DIY Network

Dr. Karen's Tips Dr. Karen offers advice on feeding and vaccinations. From "Barkitecture" episode DBAR-107

Make sure bowls are dishwasher safe.

Feeding

Make sure that the bowls you choose are dishwasher safe and that you run them through the dishwasher a few times before using them. For the health of your dog, it's best to feed her once or twice a day with an appropriate amount of food for her size. You can check the label on most dog foods for the specifics. Dr. Karen also stresses the importance of water always being available to your pet. Dogs require about one ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. (Continued below)

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Chewable tablets are easy to give your pet.

Vaccinations

The best way to keep your dog healthy is to prevent problems from occurring. The first thing you can do is make sure that your dogs are properly vaccinated. Puppies are going to receive a series of three shots before they are six months of age. These are going to prevent parvo virus, adno virus which is a liver infection and distemper. Your veterinarian will also give them a rabies vaccine. This will hopefully prevent the contagious disease which can be spread from animals to people.

At one year of age, your puppy will receive a booster. Every three years thereafter he will see the veterinarian for more vaccines. There are also some local diseases that may require vaccinations. You need to see your veterinarian to learn what is right for your pet.

A disease to be concerned about is heartworms. This disease is everywhere in the United States. They are carried by mosquitoes and are a blood parasite. To prevent heartworms from bothering your animal and actually growing in their heart, you need to give them some sort of monthly medication. Chewable tablets are very easy to give, tasty and come with a little sticker you can put on a calendar. There are other topical medications that can be used monthly to prevent heartworm disease.

Medication for puppies is necessary because intestinal parasites are pretty common in them. As your dog gets older, he may become immune to intestinal parasites. However, if he has fleas he is going to need some flea preventative and de-worming medication.

RESOURCES :

Young-Williams Animal Center
Website: www.knoxpets.org

The American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Website: www.aspca.org

Petfinder.com
Website: www.petfinder.com