The dental problem isn’t only persistent in senior pets. A young pup or an adult dog can suffer from poor dental hygiene too.

Did you know, by the age of three, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs develop some form of gum disease.

Periodontal disease is one of the most common problems in dogs that start from a young age. It becomes more prevalent in elderly dogs. Periodontal disease begins when bacteria in the mouth combine with food particles to form plaque. Within days, minerals in the saliva bond with the plaque to form tartar resulting in a deteriorating gum line. It produces toxins that lead to bone and tissue damage. Bad breath is usually the first sign of a dental problem in dogs.

The unchecked dental problem poses a lot of risk in dogs.

• If your pet remains uncured from dental disease, they are at a higher risk of heart, kidney, and liver disease
• Bacteria under the gum can travel to different internal organs.
• Dental disease can result in bad breath, painful chewing and tooth loss.

A broken tooth is a major concern among pets. Chewing on hard surfaces or materials can render their teeth weak. A broken tooth can expose the tooth's nerve, which can be a painful experience for your pet

7 Tips to Maintain Oral Health in Dogs

Here are renowned veterinarians' seven tips to prevent plague, gum irritation, and oral infections in dogs

Quality Food

Proper oral hygiene starts with the choice of food you provide to your dog. Quality food with essential vitamins and minerals, preferably made with whole foods, will nourish their body and keep oral hygiene in check

Avoid foods made with by-products, meals, and cereal grains, including starch, as they are more apt to stick to your dog’s teeth.

A dog meal should have 30% protein, 25% fats, and 30-70% carbohydrates. Chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, fish, fish oil (Omega-3 fatty acids), meat fat, Canola oil, sweet potatoes, peas, Barley (pearled), Oats, Brown rice, whole wheat, whole corn, etc., are the healthiest meal choices for any dog. If you're buying canned food, make sure it's made from organic food matter and has optimum supplements of micro-minerals and trace minerals.

Brush their Teeth Regularly

Like humans, dogs need to keep their teeth clean and prevent bad breath. Although dogs chew bones to remove tartar and residue from their teeth, this isn't nearly enough

You can use a traditional method of brushing teeth with toothpaste for your dog. You can use a human toothbrush with soft bristles, or you can choose double-headed with the brushes at a 45-degree angle to clean below the gum-line, like those offered by companies like Petosan

For toothpaste, try to get canine toothpaste that's safe to swallow. Your dog is less likely to spit after each cleaning. Human toothpaste contains fluoride that is extremely poisonous to dogs, so avoid regular toothpaste.

Vets suggest that you should start brushing their teeth when they are still a puppy. This can help keep a habit.

Use Chew Bones and Chew Toys

Chewing on a hard surface can help scrap and clean teeth naturally. Offer raw chew bones and chew toys after each meal and encourage them to chew on them for a bit.

When using bones, make sure they're uncooked and large, preferably from a cow. A small bone can easily break or splinter. Keep an eye when it's chewing on a bone to make sure it doesn’t swallow broken pieces.

Avoid commercial chew bones that are usually made from starches. It can have the opposite effect as chewing on a cow bone. When choosing chew toys, ensure to get chew toys made from hard rubber or nylon that aren't toxic

Choose Dry Food other Soft Food

Soft food is more likely to stick to the teeth and cause decay. When buying commercial food product for your pet, preferably choose dry food such as kibble. Most dogs eagerly accept dried beef ears or snouts, dried tendons, esophagus, and similar pieces. The dried meat also helps to keep their teeth clean.

Most dog foods prepared at home both solid-liquid. If you regularly provide your dog with soft food, make sure to clean or wipe their teeth daily. This will help prevent residue and plague build up around their teeth

Offer Vegetables and Fruits for Snacks

Vegetables and fruits are natural sources of micro-minerals and trace minerals. Like Protein, Carbs, and Fats, dogs need an optimum amount of minerals such as zinc, vitamin, calcium, and phosphorus daily.

Introduce a variety of vegetables and fruits in their daily snacks. Carrots or carrot slices, apple slices, or a chunk of squash or pumpkin are good snacks for dogs.

Feed appropriate amounts to your dog based on its size; never more than ten percent of its overall daily calorie intake.

Routine Dental Check Up

An annual or bi-annual dental checkup is essential to make sure your dog's oral hygiene is perfect.

Some of the tell-tale signs of bad dental care include; bad breath, change in chewing habit, pawing at the face or mouth, excessive drooling, misaligned or missing teeth, red and swollen gums, etc. These problems require immediate veterinary solutions.

To ensure proper teeth cleaning, the veterinarian will usually perform routine dental cleaning to use tools to remove the teeth' plaque and tartar. A special polishing paste that smoothens any scratches in the teeth' enamel keeps their teeth shiny and plague free.

Check this info graphics for more information. 

Make a Routine

Keep a routine of dental cleaning, veterinarian visits, and dental problems. This will help you determine what kind of assistance your dog will need in the future regarding dental problems.

It's always better to get pet insurance covering preventive care, veterinarian visits, and dental health problems.

It's always wise to prevent the dental problem from exfoliating. Dental extractions in a bad or decayed tooth can easily cost from $10 to $1000 for a molar root canal

Get in touch with Urban Pet Hospital & Resort, the best pet hospital in Urbandale, to learn more about preventive care for healthy oral health. We also provide dental checkups and surgical services through our certified veterinarians.

Working for the rights and welfare of animals isn't a small job. It takes a lot to raise your voice against the inhumane treatment of animals, and a lot of effort to help wounded and abandoned animals.
According to ASPCA.org,

Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. Approx. 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized each year.

It's a sad reality that over 6 million animals are abandoned every year by pet owners. Most of these animals never find a second home.
Thanks to the effort of many animal shelters and welfare organizations, over 700,000 pets are returned to their owners and many are able to find second homes.
There are many ways you can raise the concern for animal welfare in your community. With stricter laws against animal abandonment, people are less likely to abandon their pets.

6 Ways to Promote Animal Welfare

Here are six common ways to promote animal welfare in your family and community.
Donate
Animal charity organizations, rescue missions, and shelter homes can always use donations. With millions of mouths of feed, many animal welfare organizations fail to provide basic amenities to the pets.
Donation works in many ways, you can ask your community to regularly donate a portion of their expenses for the local welfare organization, give away your excess supplies, pet food, carriers, dishes, etc.

Foster

If you have a place and resources, you can consider fostering pets. Fostering is a usual concept in pet care where a person or a household takes in a homeless pet that needs parenting until it finds a new home.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and 4 month’s long lockdown, many people abandoned their pets. Many pet shelters are forced to close down due to lack of funds. Hence, it comes to the generosity of pet owners who can take in more pets for fostering.

There are many reasons why a pet may need fostering such as when it's rescued, recovering from surgery or illness, or haven't lived in a house before.

To become a foster parent, you would need to contact your local shelter home or PetFinder.com. Fill up the necessary forms and then bring the animal to your home.

Educate

Awareness about animal welfare comes from educating other people. It's unusual for each member of the community to understand animal welfare. Hence, it's your job to make them understand and how they can contribute to animal welfare.
Leverage the power of social media to share about animal welfare and prevailing cases of animal violence, and urge them to donate to animal shelters.
You can urge them to take in animals for fostering or even help rescue abandoned animals and hand them over to the animal shelters. Moreover, you can become the role model of the community by advocating for pet fostering.

Spay/Neuter

Spaying or neutering pets can help them live longer and healthier lives. They're less likely to produce offspring. Spaying also helps to keep animals calm. When many pets are sent to animal shelters, spaying can really help to keep their overgrowing population in control.

Spring and summer are associated with the rampant overproduction of puppies and kittens. The experience can get really unmanageable for most animal shelters, hence, spaying and neutering helps to prevent the problem.

Contact your local animal shelter or vet clinic to get them spayed.

Volunteer

Volunteering in animal shelter homes and adoption centers can be rewarding. This experience can be fulfilling for people who feel left out, depressed, or alone. You'd be able to give a lot of care to them and take a lot of love in return.
Animal shelters always have room for volunteers. As a volunteer, you'd need to help rescue pets, care for wounded pets, feed them on a regular basis, play with them, assist vets with regular checkups, etc.

Adopt

Set an example by adopting new pet and discouraging buying animals from animal farms or breeders. With millions of pets abandoned in animal shelters, the best thing you can do is adopt a few and advocate the same to the people in your community. When people choose to adopt a pet, they save an animal from being euthanized.

Animal Cruelty Act

Every state establishes and enforces its own anti-cruelty laws as well, and 45 states enacted felony-level penalties.
Animal anti-cruelty laws can be broken down into two basic categories: intentional acts, when a person knowingly harms an animal, and failure to act when someone fails to provide food, water, or shelter to an animal. The types of violence officers respond to include neglect, torture, organized animal fighting, animal hoarding, poisoning, shooting, illegal hunting/poaching, ritualistic abuse, bestiality, and "crush videos."
You can always seek assistance from animal welfare organizations when you feel the pets in your community have been ill-treated, abandoned, or tortured.

Here is the detail info graphics on how to promote animal welfare in your community?

Urban Pet Hospital & Resort is the best doggy daycare in Urbandale. Our certified veterinarians and assistants work around the clock to ensure that your pet gets the best and quickest veterinarian care in the community.

Winter has already set on the Northern Hemisphere. It’s the time of the year when we love to cuddle inside the blanket, drink hot chocolate milk, and rewatch old Holiday movies.

Dogs being dogs, they love to jump around, nibble on things, and sniff around suspicious things. One of the favorite activities of any dog in winter is to go out and examine the changing environment. It’s common for dogs to sniff through the leaves and bushes, walk on the cold concrete and asphalt, and chew on whatever they could find.

As a pet owner, you must be aware of the potential hazards of winter to your dog. Walking outside without any protection can easily cause kennel cough and in some cases Hypothermia. A suspicious dog can lick antifreeze chemical spilled on the floor which can prove hazardous to their health.

Here is the list of potential winter illnesses that you should be careful about.

5 Common Winter Illness in Dogs

Here are the five most common winter illnesses experienced by pets.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is triggered when a dog spends too much time in a cold surrounding. It's easy for the body temperature to drop drastically when they're spending most of their time outside the house without any winter gear. Dogs with diabetes and heart ailments are subject to hypothermia in cold conditions. Some of the common signs of hypothermia include

• Shivering
• Weakness
• Lethargy
• Restlessness
• Depression

Frostbite

Frostbite is more common among dogs that walk outside without any paw protector or dog booties. The prolonged exposure to cold can easily damage soft tissues on the feet. The severity of frostbite may range from minor to severe and it depends on your pet's size, age, fur thickness. Fur and skin soaked from can easily trigger frostbite in pets.

You should limit outdoor activity in winter. Get them to paw protectors for both indoor and outdoor. When going outside, you should put dog boots on them to prevent any chances of frostbite.

Pale, hard skin, blisters on the skin, and skin darkening are a few of the signs of frostbite.

Kennel cough

The chances of encountering kennel cough are higher during winter because the kennel cough causing virus Canine adenovirus Type 2 (CAV-2) is present in the mushy kennel, smokes coming out of the chimney, and damp places.

Canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) is related to the hepatitis virus. It leads to recessive or mild respiratory tract infections and may cause infectious laryngotracheitis along with the infectious tracheobronchitis, also known as kennel cough.

A goose-like, honking cough is the primary sign of kennel cough. You can treat minor kennel cough at home with a humidifier or steam treatment. If the cough persists for over two weeks, consider visiting your pet.

Flu and pneumonia

Canine influenza or Dog Flu is more common in elderly dogs and young pups. It's caused by varieties of influenza viruses including the equine influenza virus (H3N8). Pneumonia, on the other hand, is caused by canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2). Both flu and pneumonia are airborne diseases. In many cases, dogs that spend most of their time in the rain or snow can catch flu or pneumonia.

The symptoms include

• Dry or moist cough
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Blood coughs
• Fever
• Runny yes
• Ear infection

Arthritis

Arthritis is a medical condition that causes the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints inside a body. There are varying factors that can cause arthritis. Along with old age, cold weather is the common cause of arthritis. A dog is prone to Osteoarthritis, septic arthritis, and polyarthritis which can worsen with each passing winter.

Did you know, one in four of 77.2 million dogs in the US are diagnosed with some form of arthritis?

Avoid taking your own outside during winter, and ensure to keep them warm all the time. Dogs with severe arthritis can enjoy a massage to prevent joint inflammation. Be wary about their diet and keep them lean.

10 Ways to protect your dog in winter

Here are ten best ways to protect your dog in winter.

Limit outdoor time in winter

Dogs enjoy going out whether it's hot or cold. Especially during winter, you should strictly limit spending time outdoors. Even the furriest dog is prone to cold which can lead to hypothermia, frostbite, and flu. Take them out only for walks or exercises but do not leave them outdoors for a long period of time.

Ensure to cover them with proper winter protection such as dog hoodies and dog booties.

Go outside when the sun shines

Getting some sun during winter can be really healthy. You can walk your dog or let them play in the sun for a while. Both you and your pet can enjoy the essential Vitamin D that can ward off winter-related illness. However, you must limit spending time playing outdoors. Be extra careful about your dog wandering off into the bushes, wet floors, or cold asphalt road.

Cozy bedding

Let your dog enjoy their nap time by cuddling inside warm, cozy bedding. It's a bad idea to let them sleep on the floor or without any blankets during winter. The temperature can easily drop when they're exposed to the cold floor and air. A warm blanket and bedding can help keep them warm. It's more essential for senior dogs to enjoy warm bedding, heated beds, and cozy blanket as they are prone to joint-related illness during winter.

Moisturize

Ensure to keep your pet's skin moisturized and hydrated during winter. The cold air can easily dry their skin causing dried paws, ears, and tails. To ensure their skin remains healthy and moisturized, you can add skin and coat supplements to their food or apply coconut oil as needed.

No overfeeding

It’s really easy for dogs to gain weight during winter. The lack of exercise and overeating can easily make them obese. An obese dog is more likely to suffer from arthritis and winter-related illness. Although dogs may need an extra layer in winter, make sure they aren't overfed. Be attentive to their overall activity level and adjust their calorie intake.

Keep them hydrated

Dogs can dehydrate just as quickly in winter as in summer. Make sure to fill their bowl with fresh water a couple of times a day. Many dogs tend to chew on snow but it isn't an adequate substitute for freshwater. Ensure that the water bowl doesn't freeze and you keep refilling it every two or three hours.

Don't miss out on grooming

Grooming is equally important during winter because its thick coat can easily attract flea and tick. The more time they spend outdoors, the likely they are to attract bacteria. Give them an occasional warm bath, ensure to comb their fur and keep them untangled, and properly clean their ear, nose, and tail.

Paw protection

The dog's paws need special attention during winter. Dogs can easily suffer from cracked pads in winter. Make sure to trim the hair that grows between their pads to prevent ice buildup. rinse their paws with water to remove any winter salt or toxin after each time you go out. Use dog booties at all times.

Keep the surrounding toxin-free

With winter comes antifreeze. Even if you don't use it, your neighbors could be using one. It's important that you don't let your dog into the garage, driveway, or wet floors. Keep them away from licking anything spilled on the floor. Consuming antifreeze can prove to be fatal to their health.

Take special care of senior dogs

Senior dogs are more prone to winter-related illnesses such as arthritis, kennel cough, and flu, and pneumonia. You should be extra careful with them. Ensure to keep them warm at all times, make warm bedding for them, provide a natural joint supplement to lubricate their joints, and remove any kind of discomfort.

 Here is the brief infographic details on how to prevent common Winter Illness in Dogs?

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It isn’t easy to get your new dog to relieve itself in a designated place. Anyone who has brought a new pup or an untrained dog home must know they have to spend countless hours training their pet to poo in a designed place.

Training your new dog to poo in a designed place isn’t always the first thing you should do. First, you should start with housebreaking your pup. As you begin, keep in mind that fully housebreaking your puppy can take four to six months of consistency and patience.

When to start potty training?

This is the most discussed question among the dog trainers, when do you start potty training? Many canine experts advice to start potty training is between 12 and 16 weeks old. By that age, the dog will have enough control over its bladder and bowel movement.
The dogs which are housebroken can easily adapt to potty training. Even after initial house training, most dogs still need a few weeks of practice to hold their bladder for a good amount of time.

How do I start potty training my dog?

The good news is that you can usually potty train your dog in just a week.

Size can be a predictor when it comes to potty training. For instance, smaller breeds have smaller bladders and higher metabolisms and require more frequent trips outside. You Chihuahua is more likely to visit Powder Room than the big dogs like German Shepherd or Great Dane.

And while you're training, don’t worry if there are setbacks. Dogs may take time to adapt to a certain lifestyle. Don’t forget to reward them with a treat but just praise or pat after they’ve successfully relieved themselves in the designated spot.

The Seven Day Potty Training Schedule

• Day of Training Goal
• Day 1 Establish a consistent feeding schedule.
• Day 2 Establish a consistent "potty break" schedule.
• Day 3 Get your dog accustomed to relieving himself in the same location every time.
• Day 4 Make sure you know the signs that your dog is about to go, and take him outside when appropriate.
• Day 5 Less accidents inside the house should now be happening. When one happens, guide the dog outside to the potty spot.
• Day 6 Check your dog's status.
• Day 7 Reinforce weak areas.

Day 1
Start the day by establishing a regular feeding schedule that you'll be able to stick with. A consistent eating schedule will ensure that your dog relieves in a consistent routine. Be wary about your dog's dietary requirements. Pups compared to dogs need to be fed 3 or 4 times a day with enough water to help digest their meal.

Day 2
You'll basically continue with your first day's schedule. Strictly stick to the schedule and feed your dog on a regular basis. Take them to the loo the first thing in the morning as well as just before you go to bed at night.
Smaller dogs and young pups should be taken for loo after every hour or so during the day. Young pups relieve themselves up to five times a day.
Every time it does its business, you can offer it a treat and verbal praise to bolster its motivation.

Day 3
You should use this day to pinpoint an exact location where your dog should defecate and pee. Start taking them to the spot at all times when they must relieve themselves. This will be their "potty spot." After each routine, you can offer them a treat.

Day 4
On day four, you can start by noticing and working with potty signals. Work on spotting the signs that your dog is about to go. You must allow yourself time and patience to keep an eye on their behavior.
By learning this method, you can rush them outside to a specific location whenever they exhibit signals.

Day 5
By day five, your dog will somewhat get used to relieving on that specific spot. All you'll need to do is guide them outside. In the case of young pups, the occasional accidents could continue but let yourself down. Continue with the schedule.
When your pup accidentally relieves inside the house, you should punish it. Let them know this by clapping loudly then immediately take it outside to the potty spot. Each time it's able to relieve on the potty spot, reward it a treat.

Day 6
Day six is a status check day. By this time, your dog will make significant progress. The whole idea is to train your dog to visit the potty spot by itself or signal you to take it there whenever they need to relieve it.

Day 7
After a week of consistent potty training, your dog will get used to this schedule. Don't forget to punish them every time they accidentally defecate inside the house. It's important to instill good value in them.

You can start gradually slowing the treats, so they get used to their potty schedule without any rewards.

• Few Basic Guidelines
• In the case of a small pup, you can train them to wait for at least three before going to the loo. A two-month puppy can hold its bladder for three hours. You have to teach them to wait three hours. For bigger and older dogs, the time length span can be over 5-6 hours. 
• Do remember, pups often need to go outside after waking up, eating, chewing their toys and playing, etc. 
• Every month, you can start adding one hour to the puppy’s tolerance. This can go up to about eight hours a day. 
• Eight hours is the maximum. Even the biggest adult dogs shouldn’t be expected to hold it for more than eight hours.
• Don’t immediately start at the maximum time possible for your pup just because it can hold it for over three hours. Train them to a certain schedule gradually so they’re less likely to make mistakes.

Things to Remember

• Be Direct - Always take your dog directly to the potty spot. Don't take your pup for a walk around or sniff around things. The commute should be direct from the house to the potty.
• Offer treats - Always offers treat and rewards when they go outside. you can gradually lessen the treats when they get used to the potty schedule.
• Don’t make potty the last part of the trip -Don’t end the trip outside as soon as they pee. This will teach them to hold it as long as possible
• Be patient - Getting your dog to defecate or pee immediately can be a difficult affair. Instead, treat this as a boring time for yourself and your dog. No playtime after late-night potty breaks.
• Go back inside immediately if they don't relieve - Take them inside to the house immediately if they don't defecate. Try again in the next 20-30 minutes.
• Monitor your dog's access to water before bedtime to reduce late-night potty breaks.

Here is the brief infographics about for the advice on how to potty train your dog in just 7 days.

It isn’t easy to housebreak or potty train your dog. You’d need to be prepared mentally to effectively potty train your dog. Get in touch with Urban Pet Hospital & Resort, the best doggy daycare in Urbandale., for training your dogs and the best doggy daycare service.

Adopting a dog is often the best and the kindest thing you can do. Over 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Over half of these animals never find a home and are euthanized.

According to the animal shelter statistics, in 2017 around 1.5 million animals in shelters were euthanized. 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats made up this staggering number, which amounted to almost 5,500 animals killed every day

What is Rehoming and how much does it?

Hundreds of thousands of pets are abandoned every year. When you can no longer care for a pet for any reason, rehoming can a good idea. Instead of abandoning your pet or sending them to an animal shelter where it may be killed, you can find him a new home for your pet. 

There are many reasons why a pet owner abandons a pet. More common ones include: Moving, can’t keep; landlord won’t allow; not enough time; and can’t afford.

You can prevent this by taking the time to find the right home for your dog. The process involves paying a certain rehoming fee. Don't worry, this is to help facilitate the rehoming process goes smoothly.

When rehoming a pet to someone you don’t know, it is common to charge a rehoming fee. On average, this can range from $25 to $100. A rehoming fee can help you cover charges for vaccinations, spaying, and neutering, and other expenses. 

You can help save these animals by finding them a comfortable home. Animal shelters around the country offer easy adoption and rehoming facility. It’s often cheaper to adopt a dog instead of buying a new dog. The cost for adoption usually accounts for a mere adoption fee, medical, ID tagging, vaccines, pet accessories

Why consider rehoming your dog?

Here are two major reasons for you to consider rehoming your dog.

To avoid dog squabbles at home

If you have two or more dogs at home, it's common to find them squabbling. When you introduce a new pet to your old, they can often become aggressive towards them. Frequent squabbles and rough play can put one or more dogs at risk of serious injury.

If the management of behavior isn't possible, it's fair to move your dog to a new home instead of abandoning them. Rehoming your dog will help it find another family.

The dog is a danger to someone in the household

Most dogs with behavioral issues are often abandoned by pet owners. To avoid dog bites or aggression towards other pets and humans, you can consider rehoming your pet. 

Change in circumstances

The circumstances in your life are unpredictable. You might land up a new job out of the state and must move or fly out of the country, or take up an apartment where the dogs aren't allowed. All of these circumstances may push you to make a rather harsh decision to abandon them. You can avoid this by rehoming your pet.

Wrong dog for the situation

Most new pet owners acquire a dog for a specific purpose such as assistance for the disabled, to assist people with medical conditions, for sporting activities or competition, etc. Once the purpose of dogs in your life is complete, you might decide to put it up for adoption or abandon it. The best possible thing you can do find a new home so the new owners can enjoy both the company and the skill of your pet.

Here are a few of the steps to find a new dog

It's rather simple to find and adopt a dog these days. Many animal shelters put up advertisement or listing in online directories for new pet owners to find a potential pet.

Step 1: Find a dog or puppy online

The organizations like ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the UK) allow pet owners to find an adoptable dog of their choice.
They put up a list of dogs who are often abandoned or are put up for rehoming

Step 2: Complete a rehoming application form

The next step is to fill out an application form indicating that you're willing to adopt a new dog. After accepting your application, the organization or local animal shelter will arrange a visit.

Step 3: Get to know your new dog

When all the parties agree, you can visit the pet owners home or an animal shelter to meet the new dog. You can discuss all the details related to the dog, lifestyle, diet, medical condition, etc.

Step 4: Home visit

The officials from the animal shelter often visit your home to inspect the new facility. They'll also advise you on how to proceed further from here. 

Step 5: Bring home your new dog

Once everything is done, you can welcome the new dog home. Remember to introduce your new pet to your family member and any existing pets. If you must introduce your new dog to your old pet, be wary about the aggression and temperament of your old dog. Before you can get it home, you must spay or neuter it, vaccinate it, microchip it with an ID, and pay a rehoming or adoption fee.

How to introduce your dogs to dogs?

• Solve your old dog's behavioral issues first
• Decide on a meeting place
• On-leash and off-leash meeting
• Don't leave them alone
• Break any fight or squabble
• Separate their toys'
• Dine them separately
• Clearly establish your dominance
• Train them separately

Things to keep in mind

• Be wary of rehoming your pet through classified sites. Many people troll such sites looking for dogs to use for wrong purposes.
• Charging a rehoming fee allows you the new adopter to demonstrate that they're serious about adopting your pet. Also, charging a rehoming fee will enable you to know that they've financial resources in hand.
• Contact your local animal shelter, ASPCA, or adoptapet.com to successfully rehome your pet.

Here is a brief infographics about the facts about dog rehoming and adoption.

Urban Pet Hospital & Resort is the most reliable pet hospital in Urbandale. We also offer the best doggy daycare in Urbandale to help board, groom and train you canine. Leave them in the care of our certified veterinarian and daycare trainers. We also help rescue abandoned pets and find them a good home.

Contrary to a popular belief, guard dogs aren’t taught to attach the strangers. They are trained to protect your property and family.

Trainers will specifically train them in non-confrontational techniques that will effectively prevent strangers from approaching near you or your house.

Dogs are trained to attack only in specific situations such as to disarm a robber, scare off the intruder, etc. But do not worry; you’re unlikely to need an attack dog. A well-trained dog that can guard your home is what you need.

Learn about your Dog's Personality Traits

1) A good guard dog should be territorial and protective of its owner and his property.
2)A good guard dog must be confident.
3)A good guard dog should also be assertive. An assertive dog will approach a new situation or person confidently.
4)A well-socialized guard dog will recognize strangers and not become overly aggressive.

How to teach your dog to become a Guard Dog?

Training a guard dog requires you to follow a series of training sequences.

Socialize your dog

Proper socialization should start when they're pups. A socialized dog will be more comfortable and relaxed in its normal environment. 

Teach Basic commands

You should start by teaching them basic commands when they're young. This will help them to adapt to rigorous training methods when they grow older.

Teach your dog basic obedience such as Run, Sit, Walk, Bark, Stop, Fetch, Stay, etc. Knowing basic obedience helps your dog to quickly adapt to new commands. You should also focus on teaching it to bark on command.

Advanced obedience training includes teaching them to impulse control. Most dogs will prance upon the strangers or spring onto someone they know or love. Controlling the impulse is essential to make them better guard dogs.

The Enforcing Boundaries Method

This method includes training them to recognize and protect their boundary.
You should establish a perimeter of the house by talking your dog to a walk around the perimeter of the house you want it to protect. You should do this every day at the end of your obedience lessons. Your dog will learn his territory and be familiar with the land he should be protecting. You can use toys to help it establish its territory.
Test the result by asking a stranger (a friend) to approach your house and run away once the dog starts to bark. Have someone come up and make some noise or approach the house. The person can either walk through the fence, through the gate or knock on the door. Remember that this person shouldn’t be familiar with your dog.

The Bark Method

When the dog approaches and barks, the person needs to make a sound like they are frightened and runoff. This will help to instill confidence in your dog. You can give a special treat to your dog every time it’s able to ward off the stranger in the test.
As an alternative: Ask the stranger to offer distractions to your dogs with a piece of meat or a special treat. When your dog stops barking and goes to investigate, order him to “leave it.” Be sure to try everything that your dog is always distracted by. When your dog successfully wards off any distractions, you can offer it a special treat.
Continue with this approach by introducing new experiences every day such as knocking on the door, knocking at windows, running along the fence, etc.

The Leash Method

The leash method may help to familiarize your dog with its territory. You can walk it on a leash every day around the perimeter of the house. Use a long leash for it to move around easily.
Next, you can test this method by asking a friend or stranger to approach home from different angles. Stand behind your dog and check if it barks and ward off the stranger. Encourage your dog by offering it a treat afterward.

10 Best Dog Breeds for Guard Dogs

It's true that some dog breeds are better at guarding than the others. The dog's breed, size, aggression, and alertness really defines how well guard dogs they can become.

German shepherd

It's one of the first choices of many dog owners and trainers. They are bold, confident, and fearless. Being extremely intelligent makes them adapt to new commands easily. It is also a popular police dog breed.

Rottweiler 

It's also known as the classic guard dog. Rottweilers were originally called cattle-protecting dogs. They are known for their intelligence, loyalty, and endurance. They make a great guard dog.

Doberman pinscher

It was mostly used by law enforcement agencies in many countries before being replaced with a German shepherd. Doberman Pinschers is incredibly fast and agile. They can react in a very short time. They are also known as the 5th smartest dog breed in the world.

Bullmastiff 

It's a cross between a bulldog and a mastiff and is known for its fearless personality. It is known for its great physical strength, protection instincts, and extreme loyalty towards its owner. They'll mostly use their great strength to knock down any intruder who comes near you or your house.

Boxer

It looks menacing and is really protective. They were originally bred to be medium-sized guard dogs. They are extremely loyal and playful; hence they'll love to be in a family.

Great Dane

Their size itself is going to scare off most people. They're the second tallest dog breed in the world. They're considered a good breed when it comes to guarding a property. A Great Dane could weigh up to 160 pounds.

Giant Schnauzer

They're very loyal and strong-willed. They're strong, powerful, and dominant. They require strict training from an early age, along with a lot of mental and physical stimulation. Don't forget to give them constant attention.

Rhodesian ridgeback

They were originally bred to hunt lions. They're very loyal and attentive. They are said to be selective in their barking so when a Ridgeback barks, it needs to be taken seriously.

Staffordshire terrier

Staffordshire terrier was originally bred for bear and bullfighting. They're aggressive, protective, and dominant. One must properly socialize and train them from an early age.

Komondor

Komondors are mostly used for herding and protecting a flock of sheep. They're natural guard dogs. They’re very active, courageous, and loyal.

Here is the quick info graphics about how you can train your dogs to guard your home.

Urban Pet Hospital & Resort is the best doggy daycare in Urbandale. We specialize in training your dogs and preparing them to become the best guard dogs.

According to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the Pet Products Association,

67% of U.S. households, or about 85 million families, own a pet.

Numbering 63.4 million household dogs, the canine is one of the most owned pets in the country closely followed by cats.

Owning and caring for a pet isn't an easy job. It requires you to invest your time, money, and effort on a daily basis. And owning a dog doesn’t come cheap. You have to take into account their daily diet, exercise, yearly vaccinations, wellness checks, grooming, toys, accessories, etc.

Can you afford a dog?

This is a question every new pet owner must ask themselves before owning a dog. The cost of owning a dog is about more than just the expense of food. Unfortunately, many people do not take the time to budget for a dog before getting one, leading to trouble down the road.

Pet abandonment statistics globally is thought to be around six hundred million every year. Around 3.5 million dogs and 3.4 million cats are abandoned every year in the USA alone. Many of these end up in shelters, while many of them aren't able to find new homes. Hence, a lot of them end up being euthanized.

According to ASPCA.org,

Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats)

The good news is that approximately 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year. Although it may sound like a less number, it’s enough to bring about a change.

Dog Ownership Cost

In the year 2019 alone, $75.38 billion was spent on pet care alone.
The minimum basic annual expense for a dog is as such:

• Items Expenses
• Surgical Vet $426
• Routine Visit $212
• Food $259
• Food treats $76
• Kennel boarding $229
• Vitamins $58
• Grooming $73
• Toys $48
  Source: American Pet Products Association.

INFOGRAPHIC MAGE: https://news.orvis.com/images/02-dogs/2014/10-oct/cost.jpg

The lifetime cost of owning a pet

The cost of owning a dog can be estimated at about $1,400 to $4,300 per year. However, the cost of owning a pet can be divided into two types: initial cost and general costs.
The initial cost basically includes buying or adoption cost, vaccination, ID tagging, training, etc. The general costs include expenses associated with a pet's lifetime including food, toys, vet care, routine visits, boarding, grooming, etc.
Here is the detailed list of expenses associated with owning a pet

Acquisition Costs

The acquisition cost refers to adopting or purchasing expenses. This is one of the most primary expenses related to owning a pet.
You can either purchase a dog from a breeder or adopt a pet from the shelter. Purchasing a dog from the breeder is typically influenced by the demand for that particular breed where a reputable breed will cost more. The adoption cost for each dog is fairly cheaper. They will only charge you for adopting a pet, microchipping, initial medical care and heartworm vaccination, and spaying or neutering.

The cost of all this care can be upwards of $800, but shelters rarely ask this much. The upper range of most adoption fees is around $500 but can be higher in some cases.

When buying from a breeder, you should be wary of buying from a backyard breeder. A backyard breeder often purchases from puppy mills. The dogs born and raised in puppy mills are ill-treated. While it may cost slightly more to buy from an ethical breeder, you can be sure that your new pet doesn’t come from a puppy mill.

Medical Costs

Medical costs associated with owning a pet is arguably one of the most expensive costs you’ll have to bear. The average vet visit can range anywhere from $50 to $400. The medical cost will include dental care, heartworm prevention, yearly vaccination, preventives, a wellness check, the surgical cost in case of any accidents, etc.

Vitamins usually cost around $100 per year, and preventative medication for fleas and heartworms are each around $20 per month.
Pet insurance is another expense that can be marked as a medical expense. If you haven’t considered buying pet insurance, you should do it pronto.

Grooming Costs

Pet grooming is a cleansing process that enhances your pet’s appearance and keeps it stay hygienic and clean. A recent study concluded that grooming helps to keep the pets stress free and comfortable, especially those with long or heavy coats.

Grooming a pet, either dog or cat accounts for a relatively minor cost. Long-haired dog breeds require much more grooming than short-haired breeds. Short-haired dogs such as German shepherds may require grooming every 5-6 months. Long-haired and double-coated breeds like Akita, Alaskan Husky, and Alaskan malamute require grooming more frequently.

You can save a lot of costs by practicing grooming at home. Brushing your pet’s hair daily and trimming their nails at home can save up to $50 per month.

Food Costs

Pet food generally accounts for the largest amount of pet care expenses. It takes up a large portion of your yearly pet budget. When it comes to pet food, providing a balanced diet should be the priority over providing expensive meals.

Price isn’t the determining factor in the quality of pet food hence you should make sure to do your research on what best fits your budget and pet’s needs. The annual cost of providing pet food may range anywhere from $250 - $500. This includes pet food, food treats, and supplements.

It’s true that the food for a smaller breed costs lesser than a larger breed. You should take pet food into account before purchasing or adopting a new pet.

Equipment and Housing Costs

You have to take into account the cost associated with creating a pup to building a kennel in your yard. An indoor pet wouldn’t require a different kennel except for a cozy bed and mattress. Along with these, you must take into account the use of equipment associated with owning a pet such as building a fence in the backyard, adding a doggy pool, buying a leash, food and water bowl, equipment assisting pet’s daily life, etc.
The expense of adding new equipment in your home may cost more. However, be assured that it’s generally a one-time cost.

Training Costs

Training is an optional cost. A dog owner can choose to hire a professional trainer to train their dog or they can do it themselves. Although it’s true, a pet owner must be willing to spend money on acquiring a professional trainer or training equipment.
The training for a dog may begin from the time you bring it into your home. The crate training, loo training, learning basic commands, and advanced training are often associated with training a dog. If you have no idea about training a dog, you must seek professional help.
Group dog training with a professional trainer costs $30 to $50 per class on average, while private training ranges from $45 to $120 per hour. Be ready to pay anywhere from $500 to $1200 for dog training classes.

Urban Pet Hospital & Resort is the Best Doggy Daycare in Urbandale. With years of experience in pet care and medicine, grooming, boarding, and training, our Certified Veterinarian will ensure to offer you one of the pet cares in Urbandale.

According to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the Pet Products Association,

67% of U.S. households, or about 85 million families, own a pet.

Numbering 63.4 million household dogs, the canine is one of the most owned pets in the country closely followed by cats.

Owning and caring for a pet isn't an easy job. It requires you to invest your time, money, and effort on a daily basis. And owning a dog doesn’t come cheap. You have to take into account their daily diet, exercise, yearly vaccinations, wellness checks, grooming, toys, accessories, etc.

Can you afford a dog?

This is a question every new pet owner must ask themselves before owning a dog. The cost of owning a dog is about more than just the expense of food. Unfortunately, many people do not take the time to budget for a dog before getting one, leading to trouble down the road.

Pet abandonment statistics globally is thought to be around six hundred million every year. Around 3.5 million dogs and 3.4 million cats are abandoned every year in the USA alone. Many of these end up in shelters, while many of them aren't able to find new homes. Hence, a lot of them end up being euthanized.

According to ASPCA.org,

Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats)

The good news is that approximately 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year. Although it may sound like a less number, it’s enough to bring about a change.

Dog Ownership Cost

In the year 2019 alone, $75.38 billion was spent on pet care alone.
The minimum basic annual expense for a dog is as such:

• Items Expenses
• Surgical Vet $426
• Routine Visit $212
• Food $259
• Food treats $76
• Kennel boarding $229
• Vitamins $58
• Grooming $73
• Toys $48
  Source: American Pet Products Association.

INFOGRAPHIC MAGE: https://news.orvis.com/images/02-dogs/2014/10-oct/cost.jpg

The lifetime cost of owning a pet

The cost of owning a dog can be estimated at about $1,400 to $4,300 per year. However, the cost of owning a pet can be divided into two types: initial cost and general costs.
The initial cost basically includes buying or adoption cost, vaccination, ID tagging, training, etc. The general costs include expenses associated with a pet's lifetime including food, toys, vet care, routine visits, boarding, grooming, etc.
Here is the detailed list of expenses associated with owning a pet

Acquisition Costs

The acquisition cost refers to adopting or purchasing expenses. This is one of the most primary expenses related to owning a pet.
You can either purchase a dog from a breeder or adopt a pet from the shelter. Purchasing a dog from the breeder is typically influenced by the demand for that particular breed where a reputable breed will cost more. The adoption cost for each dog is fairly cheaper. They will only charge you for adopting a pet, microchipping, initial medical care and heartworm vaccination, and spaying or neutering.

The cost of all this care can be upwards of $800, but shelters rarely ask this much. The upper range of most adoption fees is around $500 but can be higher in some cases.

When buying from a breeder, you should be wary of buying from a backyard breeder. A backyard breeder often purchases from puppy mills. The dogs born and raised in puppy mills are ill-treated. While it may cost slightly more to buy from an ethical breeder, you can be sure that your new pet doesn’t come from a puppy mill.

Medical Costs

Medical costs associated with owning a pet is arguably one of the most expensive costs you’ll have to bear. The average vet visit can range anywhere from $50 to $400. The medical cost will include dental care, heartworm prevention, yearly vaccination, preventives, a wellness check, the surgical cost in case of any accidents, etc.

Vitamins usually cost around $100 per year, and preventative medication for fleas and heartworms are each around $20 per month.
Pet insurance is another expense that can be marked as a medical expense. If you haven’t considered buying pet insurance, you should do it pronto.

Grooming Costs

Pet grooming is a cleansing process that enhances your pet’s appearance and keeps it stay hygienic and clean. A recent study concluded that grooming helps to keep the pets stress free and comfortable, especially those with long or heavy coats.

Grooming a pet, either dog or cat accounts for a relatively minor cost. Long-haired dog breeds require much more grooming than short-haired breeds. Short-haired dogs such as German shepherds may require grooming every 5-6 months. Long-haired and double-coated breeds like Akita, Alaskan Husky, and Alaskan malamute require grooming more frequently.

You can save a lot of costs by practicing grooming at home. Brushing your pet’s hair daily and trimming their nails at home can save up to $50 per month.

Food Costs

Pet food generally accounts for the largest amount of pet care expenses. It takes up a large portion of your yearly pet budget. When it comes to pet food, providing a balanced diet should be the priority over providing expensive meals.

Price isn’t the determining factor in the quality of pet food hence you should make sure to do your research on what best fits your budget and pet’s needs. The annual cost of providing pet food may range anywhere from $250 - $500. This includes pet food, food treats, and supplements.

It’s true that the food for a smaller breed costs lesser than a larger breed. You should take pet food into account before purchasing or adopting a new pet.

Equipment and Housing Costs

You have to take into account the cost associated with creating a pup to building a kennel in your yard. An indoor pet wouldn’t require a different kennel except for a cozy bed and mattress. Along with these, you must take into account the use of equipment associated with owning a pet such as building a fence in the backyard, adding a doggy pool, buying a leash, food and water bowl, equipment assisting pet’s daily life, etc.
The expense of adding new equipment in your home may cost more. However, be assured that it’s generally a one-time cost.

Training Costs

Training is an optional cost. A dog owner can choose to hire a professional trainer to train their dog or they can do it themselves. Although it’s true, a pet owner must be willing to spend money on acquiring a professional trainer or training equipment.
The training for a dog may begin from the time you bring it into your home. The crate training, loo training, learning basic commands, and advanced training are often associated with training a dog. If you have no idea about training a dog, you must seek professional help.
Group dog training with a professional trainer costs $30 to $50 per class on average, while private training ranges from $45 to $120 per hour. Be ready to pay anywhere from $500 to $1200 for dog training classes.

Urban Pet Hospital & Resort is the Best Doggy Daycare in Urbandale. With years of experience in pet care and medicine, grooming, boarding, and training, our Certified Veterinarian will ensure to offer you one of the pet cares in Urbandale.

Who doesn’t love working out with their dogs? It’s a fun activity and at the same time exercising will keep both of you fit and healthy. Dogs love to play and workout when their owners are equally proactive in exercising. Running together to the park, playing the backyard, hiking, playing catch, etc. are a few of the common activities you can do with your dog.

Walking is a great form of cardiovascular exercise and does give your dog stimulation to the outside world; however, it does not strengthen muscles. Dogs need other forms of exercise to shed extra fat, keep their muscles lean, and maintain their mental wellbeing. 

TheHappyPuppySite reported that,

Dogs will often begin to yawn, whine, bark, howl, take long naps, or become destructive. Pacing, self-harming, over-eating (or not eating), inappropriate elimination, and aggression toward other family pets or people can also be symptoms of dog boredom.

It’s essential that you keep your dog occupied with different physical and mentally stimulating activities. Regular exercise is one of them. Here are some of the ways you can introduce regular exercise into your dog’s daily regimen.

Take a Hike

Hiking is a great idea for both of you but if you are not used to strenuous exercise then keep it to a minimum. A trail inexperienced dog can't walk a long distance. You'd need to introduce them to the trail slowly. Take a short walk for a few days until you're ready to take the hike.
If you don't have a hiking trail around your house, you can consider taking your dog for three walks a day and make one at least 20 minutes.

Go For a Trail Run

Trail running is all about running in nature. You’ll encounter uneven terrain including uphill climb and downhill fall. This activity is recommended for both humans and dogs. If your dog is unfamiliar to the trail, you should guide it for the first few times to avoid any accidents or pitfalls. The trail is safer for your dog’s sensitive paws too. This is also a great way to get some fresh air.

Go for a Swim

Swimming is a great cardiovascular exercise. Add fun to it and it becomes an amazing exercise. Take your dog for a swim. If it’s hot outside, then you should definitely take them to the pool to cool down. If your neighborhood pool doesn’t allow pets, then you can take them to the nearby pond or a lake. Build a doggy pool in your backyard if you have any space. Swimming is great for a dog’s joints and is easier on their paws than running. 

Ultimate Frisbee

Most dogs enjoy chasing and catching stuff! The Ultimate Frisbee challenge can be a great workout and a fun experience for your whole family. You can throw Frisbee around for your dog to catch! The Frisbee can always be replaced with softball, stick, or anything light. This not only is a fabulous cardio workout, it challenges your hand-eye coordination and strategic skills. Your dog will get to strengthen its catching and chasing ability.

Frisbee challenge can be enjoyed indoors as well, especially with a smaller dog. Just be careful with things around you.

Play hide and seek

Play hide and seek by either hiding treats around the house or by hiding yourself for your dog to find. Hiding treats can be great fun. You, god, will have to sniff them out and run around looking for them.  If they’re new to it, you can teach them to search around. These are great physical and mental games for your dog since he has to use his brain and body to find the objects.

Enroll your dog in agility classes

Most doggy daycare and training centers allow daily or weekly boarding for dogs to indulge in exercises, agility training, and learning commands. These are challenging and fun and at the same time build human-animal bonding. It also helps to keep your god active while stimulating their minds. It’s a great chance for your dog to learn new commands, tricks, and maneuvers. Most agility training is targeted towards exercising their joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons.

Play tug-of-war

Playing tug-of-war is a fun experience for all ages of dogs. Kids love this too. In the case of canine, this game has them pulling and using their muscles and jaws to keep them in place and hanging on to that toy! This game will definitely help to strengthen you and your god’s bond. 

Build an Obstacle Course

Building an obstacle course for your dog is a fun activity! Your dog will engage with the game a lot. Scatter things in your yard to run around, get a hula hoop to jump through, or add temporary stairs. Obstacle courses can be set up inside the house as well but be wary of the things that could break or hurt your dog.

A good obstacle course can make your dog crawl through a low area, jump through a hula hoop, weave between stools, and backup through a narrow space. This will be physically uplifting as well as mentally stimulating.  Motivate your dog with small, healthy treats at the end of each course.

Teach them new tricks and commands

Dogs have an aptitude to learn. They love to learn new tricks if you motivate them in the right way. Learning new tricks and commands can be very stimulating and rewarding for them to interact positively with their owners or other people.
Essential tricks and commands can also help your dog to learn to sit, jump, run, shake, rollover, give high 5, crawl, sit up and beg, etc.

Doggy Massage

Consider giving your dog a massage on a regular interval. While massage certainly does not count as exercise, it is extremely beneficial for your dog’s health, flexibility, and circulation. It will help increases oxygen flow to the blood, relieves pain and muscle tension, alleviates anxiety, and remove the chances of the hip or joint dysplasia. 

Urban Pet Hospital & Resort is the best doggy daycare in Urbandale. Get in touch with us to get the best doggy daycare service, canine training and conditioning, and boarding.

Canine vaccination is as important as human vaccinations. It not only helps to keep the serious disease on the bay but also protects your dog’s immune system. Each state in the US has its own law regarding canine vaccination with the exception of Rabies. The vaccination for rabies is mandatory in all states. You can be sure that like Rabies, you can prevent other serious diseases by administering vaccination to your dogs.

Why Canine Vaccination is Important?

Vaccines contain antigens that mimic disease-causing organisms in a dog’s immune system. It prepares a dog's immune system to defend itself from any invasion of the disease-causing organisms. The antigen mildly stimulates the immune system of the dog by having it recognize its presence.
The American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Task Force considers the following dog vaccinations to be core:

• Canine Parvovirus
• Canine Distemper
• Hepatitis
• Rabies

The non-core canine vaccines, but still important, include

• Bordetella
• Canine Influenza (dog flu)
• Leptospirosis
• Lyme vaccine

12 Dog Diseases that can be prevented with Vaccine
Here is the list of 12 dangerous canine diseases that can be prevented by timely vaccination.

Rabies (Zoonotic in nature)

Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain. It’s primarily passed to dogs through a bite from an infected dog or wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, etc. It can easily transmit through a scratch or when infected saliva makes contact with mucous membranes or an open, fresh wound.

Rabies is commonly treated by Nobivac®- Canine 1-DAPPv vaccine, a modified live virus vaccine for the vaccination of healthy dogs as an aid in the prevention of disease caused by canine distemper virus, adenovirus type 1 (hepatitis), and adenovirus type 2 (respiratory disease), canine parainfluenza virus, and canine parvovirus.

The only remedy for rabies is the proper vaccination. Dogs should be vaccinated between 3 and 6 months of age. They need a booster one year from that date. They’re generally vaccinated every three years.

Canine parvovirus infection ("parvo")

Parvo is a highly contagious virus that causes an infectious gastrointestinal (GI) illness in puppies and young dogs. The deadly virus spreads either by direct contact with an infected dog or through feces. The Parvovirus can survive at room temperature for months hence it can easily transmit to dogs. Check for telltale signs such as bloody diarrhea, lethargy, anorexia, fever, vomiting, etc. in dogs.

Vaccines for the parvovirus are recommended for all puppies and are usually given in a series of three shots when the pup is between 6-to-8 weeks old, again at 10-to-12 weeks, and at 14-to-16 weeks. Like rabies, a booster shot is administered one year later and every 3 years after that.

Vaccines for the parvovirus are recommended for all puppies and are usually given in a series of three shots when the pup is between 6-to-8 weeks old, again at 10-to-12 weeks, and at 14-to-16 weeks. Like rabies, a booster shot is administered one year later and every 3 years after that.

Canine distemper

Canine distemper is a viral disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of dogs. It not only affects dogs but also wild animals. It’s a contagious and serious disease that can easily transmit from wild animals to dogs.

Puppies and dogs most often become infected through airborne exposure (through sneezing or coughing) to the virus from an infected dog or wild animal. Infected dogs often develop watery to pus-like discharge from their eyes followed by a fever, nasal discharge, coughing, lethargy, reduced appetite, and vomiting.

You should administer a distemper shot to puppies at six to eight weeks of age. All dogs need a booster every 3 years or more often.

Leptospirosis (Zoonotic in nature)

Leptospirosis is caused by spiral-shaped bacteria called leptospires that live in water or warm, wet soil. Initial signs of leptospirosis in dogs include fever, lethargy, and lack of appetite. Experts say that any dog that regularly goes outside the home is potentially at risk of contracting this disease.

It takes about 4-12 days for the bacteria to incubate. The four-serovar vaccine is currently the only vaccine recommended by experts for Leptospirosis. Revaccinating annually is often needed to maintain the best immunity.

Canine adenovirus-2

Canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) is related to the hepatitis virus, canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1). It leads to recessive or mild respiratory tract infections and may cause infectious laryngotracheitis and symptoms of pneumonia. It’s also one of the causes of infectious tracheobronchitis, also known as canine cough.

The joint vaccine is a core vaccine that contains live attenuated canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus (CAV-2), canine parvovirus (C154), and canine parainfluenza virus. A joint vaccine is commonly administered to dogs to prevent CAV-2 infection.

Canine parainfluenza

Canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV) is a highly contagious respiratory virus common in dogs. It may develop in situations where large groups of dogs are close together for a period of time. CPIV is also one of the most common pathogens of infectious tracheobronchitis, also known as canine cough. It shouldn’t be mistaken with kennel cough. Although the respiratory signs may resemble those of canine influenza and CAV-2, they are unrelated viruses and require different vaccines for protection.

Canine enteric coronavirus

Canine coronavirus (CCoV) is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus which is a member of the species Alphacoronavirus 1. Most dogs with canine coronavirus are contracted by oral contact with infected fecal matter. A dog may also become infected by eating from contaminated food bowls or by direct contact with an infected dog.

Be wary, canine coronavirus (CCoV) is not the same virus as SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. Hence, the vaccine for CCoV should be used for treating COVID-19. The vaccine for CCoV is readily available but it’s not recommended for all dogs and will be administered based on your dog's lifestyle and risk assessment.

Canine influenza

Canine influenza or Dog Flu is influenza occurring in dogs that are caused by varieties of influenza virus A, such as equine influenza virus (H3N8). The Dog flu is airborne; respiratory secretions escape into the environment in the form of coughing, barking, and sneezing, where they are then inhaled by a new canine host. 

The vaccine for Canine influenza is easily available. This vaccine must be given twice initially with a two-week break, then annually thereafter.

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection (Lyme borreliosis) caused by the bite of flea and tick. The ticks that carry Lyme disease are especially likely to be found in tall grasses, thick brush, marshes, and woods. They easily jump into your dog’s coat.

The most common signs of Lyme disease include fever, loss of appetite, painful or swollen joints. The treatment includes antibiotics, usually for at least 30 days. As a preventive measure, you can check for flea and tick collar, vet-approved flea and tick preventive, and a vaccine.

Bordetellosis ("kennel cough")

Bordetella is the most common cause of kennel cough. Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacterium that is associated with respiratory disease that causes inflammation of the trachea and bronchi.

The symptoms include a hacking cough, retching, sneezing, watery nasal discharge, pneumonia, inappetence, fever, etc.

Adult dogs that come into contact with large groups of other dogs should have a Bordetella vaccine annually.

Heartworm disease

Known as Dirofilaria immitis, the heartworm or dog heartworm is a parasitic roundworm that looks like a small thread-like creature. It spreads from the bite of an infected mosquito.

The symptoms include soft and dry cough, lethargy, weight loss, anorexia, difficulty in breathing, etc. 

It can be prevented with monthly chewable tablets; Ivermectin (sold under the brand names Heartgard, Iverhart, and several other generic versions), Milbemycin (Interceptor Flavor Tabs and Sentinel Flavor Tabs), and Moxidectin (ProHeart) administered as pills or chewable tablets.

Intestinal worms (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, etc., some of which can also infect people)

The intestinal worm is common in dogs. There are various kinds of worms contracted by dogs over their lifetime. They mostly contract it from their mother in the womb, by ingesting contaminated soil (soil with feces), eating another infected animal, and fleas.

We have a detail information on infographics as well:

You can easily get your dog screened for worm infections and find proper treatments. Flea preventive measure is often used as a vaccine to prevent intestinal worm.

Urban Pet Hospital & Resort is the best pet hospital in Des Moines. Our certified veterinarian can help you with all the questions regarding canine vaccines and preventive measures for healthy dog life.