Health, vaccinations
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are the most important measure to prevent infectious diseases. The need for vaccinations is undisputed - health and performance are promoted, and infectious diseases are prevented from spreading.
In addition, vaccination prophylaxis is an important aspect of animal welfare. A large number of vaccines are available for our dogs. Until some time ago, vaccination was mostly carried out according to a “rigid” scheme - today, the individual necessity of vaccination for the individual animal is taken into account.
In combination with the annual health check, the individual vaccination program for the adult dog should be determined.
However, there is a recommended scheme for puppies - this is the so-called "basic immunization":
Aged
☞ 8 weeks of life: parvorirosis, distemper, leptospirosis
☞ 12 weeks of life: parvovirus, distemper, leptospirosis, (rabies)
☞ 16 weeks of life: parvovirus, distemper, rabies
☞ 15 months of life: parvovirus, distemper, leptospirosis, (possibly rabies)
After your puppy has moved in, please visit your veterinarian together. Have your four-legged friend examined for its health status.
Of course there are other infectious diseases that can be vaccinated against - your veterinarian will certainly be happy to advise you.
Brief explanation of the individual infectious diseases:
Distemper:
The distemper virus is closely related to the human measles virus and affects, among other things, the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, the brain or the intestines. The animals often show themselves with pneumonia, intestinal inflammation or even meningitis. This disease is very likely to be fatal.
Parvovirus:
The animals are directly infected through virus-infected faeces. Infection through dirty shoe soles, clothing, etc. is also possible. The main symptom of parvovirus is bloody gastrointestinal inflammation. The mucous membrane cells of the intestine are usually completely destroyed.
Leptospirosis:
(Stuttgarter Hundeseuche) These bacteria occur in many wild, domestic and farm animals as well as in humans. Waters can also be contaminated with this pathogen (especially when they are warm, stagnant or slowly flowing). If the dog then bathes or drinks from it, an infection can occur. In most cases, kidney and liver dysfunction accompanied by internal bleeding appears.

Rabies:
The virus is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals.
It can take up to 5 months for the onset of the disease to actually become visible - this is followed by severe disorders of the entire CNS and the brain. The illness usually lasts 1 to 7 days before it leads to death.
There has been no proven case of rabies in Germany since 2006. This is certainly also thanks to the nationwide vaccination programs of the last decades.
For further illnesses against which a vaccination is possible, please ask your veterinarian.
(Source: "Guideline for the Vaccination of Small Animals", as of 12.12.2016 - StlKo Vet)
Fleas & ticks
Experience has shown that only a collar or so-called spot-on preparations, which you can buy from your vet, are best for preventing fleas and ticks. Please contact your veterinarian. He will be happy to advise you. Medical products are usually cheaper from him than in the pharmacy and you can usually get professional advice free of charge.

Puppies and worms

We start worming against roundworms at the age of 2 weeks.
This treatment is repeated at 2-week intervals.
Usually another deworming takes place when the puppy has moved in with you and you have your first visit to the vet together (at the age of approx. 10 to 14 weeks).
A puppy and young dog (up to the age of 18 months) should be dewormed often enough.
Change of teeth
Puppies become - like human babies - born without teeth.
The first milk teeth erupt after approx. 3 - 6 weeks.
Between the 4th and 7th month of life the puppy gets its permanent teeth. This can sometimes lead to problems: If the milk tooth does not fall out on its own, the permanent tooth has no place at this point and growth is crooked. In such cases, please show your dog to the vet immediately, as the baby tooth may have to be extracted. The permanent set of teeth consists of 42 teeth (the deciduous set of 28 teeth).
Dogs have a greater need to chew when they are changing their teeth. To protect your facility, it is advisable to offer the dog chews. If your dog refuses the dry food during this time, it may be due to a slight toothache.
Tip: In such cases, soak the food in water to make it easier for your four-legged friend to chew.
Vet training & regular health check-ups
 
In order to make life easier for yourself, your dog and, last but not least, your vet, you should start practicing the visit to the vet and general examination steps at an early stage.
If you train the following points regularly, your puppy will get to know the procedure in a familiar environment and will no longer find the examination at the vet quite so strange and frightening.
In addition, you have a regular health check.
☞ It is best to put the puppy on a table.
☞ Only do short practice units and reward him for keeping still with a treat or a short game.
Important: If you notice anything unusual about any of these points or if you feel unsure, please ask your veterinarian.
Oral cavity:
☞ Are all teeth intact?
☞ Are there any problems changing teeth?
☞ Have foreign bodies settled between the teeth?
☞ Do the gums look pink, smooth and shiny?
Ears:
☞ Are the ears very dirty on the inside?
☞ Do they smell unpleasant?
☞ Are they red? You can carefully remove smaller soiling yourself with a damp cotton ball; if you suspect an ear infection or parasite infestation, please consult the veterinarian.
Eyes:
☞ Is there excessive tearing?
☞ Are the conjunctiva severely reddened? Small deposits and dirt in the corners of the eyes can be removed with a damp cloth.
Musculoskeletal system:
☞ Practice with your puppy that he can feel his paws and legs.
After region:
☞ Is the anus region clean or regularly / permanently soiled?
☞ Does your dog have frequent diarrhea?
☞ Is he licking his bottom more and more? In the event of abnormalities, please consult the veterinarian.
Fever measurements:
You can practice that too: use a digital thermometer and carefully insert it into the anus. The normal temperature of the dog is 38 to 39 ° C, in puppies values up to 39.5 ° C are normal. Both higher and lower temperatures indicate illness.
castration
 
Preliminary considerations on an important topic
It is the duty of a responsible dog owner to think carefully about the neutering intervention before it is carried out - or not.
The castration of a male or a female must always be an individual decision. It never replaces upbringing and never a coach before you decide to have a hormonal intervention. There is hardly any scientifically proven data on the subject of castration, so neither those who support castration nor those who oppose castration should give you any figures: they are all ultimately based on practical experience of individuals.
It is important, however, that castration should never be carried out before growth has stopped, as long as there are no medical reasons or malformations. The hormonal developments during puberty are so important for skeletal structure and behavior that this process should not be disturbed.
Before deciding on a castration, you should - if there are no medical reasons - consider whether you would like to try a non-surgical, hormonal procedure first. These also have advantages and disadvantages that you should find out about.
(Source: Happy Dog Puppy Guide)
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