Dogs Preventive Medicine
Preventive medicine is also called “wellness care”. It starts at 6 – 9 weeks of age when puppies have their first exam. During the early months of your pets’ lives, we are assessing their health, nutrition, growth, dentition, and behaviour. Vaccinations and parasite treatments are recommended. Spay and neuter are discussed, including optimal timing.
We recommend an annual wellness exam each year to follow up with every pet. This allows us to notice what is happening with your pet and help you adjust your care if needed. Sometimes a pet needs a different diet, or sometimes there are new dental problems or the beginnings of a disease process. We look for issues that we can fix before they become problems.
Somewhere between the ages of 7 and 10, depending on breed and size, your dog is considered a senior. Then we need to discuss screening tests that may be of value as your pet ages.
Schedule of vaccines – Canine
| Age | Core Vaccines | Non Core Vaccine |
|---|---|---|
| 6-8 Weeks | Distemper/Parvovirus | |
| 10-12 Weeks | Distemper/Parvovirus / Parainfluenza / Adenovirus | Bordetella
Leptospirosis |
| 14-16 Weeks | Distemper/Parvovirus / Parainfluenza / Adenovirus Rabies |
Bordetella
Leptospirosis |
| Adult | Rabies (every 3 years) | Leptospirosis Lyme Canine influenza Bordetella |
Puppy Wellness Plan
We offer puppy wellness plan to keep with the vaccine schedule and to help you save on the cost of adopting a new friend.
Puppy Wellness Plan 6-10 weeks
Includes 3 visits + 3 distemper/parvo vaccines + rabies vaccine + 10% off food for 6 months
Puppy Wellness Plan 11+ weeks
Includes 2 visits + 2 distemper/parvo vaccines + rabies vaccine + 10% off puppy food for 6 months
Why schedule an annual wellness exam?
Deworming
To minimize the risk of internal and external parasites in both pets and people, we recommend preventively deworming at least 2-3 times yearly. May need to be done monthly if animal is at high risk or if person in household has auto immune problems.
There are five main types of worms that commonly affect domestic dogs: roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, whipworms, and heartworm. These can be covered off with Interceptor + or Drontal plus. Drontol is used when an animal has chicken allergies and Interceptor is a chicken flavoured chew tablet to make administration easier.
Broad-spectrum deworming for dogs:
1. Interceptor Plus (chew tablet lasting for 1 month)
2. Drontal Plus (Lasting for 21-26 days)
Also, it is recommended to use a flea/tick preventative treatment during spring to fall when the ground has not yet frozen or thawed. In our area we have a prevalence of ticks and fleas. These different solutions are available:
1. Bravecto ( topical or oral and will last for 3 months)
2. Nexgard (chew tablet lasting for 1 month)
3. Selevectine (topical solution lasting for 1 month)
4. Revolution (topical solution lasting 1 month)
To be noted
As stated in the British Columbia licensing requirements for veterinarians, we must have a valid veterinary-patient-client relationship in order to be able to script out medications, like dewormers, and keep our veterinary license.
What does this mean? It means, we legally need to see your pet for an exam once a year to prescribe medications. This helps us work together to insure your pet has the best quality of life.
Please discuss with us any impediments that are preventing you from bringing your pet in for it’s annual wellness exam, so we can work out what will be logistically feasible for you both.
