How to Raise the Perfect Dog Page 14
PLANNING FOR VETERINARY COSTS
Keeping complete and thorough records is the first step toward safeguarding your new pet’s health; the next is taking stock of your personal financial situation and planning for the long-term costs associated with owning and caring for a dog. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the average American spends about $350 in medical expenses per dog each year. The American Pet Products Association gives a lower amount, $211, for routine care, but adds $574 a year for surgical costs.1 Either way, it’s a considerable sum.
Most of us don’t want our kids to go without health insurance, because we understand the ramifications an unexpected sickness or accident can have on our family bank accounts. The same situation can occur with a pet. We are all struggling in today’s difficult economy, but I strongly suggest that new dog or puppy owners create a separate savings fund for their pet that is not to be touched except in the case of animal-related medical expenses or emergencies. Of course, your dog doesn’t know or care if you have a bank account in his name, but to my mind, every responsible action we take to protect a dog’s quality of life only raises the level of our calm-assertive energy. When we are relaxed and confident about our ability to care for our dogs, no matter what happens, it only contributes to strengthening our roles as their unshakable pack leaders.
A second option is pet health insurance. I am often asked, “Is pet health insurance a scam?” The answer is no, if you do your research, buy from a reputable company, and have realistic expectations. In fact, many progressive employers, including Google Inc., Hilton Hotels Corporation, Ford Motor Company, and McDonald’s Corporation, have become so impressed with the practicality of pet health insurance, they have begun to offer group policies for their workers who are pet owners.2 Pet health insurance is not intended for basic, routine exams or vaccinations—plan to work those into your regular household budget. The American Animal Hospital Association did a study that showed the majority of pet owners felt comfortably prepared for emergency expenses from $500 to $1,000 but had serious concerns about being able to handle anything higher than that.3 As a result, the AAHA has spent several years working directly with the pet insurance industry to develop smaller-premium, larger-deductible policies. Now that the AAHA and other organizations such as the ASPCA and Humane Society have begun to officially rate and review those corporations offering pet health insurance policies, owners no longer need worry about falling for a potential scam. For a good website comparing what different companies have to offer, check out http://www.petinsurancereview.com.
VACCINATIONS
The first journey you will take with your puppy in terms of safeguarding his long-term health will be the experience of getting him through the vaccination process, to make sure he has adequate protection against a host of common canine maladies. Puppies enter this world without any antibodies at all, meaning they have absolutely no preexisting immunity to the many viruses and diseases that lurk in our modern world. Nature, however, has provided a natural buffer for their first few months of life. The rich, thick milk called colostrum that a mother dog secretes right after giving birth contains all her own antibodies and provides a temporary shield to protect her offspring. The amount of natural immunity a puppy retains is usually based on a pup’s birth order and his inborn energy level, since the most assertive nursers get the lion’s share of this limited-offer premium beverage. But the colostrum offers only a temporary protection—every nine days, the pups’ antibody levels drop by half until, at around four months of age, the level is too low to protect them anymore, making them easy targets for parasites and viruses. This is why veterinarians prescribe a series of vaccinations, usually starting at around six to eight weeks of age and continuing until sixteen weeks (four months).
Vaccines are spaced out over three- to four-week intervals for the antibodies to take effect, as well as to protect the puppy’s delicate system from possible side effects. They are also staggered so that the vaccine won’t cancel out the natural antibodies from the colostrum, or vice versa. Never allow a repeat or new vaccine if your puppy was vaccinated less than fourteen days earlier.4 If you have bought your puppy from a breeder, it’s likely that he will already have had at least one set of shots by the time he comes home with you—probably at least one deworming in addition to a DHPP (distemper, infectious hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus) vaccination. Most veterinarians recommend the following protocol.
Recommendations for Puppy Vaccinations
3 weeks Worming
6 weeks Worming for the common parasites passed through the mother’s placenta and milk, fecal exam for coccidia, and combination DHPP (distemper, infectious hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus)
9 weeks Worming, DHPP
12 weeks Possible worming, DHPP, possible rabies. Leptospirosis and Lyme if in endemic area. (The last two will need to be boosted in three weeks if given.) Possible bord (bordetella) if puppy is going to be boarded or groomed frequently
16 weeks Possible DHPP, final fecal exam, and rabies if not done previously5
Dr. Paula Terifaj, owner of Founders Veterinary Clinic in Brea, California, is a veterinarian educated at University of California—Davis, who describes her approach to puppy care as “integrative-holistic” (combining modern Western medicine with nontraditional therapies), with an emphasis on preventive medicine. Having written a book entitled How to Protect Your Dog from a Vaccine Junkie, Dr. Terifaj takes a different approach to the puppyhood shot routine. “I’m very conservative when it comes to vaccines,” she states. “I think the earliest a puppy should start a vaccine series is between eight and nine weeks. If we’re starting at eight to nine weeks, they should get revaccinated three to four weeks after that. The last vaccine should be given between twelve and fourteen weeks old. We’re talking about DHP here—rabies is different. Rabies is at four months and then one year. So ideally puppies should receive no more than three series of vaccines. But I tell people to do their own research. So check with your vet or with a few vets.”
When it comes to the vaccination versus overvaccination controversy, I tend to come down on the side of Mother Nature; that is, I want to do all I can to make sure my puppies have full immunity against dangerous diseases, but at the same time, I believe a tendency to overvaccinate has greatly hurt rather than helped many generations of dogs. In my last book, A Member of the Family, I chronicle my story of meeting the many learned experts, including premier holistic veterinary pioneer Dr. Marty Goldstein, and reading the convincing studies and research, all of which led me to form this conclusion.
In 2006, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) came down on this side as well. AAHA released a new strategy for vaccinating your dogs, based on years of research supporting the conclusion that overvaccinating dogs contributes to chronic illness, disease, and even death. The new guidelines divided vaccinations into three categories:
Core: Vaccines that should be given to every dog
Non-Core: Optional vaccines that should be considered only if an individual dog’s lifestyle or risk factors strongly warrant it
Not Recommended: Vaccines not recommended by the AAHA under any circumstances
Core Vaccines Distemper*
Hepatitis (adenovirus-2)*
Parvovirus*
Rabies
Non-Core Vaccines Leptospirosis†
Lyme†
Bordetella (kennel cough)
Parainfluenza
Not Recommended Adenovirus-1
Coronavirus
Giardia
Crotalus atrox toxoid (rattlesnake)
Porphyromonas (periodontal disease)
Since a thorough series of vaccines given in puppyhood has now been determined to provide most of a dog’s immunity for life, the AAHA recommends revaccination no more than once every three years. Many of my holistic veterinarian friends think that even three years is far too often to risk exposing your dog to the health risks of overvaccination, since multipl
e studies have shown that dogs properly immunized in puppyhood maintain lifetime immunity to hepatitis, distemper, and parvovirus.6 A great option for conscientious dog owners is to ask their veterinarian to provide antibody titer testing for distemper, parvo, or rabies, which shows approximately how much disease-fighting immunity is present in your dog’s system at the time the test is given. If your dog has plenty of antibodies, then the titer level will be high—proof that the vaccines have done their job and your dog is protected. With a high titer level, you can assume your dog doesn’t need a vaccine booster, though even a low blood titer doesn’t necessarily mean another vaccine is indicated. For more information about titer testing, contact www.hemopet.org.
There is a short period of about a week during which the puppy no longer has much immunity from its mother left but the new vaccines have not fully kicked in and started working. This window can allow even the best-cared-for puppies to get sick, but the potential danger can be exaggerated, to the point where dog owners will grow paranoid and keep their puppies inside and isolated for months, ultimately creating frustrated and antisocial dogs. “I tell my clients that ten days after the first vaccine, they should begin to get as much socialization for their puppy as they possibly can,” advises Dr. Charlie Rinehimer of Northampton Community College. “I counsel them to stay away from places like dog parks—where you have no idea of the vaccination or health status of the dogs—during that time, but going to visit friends with dogs, taking walks on a leash, or going for car rides are all great. After sixteen weeks, anything goes as far as I am concerned.”
PARVO
I recently had a frightening experience with the parvovirus that really shook me up. Around the time I began thinking of raising puppies to write about in this book, a friend came to me having rescued two abandoned two-month-old Yorkie puppies from the streets. My wife and I were about to leave for a seminar on the East Coast the following day, but as usual, I could not say no to any abandoned dogs, let alone two tiny puppies. I left instructions for our housekeeper to care for the puppies while we were gone and made an appointment with Dr. Rick Garcia to come by to check them out when I came back in a few days.
We hadn’t even been gone a full day when our housekeeper called us in a panic. “The puppies are very, very sick,” she told me. “They have really bad diarrhea and they’re shaking.” I called and asked a friend, Dog Whisperer field producer Todd Henderson, to go to our house to get the puppies and rush them to the vet. Todd later described to me the horrible experience of driving beyond the speed limit to get to the animal hospital, while the puppies struggled to stay alive in his car. They both made it to medical care, but one of them passed away shortly after arrival. The diagnosis was the parvovirus, which meant that all the dogs staying at my home had been exposed. Fortunately, they all had full immunization, but we had to disinfect our entire home and garage with the only solution known to kill the hardy virus—one part chlorine bleach to ten parts water. Before we could sleep easily again, I also had Dr. Rick give the rest of the pack a clean bill of health.
This horrendous event demonstrated to me the quick and deadly power of the parvovirus, to which puppies are susceptible during their most sensitive period of development. Parvo is an extremely contagious organism that targets the sensitive intestinal lining of puppies. It can be fatal. Even if caught early, the treatment involves quarantine and is extremely expensive. “I remember when parvo first struck when I was in vet school,” recalls Dr. Paula Terifaj. “Puppies would die when we thought they’d live and live when we were sure they’d die. It’s a tough thing.” Parvo is spread through the feces of infected dogs, and some adult dogs can carry the virus without showing symptoms.
Dr. Paula explains, describing exactly what happened in our home with the Yorkies:
With the parvovirus, puppies are most likely to be exposed before they are adopted into their new homes. Kennels, questionable breeders, animal shelters, and pet stores are all breeding grounds for viruses. The exposed puppy will not show signs of illness for five to seven days, which is the incubation period. Often, a healthy-looking puppy is brought into the home and then becomes ill days later. Then people think that they were the ones who exposed the pup, but most times that’s not what happened. Most of the sick puppies I see came from a pet shop or the Internet and they are almost always from puppy mills. They are shipped or come from a contaminated facility and stressful conditions. Infectious diseases run rampant in puppy mills but not among puppies coming from respectable breeders, or good shelters and rescues.
Despite my recent experience with the virus, I still believe that many owners become so fearful of their puppies’ contracting it that they overprotect them, isolating them indoors for weeks or even months, and depriving them of much-needed exercise and socialization with their own kind. In coming chapters, I’ll offer more suggestions on how to safely socialize and exercise your puppy under sixteen weeks of age.
In the case of the Yorkie puppies, I’m happy to say that the little guy that survived received medication and went through a period of quarantine. He is now a much-loved, healthy adolescent, living in the comfortable home of a supporter of the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation.
GENERAL PUPPY HEALTH FAQS
“We generally say, ‘Don’t treat your puppy like a baby,’ but in terms of health, puppies are a little like babies—they do need a certain level of protection. They are vulnerable to the heat and cold and can dehydrate quickly. They definitely need more care and attention than adult dogs,” according to Dr. Paula Terifaj. However, because of the excellence of modern veterinary medicine, most of the vets I work with rarely see many sick puppies in their practices these days. “We do see a few health issues, such as diarrhea from worms and upper respiratory infections such as kennel cough,” says Dr. Charlie. “There have been a few recent parvo outbreaks in unvaccinated puppies, especially pit bulls, a breed that seems to be more susceptible and often dies. We hardly ever see lepto, hepatitis, or, thank goodness, rabies in puppies.” Dr. Charlie’s rural Pennsylvania practice has seen a recent rise in Lyme disease cases (also epidemic among humans in that region) but a definite drop in preventable illnesses. “Actually we don’t see too many major mistakes made by owners anymore, either. People seem to be more educated on the need for a series of vaccines and heartworm prevention. Most of the mistakes we see are on the behavioral side,” he says.
Good nutrition, a thorough vaccination program, regular vet checkups, and a good owner-based health check and maintenance program at home serve as prevention for many of the problems that plagued both grown dogs and puppies in the recent past. Drs. Terifaj and Rinehimer contributed their answers to a few of the most frequently asked questions about puppy health:
Q. Are there any symptoms in my puppy’s behavior that are red flags for health emergencies?
A. What people have to know is that when a puppy is vomiting or not eating—then you got a sick puppy! Puppies have two settings: play and sleep. If your dog is running around, playing, and just has a little bit of diarrhea, it’ll probably be fine. But if your puppy isn’t playful, and is vomiting and not eating, then you should see a vet right away.
Q. My puppy isn’t doing so well with housebreaking. How can I tell if it’s got a urinary tract infection?
A. Just because your puppy hasn’t picked up on housebreaking doesn’t mean he’s got a urinary tract infection. Puppies with UTIs will strain to urinate and go frequently. If the bladder is infected, the lining will become inflamed. When salty urine comes down from the kidney, it burns and the dog immediately tries to get rid of it. If there is blood in the urine or if it’s unusually smelly, you should check with your vet.
Q. How does a dog contract heartworms and what can be done about them?
A. Heartworms are spread from dog to dog by mosquitoes. The larvae actually have to go through a molt in the mosquito to become infectious. Preventive care is a monthly pill like Heartgard that kills any larvae that are introduced.
Heartworm disease can be detected only by a blood test. It can be treated, but the treatment, although better than the arsenic compounds used in the past, is still somewhat risky and expensive. So prevention is definitely the way to go.
Q. How do you protect puppies from flea infestations?
A. Good diet and regular grooming should prevent most flea infestations. Puppies should be brushed with a fine-toothed flea comb. Sometimes you will catch the flea, but often you will find black particles that look like pepper. Fleas suck blood and what comes out the rear end is a black grain. To determine if a speck is flea dirt or just regular dirt, rub a piece in a paper towel with a little bit of rubbing alcohol. If it is flea dirt it will leave a red, blood-colored stain on the paper towel. A spot-type flea protectant like Frontline or Revolution should take care of the problem.
TEETHING
Between four and six months, most puppies will pass through a teething phase. This process is uncomfortable, and the increased chewing binges you’ll see in the puppy’s behavior at this stage are his attempts to relieve this discomfort—usually on your most expensive pair of shoes, since they are often made of natural materials like leather or suede, and since they carry the comfort of your scent. Don’t take any of it personally—pet stores offer thousands of teething toys to help you redirect this behavior. During this stage, all the puppy is focused on is “How can I relieve this irritation that I have in my mouth?” A big no-no at this time is to wear gloves and let the dog chew on them, or to play games where you allow the dog to bite you anywhere on your body. It may seem harmless now, but you will be conditioning your dog to see your hands or your body as a source for relieving his frustration. Teething discomfort can also be minimized through exercise. I’ve used swimming in the past, and not necessarily in a large pool. A bathtub or wading pool for a puppy or a medium-size dog will get his legs moving in the water, give him something healthy to focus on, and distract him from what’s going on inside his mouth. After the exercise, give the dog an object of your choice to chew on, and be relieved that the teething stage for puppies passes quickly—a month or two at the most.