HI Group:
I just moved out to the country, where I have a few stray dogs that come into our yard and use it as a marking ground. I have two Chihuahuas, and especially one of them likes to go up and smell those areas. And mark it on top of theirs. Are there any diseases that they can get from these other dogs? I am pretty certain there are, but I don't know the names of them. Or what to protect them from. Also isn't that how heartworm is transferred from dog to dog? When do the worms start showing up in the spring? Thanks for any information you can give me. God bless
Francine
Questions on diseases dogs can get.
Re: Questions on diseases dogs can get.
I'm not so sure about your dog getting diseases, but heartworn is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Please see your Vet for a heartworn test and some preventative such as Interceptor.
Re: Questions on diseases dogs can get.
Please read these links, and then discuss your dogs' needs as they apply to their health, ages, environment, and your geographical area:
Annual Vet Exams & Preventive Care
Vaccine Recommendations for Dogs
Heartworm in Dogs
If you live in the country and/or wooded areas, you'll want to talk to your vet about tick diseases and prevention as well.
Annual Vet Exams & Preventive Care
Vaccine Recommendations for Dogs
Heartworm in Dogs
If you live in the country and/or wooded areas, you'll want to talk to your vet about tick diseases and prevention as well.
..........Traci
Re: Questions on diseases dogs can get.
It is unlikely any disease will be transmitted through the urine. Leptospirosis is transmitted that way, but the usual canine vaccines will prevent infection. Lepto is really a rodent disease, but can infect humans and dogs if they are exposed. There is a greater danger if these dogs are defecating in your yard. Any number of intestinal parasites or infectious bacteria could be transmitted that way. Since you have such small dogs, would it be possible to fence a small area just for them that will keep the stray dogs out?
If these dogs are truly strays, there may also be a danger of rabies, and of course, any larger animal could put your tiny dogs at risk of injury (or worse) should they decide to attack. You might want to ask your neighbors if they know anything about them to find out whether or not they belong to someone and have been vaccinated.
If these dogs are truly strays, there may also be a danger of rabies, and of course, any larger animal could put your tiny dogs at risk of injury (or worse) should they decide to attack. You might want to ask your neighbors if they know anything about them to find out whether or not they belong to someone and have been vaccinated.
"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." ~ Josh Billings.
Re: Questions on diseases dogs can get.
K9Karen I put it on here wrong, they are not stray dogs in the manner they don't have a home. They do live just down the road from me. But the neighbors let them roam. It is really annoying but they wont keep their dogs on their own property. Any ways I never let my guys out unless I know these dogs are not around. But they come around at night. And leave big poo's in my yard. So yes my guys are coming in contact with this poo. I try and make certain that there isn't any out there when I let my guys out. But some times I am not able to catch it. That is why I want to know what I should be getting my dogs vaccinations for.
Re: Questions on diseases dogs can get.
Did you read the links provided you above? Your vet can help you determine what vaccines and what intervals they should be vaccinated for, based on their age, health, environment, risk, geographical area, etc. All explained in the links.
..........Traci
Re: Questions on diseases dogs can get.
Yes I did read those links, I thank you for posting them. Though I am not one to go to a vet more then once a year. Unless my animals are real sick. So I am trying to find out what they need, and then give the shots myself. Besides rabies shots, you can buy most of the shots off line. I would rather give them the shots and save the money they want at the vets to do it for me. I think the bills for vets are going up, and I don't see why. I can understand the cost of living and so forth. But it is getting a bit out of control I think.
Re: Questions on diseases dogs can get.
If you are going to give the shtos at home, please at least get them from your vet...elsewise, you really do not know what you might be getting...
and by giving them yourself, how can you be certain you are giving them in musle or just under the skin...how will you know what caused a reaction, if any....
I would advise against doing it at home, unless you and your vet are both comfortable with it, and you at least get the meds from their clinic so you have the lot numbers in case something does go wrong....
and by giving them yourself, how can you be certain you are giving them in musle or just under the skin...how will you know what caused a reaction, if any....
I would advise against doing it at home, unless you and your vet are both comfortable with it, and you at least get the meds from their clinic so you have the lot numbers in case something does go wrong....
Re: Questions on diseases dogs can get.
I have given many shots to our farm animals, so I am not frightened of not giving it to them properly. Where I will be buying the shots from will be checked over before I do so. I know of a few good vet magazines that sell them. I am going to ask my vet about what to look for in terms of symptoms. But you can also learn a lot off the net here about these sort of things. I wont do this unless I know it to be safe. But I again will state I have done this before, with other types of shots. I don't see any reason why I can't do it again. I moved from MN where I had a great vet. She would let me do at home care, so I didn’t have to bring my animals in every time they sneezed. I have yet to find one like her, where I live now. L
Re: Questions on diseases dogs can get.
There are several problems with using vaccinations bought from sources other than your vet.
1) Vaccines must be stored properly, expirations checked, and if shipped, they must be shipped in dry ice. You cannot gaurantee the safety and purity of the vaccines during storage, shipping and handling of vaccines bought outside of your vet. When vets buy their vaccines, they use trusted representatives from the vaccine manufacturer, their lots are shipped properly and promptly, to avoid contamination, and upon arrival, are carefully inspected for any damages. They are then stored/refrigerated properly.
2) Buying from pet store magazines or online does not afford the safety as outlined above. Plus, you can never gaurantee the products will include safe handling and administration instuctions. Vaccines must be handled properly, refrigerated at appropriate temperatures, must be mixed properly, and cannot be left out after mixing. If handled improperly, there is a risk of impurity, contamination, or failure of the vaccine's effectiveness.
3) If you buy vaccines from a source other than your vet, and should your pet(s) develop a serious reaction as a result of administration, you will have absolutely no recourse to recover expense and damages, because the vaccine manufacturer will not gaurantee the product if it is sold and/or administered without a vet's supervision (i.e., Merial, Fort Dodge, etc).
4) Should your pet(s) develop a serious reaction to a vaccine you have given yourself, you may not recognize some of the reaction symptoms, or be aware that immediate veterinary attention is warranted for a severe vaccine reaction. A lot of time can be wasted because you may not be able to get your pet to a vet as quickly as necessary and your pet can suffer needlessly.
5) The rabies vaccine needs to be given by a licensed vet, per the law.
6) The most important reason of all: A complete exam on your pet(s) should always be done prior to any vaccine administered. For the simple reason that if your pet(s) were suffering a hidden illness, or bacterial infection, etc, your vet could detect the condition before risking the immune system by giving a vaccine. Giving vaccines to an ill pet is dangerous and puts the pet at further risk.
7) The net is not the proper place to determine what is or what is not the best health care, illness, vaccine usage, etc for your pets. Only your vet can determine those needs based on a variety of factors, which were clearly outlined above in the links given you. Your vet needs to evaluate your dogs on an annual basis to determine what vaccinations, schedules, etc will best fit your dogs, based on his assessment of them and based on their health histories, etc.
The net is filled with misinformation, and you should never really on any of it for a substitute for regular veterinary care.
8 ) Vets aren't making an exceptional amount of money on vaccines. The focus and priority for their clients and patients is health awareness, wellness and prevention of disease. Yearly exams are crucial for ALL pets so that your vet can detect health problems early on and treat them most effectively, or in some health conditions, to slow the progression of the disease.
The veterinary clinic is a business, not unlike any other business. It is a health care system for pets. You expect the best care from your physcian, likewise you expect the best care from your veterinarian. The costs of veterinary care are justified for most cases, your vet has expenses just like any other business. With an ever increasing demand for optimal care, diagnosis and treatment options for pets, comes an expense, that's part of responsible pet-ownership.
9) Compliance on the owner's part is also crucial. So, as noted in #6 above, to give vaccinations on your own and never get your pets examined on a regular basis until you feel the need to do so, is putting your pets at risk for various health problems and/or complications.
10) A common scenario: Owner gives vaccinations on her own. Dog suffers severe reaction or illness, does not recognize the symptoms, delays vital veterinary attention until the problem has escalated. Finally takes pet into vet. Vet cannot discern if the symptoms are caused by the vaccinations alone, or due to an underlying illness that has been progressing. The illness could have been progressing for some time and the vaccination administration has exacerbated the condition, making treatment exceptionally difficult.
If you don't think this ever happens or cannot happen to your pet(s), think again, sadly it happens all the time.
This forum strongly advocates health awareness and wellness exams. Your vet is the ONLY one who can perform those exams and make reasonable suggestions and recommendations based on those exams and based on your dogs' individual needs as they apply.
1) Vaccines must be stored properly, expirations checked, and if shipped, they must be shipped in dry ice. You cannot gaurantee the safety and purity of the vaccines during storage, shipping and handling of vaccines bought outside of your vet. When vets buy their vaccines, they use trusted representatives from the vaccine manufacturer, their lots are shipped properly and promptly, to avoid contamination, and upon arrival, are carefully inspected for any damages. They are then stored/refrigerated properly.
2) Buying from pet store magazines or online does not afford the safety as outlined above. Plus, you can never gaurantee the products will include safe handling and administration instuctions. Vaccines must be handled properly, refrigerated at appropriate temperatures, must be mixed properly, and cannot be left out after mixing. If handled improperly, there is a risk of impurity, contamination, or failure of the vaccine's effectiveness.
3) If you buy vaccines from a source other than your vet, and should your pet(s) develop a serious reaction as a result of administration, you will have absolutely no recourse to recover expense and damages, because the vaccine manufacturer will not gaurantee the product if it is sold and/or administered without a vet's supervision (i.e., Merial, Fort Dodge, etc).
4) Should your pet(s) develop a serious reaction to a vaccine you have given yourself, you may not recognize some of the reaction symptoms, or be aware that immediate veterinary attention is warranted for a severe vaccine reaction. A lot of time can be wasted because you may not be able to get your pet to a vet as quickly as necessary and your pet can suffer needlessly.
5) The rabies vaccine needs to be given by a licensed vet, per the law.
6) The most important reason of all: A complete exam on your pet(s) should always be done prior to any vaccine administered. For the simple reason that if your pet(s) were suffering a hidden illness, or bacterial infection, etc, your vet could detect the condition before risking the immune system by giving a vaccine. Giving vaccines to an ill pet is dangerous and puts the pet at further risk.
7) The net is not the proper place to determine what is or what is not the best health care, illness, vaccine usage, etc for your pets. Only your vet can determine those needs based on a variety of factors, which were clearly outlined above in the links given you. Your vet needs to evaluate your dogs on an annual basis to determine what vaccinations, schedules, etc will best fit your dogs, based on his assessment of them and based on their health histories, etc.
The net is filled with misinformation, and you should never really on any of it for a substitute for regular veterinary care.
8 ) Vets aren't making an exceptional amount of money on vaccines. The focus and priority for their clients and patients is health awareness, wellness and prevention of disease. Yearly exams are crucial for ALL pets so that your vet can detect health problems early on and treat them most effectively, or in some health conditions, to slow the progression of the disease.
The veterinary clinic is a business, not unlike any other business. It is a health care system for pets. You expect the best care from your physcian, likewise you expect the best care from your veterinarian. The costs of veterinary care are justified for most cases, your vet has expenses just like any other business. With an ever increasing demand for optimal care, diagnosis and treatment options for pets, comes an expense, that's part of responsible pet-ownership.
9) Compliance on the owner's part is also crucial. So, as noted in #6 above, to give vaccinations on your own and never get your pets examined on a regular basis until you feel the need to do so, is putting your pets at risk for various health problems and/or complications.
10) A common scenario: Owner gives vaccinations on her own. Dog suffers severe reaction or illness, does not recognize the symptoms, delays vital veterinary attention until the problem has escalated. Finally takes pet into vet. Vet cannot discern if the symptoms are caused by the vaccinations alone, or due to an underlying illness that has been progressing. The illness could have been progressing for some time and the vaccination administration has exacerbated the condition, making treatment exceptionally difficult.
If you don't think this ever happens or cannot happen to your pet(s), think again, sadly it happens all the time.
This forum strongly advocates health awareness and wellness exams. Your vet is the ONLY one who can perform those exams and make reasonable suggestions and recommendations based on those exams and based on your dogs' individual needs as they apply.
..........Traci