Understanding Visits To Your Vet

To you and your family, your pet is another member of your family. You may bring them everywhere with you and spoil them, which is why taking them to the vet is important. Your veterinarian is one of the most important people in your dog's life---next to you of course. Before you bring home a puppy, you should identify a veterinarian and arrange for a first appointment as soon as possible. Your fist vet visit will give you and your veterinarian an opportunity to establish your dog's baseline level of health and identify any potential long-term or chronic health problems.

Vaccinations

When visiting your veterinarian, they will create a vaccination plan for your dog. Having a basic vaccination series should always be a part of your puppy's schedule during the first four months. A combination vaccine is given once a month from two months through four months. After month four, this vaccine is given once a year for added protection from leading infections and illnesses, including distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and parainfluenza.

If you adopted a dog that is older than four months and it has not been vaccinated, your vet will follow a different protocol. Instead of once a month for two months, two vaccinations will be given two to three weeks apart and then annual vaccinations can begin. Some breeds get vaccinated into their fifth month, which include Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls and American Staffordshire Terriers. Your dog will also need a rabies vaccination. Each country's laws around this vaccination will vary, which makes it important to check so that you can maintain the proper vaccines.

Spaying or Neutering

Most dogs are spayed (females) or neutered (males) before you adopt them. Spaying and neutering is when the dog's reproductive organs are removed in order to prevent pregnancy, but other health issues also provide compelling reasons for this as well. Female dogs have a high incidence of cancers of the reproductive system. Spaying removes the ovaries and the uterus, which then helps to prevent the production of estrogen, which leads to most of the reproductive cancers. A vast majority of unsprayed older females contract a life-threatening infection of the uterus, called pyometra, which is caused by problems with progesterone, another female hormone that is eliminated through spaying. Female dogs should be spayed before their first heat, it possible.

Males that are not neutered often display aggressive and hyper behaviors. This can pose as a danger to them, other animals and even people. A dog that might have been calm and well-behaved as a puppy might suddenly show a pack mentality and become more aggressive, which is a result of high testosterone levels. When these habits occur, it can be hard to break them. A male dog is neutered between six months and one year of age, which will help him retain his youthful calm. Spaying and neutering are both common surgeries that require an overnight stay at your vet's office. When returning home your dog might be under the weather, but they will typically heal within a week or so.

Contact your veterinarian in Oakland, NJ for more information on vaccinations or spaying and neutering your pet. Remember, visiting your veterinarian is vital for the maintenance of your dog's health, just as you frequent your doctor.