet Med online store has all of these:

Heartgard is given once a month. This drug acts on the L(4) larvae. Dogs do not have to be heartworm-free to initiate therapy; dogs infected for as long as two months before treatment will not develop heartworms. Heartgard is marketed in chewable tablets of different sizes, depending on the weight of the dog.

Heartgard Plus is a popular chewable tablet taht combines ivermectin with pyrantel pamoate. This combination prevents heartworms, and also controls roundworms and hookworms.

Interceptor (milbemycin oxime) is another administered once-a-month heartworm preventive that also acts on the L(4) larvae. This drug also controls hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. It is safer to use on Collies and Collie crosses.

Selamectin (Revolution) is a once-a-month liquid heartworm preventive applied to the skin of the dog's neck between the shoulder blades. It is available from your veterinarin in premeasured doses based on the dog's size and age. A principal advantage of selamectin is that it also controls adult fleas and prevents flea eggs from hatching for one month.

Pet Training Tools

Puppies should always be trained using a regular collar, and specialized training collars should b used later only if necessary. A well-trained dog with no major issues may never need a training collar. Contact your Pet med store.

The choke collar is often used to "strangle" a pulling dog instead of the fast pop and release it's intended for. The choke collar may cause neck and throat damage if overused. A properly fitted prong (or "pinch") collar can be gentler than a choke collar, offering power steering for large leash-pullers.

Nylon limited-slip collars and martingale collars are similar to chokes, except they don't tighten all the way. Head halters have become popular and are effective for leash-pullers and those dogs who lunge at other dogs. Toy dogs and pugs often use harnesses instead of collars. Your Pet Meds online stores have great selections.

• Many trainers believe in positive reinforcement only and do not allow chain or prong collars.
• A head halter is self-correcting, so the handler shouldn't pull or jerk on it.
• In training, the dog walkes on the left. Holding the leash in your right hand leaves the hand next to your dog free to give signals, pet, or give treats.

Dogs Age In Human Years

An old general rule is that dog year is equivalent to seven human years, but this is not always accurate. Dogs age at different rates than humans do. Dogs also vary in how quickly they age. In general, small breeds live longer than larger ones-occasionally, twice as long. The following chart is an examle of average figures for all breeds of dogs, based on their size. this will help you when you inquire information at your Pet Meds store.

Dog Age:........................... Human Years
...............Up to 20 lbs .... 21-50 lbs.... 51-90 lbs.... Over 90 lbs
......5............ 36 ................. 37............... 40.................. 40
......6............ 40.................. 42............... 45.................. 49
......7............ 44.................. 47............... 50.................. 56
.....11........... 60.................. 65............... 72................... 86
.....13........... 68.................. 74............... 82................. 101
.....15........... 76.................. 83............... 93................. 115
.....16........... 80.................. 87............... 99................. 123

Joint Problems

Joint pain is indicated by stiffness, lameness, or an abnormal gait. Hip and elbow dysplasia usually present in younger dogs while their bones are still growing.

• Dogs have about 320 bones-humans have about 206. The numbers of bones depends on whether the dog has a tail and how long it is.
• A growing pup reaches his full height before his body fills out.
• The larger the dog, the slower he grows.
• Elbow and hip dysplasia is unfortunately common, particularly in larger dogs.
• Males and females are equally affected by hip dysplasia, but more males have dysplastic elbows.

Joint supplements and nutraceuticals, from a Pet Meds store, like glucasamine/chrondeitin, MSM, and fish oil may be very helpful in lubricating joints and reducing inflammation.

• An overwhelming number of joint nutraceuticals are available from your Pet Meds store, and many can help. Buy from trusted sources and be skeptical of miracle cure formulas.
• Most joint-support supplements sold for humans contain the same active ingredients and work just fine for dogs.
• Your Pet Meds store has liquid formulas that are easier to give because they can be drizzled over food.
• Unless they are time-release capsules, pills can also be dissolved in water or ground up and mixed with food. Ask a Pet Meds store consultant.

Pet Toys

Toys are not a luxury for our pets but a necessity. Toys are designed to give your pet satisfaction and helps prevent boredom. Because a bored puppy means what can I chew on, and many times that toy is your $600 pair of shoes. Remember not to give your dog a dog toy that is too small where he doesn't need to chew it before ingesting, because a piece of that toy might end up choking him.

Activity Dog Toys: Many of these toys hold food or treats and some require your dog to experiment to understand how the treats are released. 'Kongs' are a good example- they are flexible rubber products that have a small hole through which they can be filled with different things (food, treats, etc.). These are particularly well suited for dogs when they are left alone or for dogs that are under-stimulated and have a low boredom threshold. Pet toys are sold where Pet Meds are sold.

Play Toys: These are generally toys that you use to play with your dog or for dogs to play with each other. Hearding dogs, gun dogs and hounds have a preference for hunt, chase and retrieving games. Toys that can be easily thrown or rolled work best for these games. Guarding and hunting dogs like possession games such as tug-o-war. Toys which can be held by two or more players are best suited for this. Terriers like kill games which are best simulated with soft toys that can be grabbed, shaken and thrown around. Squeaky toys are often a favorite. When you're shopping for your Pet Meds, pick up a pet toy for your friend.



Puppy Toys: Puppy teething occurs between the ages of 3-7 months, there are many products that specifically target the requirements of puppies which help ease the discomfort of teething. Generally the younger the puppy, the more pliable the chew toy needs to be.

Puppy and Dog Health

HEART WORM PREVENTION
What are Heart worms? Heart worms are worm-like parasites that are transmitted through the bite of a mosquito. They can grow in the heart and cause serious heart disease. There are several medications, that can be purchased through Pet Meds with good discounts, which your vet can or may give to your puppy on either a daily or monthly basis that will prevent it from developing the disease if it's bitten by a carrier mosquito. They will begin your puppy on this preventative medication once it has reached 8-12 weeks of age. You should continue to give it year-round. You can purchase these types of medication by going to Pet meds online. An annual or bi-annual blood test will be performed to test for heart worms and to make sure the medication is working. Try to coordinate the heart worm test with one of your pet's annual vaccination visits.

FLEA AND TICK CONTROL
There are many new products on the market which can be applied topically or taken orally to control fleas and/or ticks. In general, supermarket products are not very effective. Those available from Pet Meds stores work better. However, there are many products available only through veterinarians that work very well. Many veterinarians will actually have you order online for those same products. These products ordered online at Pet Meds online are as effective and safe.


AGE OF PUPPY: VACCINATION / PROCEDURE

6 - 8 weeks: First examination, first (of 3) DHLPP vaccination. This is the distemper multiple 5 in 1 vaccine. It protects against Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus. You may be asked to bring a stool sample so they can check for intestinal parasites.

9 - 12 weeks: Second DHLPP booster and exam. This is done 3-4 weeks after the first vaccine. A second fecal exam should be performed.

12 + weeks: Rabies vaccination. This first rabies vaccine is good for 1 year; subsequent vaccinations last for 3 years.

13 - 16 weeks: Third (and final) DHLPP booster and exam. This is done 3-4 weeks after the second booster. This vaccine will last for 1 year and will then need to be boostered annually. this booster concludes the series of routine puppy vaccinations. If a puppy starts the series at an early age, 4 vaccines may be needed; if it starts at a later age, only 2 vaccines may be needed in the series.

Most Pet Meds stores can advise you on procedures

PET HEALTH INSURANCE
Also know that there are insurance companies that provide Pet Health Insurance. Many of the policies function much like your major medical policy and will provide assistance in paying for illnesses and veterinary emergencies. Ask your vet information on the different types of pet insurance, many of them will have brochures available.