Untitled Document

Preventive Health Schedule

Parasites:

Puppies should be checked for gastrointestinal parasites and dewormed at 3 weeks of age and older. They also require fecal reexaminations and deworming when they return for their routine vaccinations. Gastrointestinal parasites can cause serious disorders in puppies, including life threatening anemia, diarrhea, weakness from hypoglycemia, and weight loss. The most common parasites of puppies are hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, Giardia, and coccidia. The method of infection varies with the type of worm, but includes transplacental transfer, infection via milk while nursing, skin penetration, and oral ingestion. Treatment includes immediate therapy with appropriate anthelmintic medications, follow up therapy 2 to 4 weeks later to kill migrating stages of the parasite, and environmental clean up to prevent reinfection.

Dogs should be checked for worms on a regular basis: at 3 weeks of age; 6 to 8 weeks of age; 10 to 12 weeks of age; 14 to 16 weeks of age; and on an annual basis (minimum) as adults. The test requires a small sample of fresh feces, flotation solution (sodium nitrate solution prepared to a specific gravity of 1.36 works best), and a good microscope. The fecal sample is suspended in flotation solution, topped with a coverslip, and allowed to stand undisturbed for 5 to 10 minutes. The coverslip is then placed on a glass slide and examined for parasite ova. Tapeworm infections are rarely diagnosed by fecal examinations because the eggs are contained within segments of the tapeworm (proglottids), which crawl out of the puppy's anus and fall to the ground. Commercially produced test kits can be obtained to identify parasite ova in feces as well.
Heartworm preventive medication should be started at 6 to 8 weeks of age in areas where heartworms are endemic. Heartworm infection can be prevented by administering oral medications to heartworm negative dogs on a regular basis. Duration of administration will vary depending on the mosquito season in the particular geographic area. In the southern United States, where the disease is endemic, prophylactic medication should be given year round.

A puppy is usually started on heartworm prophylaxis using milbemycin oxime, ivermectin, or diethylcarbamazine. The heartworm preventive product that contains milbemycin oxime should be administered orally at the recommended minimal dose level of 0.5 mg/kg of body weight at monthly dosing intervals. The ivermectin product should be administered orally at the recommended minimum dose level of 6.6 microg/kg at monthly dosing intervals. Heartworm products that contain diethylcarbamazine are available for oral administration as a chewable tablet, standard tablet, and syrup from a variety of manufacturers and should be given once a day at a dose rate of 6.6 mg/kg (3 mg/lb.). Heartworm preventive products of any type should be started in heartworm infested areas 1 month before the beginning of mosquito season and for about 2 months thereafter. Dogs should be given a heartworm examination annually.

Vaccinations:

Puppies are very susceptible to certain infectious diseases, especially canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, bordetellosis, and rabies. Puppies receive antibodies from their mother via the colostrum, which usually protects them from these diseases for 6 to 8 weeks. Once the puppies lose their maternal antibody protection they are at high risk of contracting these diseases if exposed to an infected animal. Since the duration of protection provided by maternal antibodies can vary (the range is 3 to 20 weeks), it is recommended that puppies be vaccinated on a repeat basis until 4 months of age. Once the vaccination series is completed, annual boosters are required to maintain protective antibody levels.
The initial vaccination series consists of one injection of a multivalent vaccine given at 6 to 8 weeks of age and three boosters given first at 9 to l2 weeks of age and next at 14 to l6 weeks of age. Puppies whose immune status is uncertain may receive additional injections of multivalent vaccine as early as 2 weeks of age. The rabies injection is given at 3 months of age or older.

AGE	DISEASE
3 weeks	Parvovirus & Coronavirus
6 weeks	Canine Distemper Infectious Canine Hepatitis Parvovirus Parainfluenza Leptospirosis Bordetellosis
9 weeks	Canine distemper Infectious canine hepatitis Parvovirus Parainfluenza Leptospirosis Bordetellosis
12 weeks	Canine distemper Infectious canine hepatitis Parvovirus Parainfluenza Leptospirosis Bordetellosis
15-16 weeks	Canine distemper Infectious canine hepatitis Parvovirus Parainfluenza Leptospirosis Bordetellosis Rabies** Or draw blood for an Immunity check*
Annually Thereafter	Canine distemper Infectious canine hepatitis Parvovirus Parainfluenza Leptospirosis Rabies Bordetellosis

*Immunity check means determining serum antibody titer for canine parvovirus especially in Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers. Revaccination at 15-16 weeks is recommended if no immunity check is done.

**Rabies vaccinations are given annually or triennially, depending on the vaccine used and local statutes.

VACCINATION SCHEDULE

2 weeks old	Deworm for hook and roundworms; Repeat every 2 weeks until 4 months old.
3 weeks old	1st parvo injection (optional if mother was boosted before breeding).
4 weeks old	Start feeding puppy food.
5-6 weeks old	Wean from mother.
5 and 7 weeks old	Heartworm prevention
6, 8, 10, and 16 weeks old	DA2PPv+Cv. Repeat one dose yearly after 16 weeks old.
12weeks old	Rabies Vaccination