How do I keep my dog healthy?

What should I know about dogs at a glance?

Dogs are social animals that need company, daily exercise and a vet visit at least once a year.

What do vets see most in dogs?

Skin and ear problems, dental disease and excess weight are the most common reasons a dog sees a vet. In puppies that are not fully vaccinated, parvovirus and distemper are the serious risks.

• Skin and ear disease: itching, ear infections and allergies.
• Dental disease: tartar, sore gums and loose teeth.
• Obesity, which adds joint, heart and skin problems.
• Joint problems, especially in large breeds.
• Tick-borne diseases. In Brazil, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis (the "doença do carrapato") come from the brown dog tick, which lives inside houses and kennels.
• Visceral leishmaniasis, spread by sand flies in Brazil and around the Mediterranean, which can also pass to people.
• Breathing problems and heat stroke in flat-faced breeds (Pug, French Bulldog, English Bulldog, Shih Tzu).
• Pyometra, a uterine infection in females that are not spayed, usually in the weeks after a heat.
• The MDR1 gene in herding breeds (Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, Collie and others), which makes ivermectin and some other drugs dangerous. A DNA test tells for sure.

Which vaccines does my dog need?

WSAVA's 2024 guidelines call distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis) and parvovirus core for every dog, with rabies where the disease is present or the law requires it, and leptospirosis where it is common, which includes Brazil. Kennel cough and the others are non-core: your vet chooses them by your dog's life and where you live.

WSAVA's guidelines start core vaccines at 6 to 8 weeks of age, repeat them every 2 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks of age or older, and advise another dose at or after 26 weeks. After that, core vaccines are repeated no more often than every 3 years, leptospirosis every year, and rabies as the local law or the label says. Your vet sets the plan.

The same vaccines carry different names in each country. This is what owners see on the card, and the rabies rule.

To travel within the EU, a dog needs a microchip, a pet passport and a rabies vaccine given at 12 weeks or older, at least 21 days before the trip.

Leishmaniasis vaccines differ by region. In Brazil, Leish-Tec has been off the market since May 2023. In southern Europe, vets use LetiFend after a negative leishmaniasis test.

How often should I deworm my dog, and what about fleas, ticks and heartworm?

ESCCAP's European guidelines suggest deworming, or testing the stool, at least 4 times a year when a dog's risk isn't known, and monthly for dogs at higher risk. CAPC in the US suggests broad-spectrum parasite control all year, heartworm prevention included. The product and the interval are your vet's call.

• Puppies: ESCCAP suggests the first deworming at 14 days of age, then every 2 weeks until 2 weeks after weaning, and monthly up to 6 months when the risk continues. CAPC also starts at 2 weeks.
• Stool tests: CAPC suggests at least 4 in the first year and 2 a year for healthy adults.
• Heartworm: mosquitoes spread it. The American Heartworm Society says to test every 12 months and give prevention 12 months a year. In Japan and parts of Europe, vets often give it through the mosquito season instead.
• Ticks in Brazil: the brown dog tick lives inside houses, so indoor dogs need protection too.
• Leishmaniasis: in Brazil and southern Europe, a collar or spot-on that repels sand flies is the main protection. Brazil's health programmes use deltamethrin collars.
• Cats in the house: keep cats away from dogs treated with permethrin, because it can poison them.

Which signs in a dog can't wait?

Call your vet or an emergency clinic now if your dog shows any of these. They can turn serious within hours.

• A swollen belly with retching that brings nothing up is an emergency. Call your vet now.
• Straining with little or no urine can mean a blocked bladder. Call your vet now.
• Noisy or hard breathing at rest is not normal, even for a flat-faced dog.
• Heavy panting, drooling or weakness after heat or exercise can be heat stroke.
• Collapse, pale or blue gums, or a seizure that lasts more than a few minutes.
• Repeated vomiting or bloody diarrhea, especially in a puppy that hasn't finished its vaccines.
• Eating chocolate, grapes or raisins, xylitol (in sugar-free gum), rat poison or human medicines.
• Discharge, drinking more or a swollen belly in the weeks after a heat can mean a uterine infection. See your vet.
• A fall, a bite or being hit by a car, even when your dog seems fine.

How do I care for my dog day to day?

The habit that prevents the most illness is keeping your dog lean. In a lifelong study of Labrador Retrievers, dogs fed 25% less than their littermates stayed slimmer, lived longer and showed signs of chronic disease later.

• Food: a complete food for your dog's life stage, measured each day. Treats count.
• Weight: weigh your dog every month or two. Your vet can score body condition from 1 to 9, where 4 and 5 are ideal.
• Exercise: daily walks and play, adjusted to age and breed. Flat-faced dogs overheat fast. Walk in the cool hours and stop if breathing gets loud.
• Teeth: daily brushing with a dog toothpaste is the best home care. A full cleaning is done under anesthesia.
• Skin folds (Pug, Bulldogs, Shar Pei): folds trap moisture and dirt. Cleaning and drying them every day prevents skin infections.
• Handling: get a puppy used to having its paws, ears and mouth touched, so vet visits stay calm.
• Puppies: until the vaccine series is done, keep your puppy away from places where unknown dogs go, and ask your vet about safe ways to meet other dogs.

How do I keep my dog's health record?

VetVitae keeps your dog's vaccination card with sticker photos, deworming and flea and tick doses with their next dates, weight with the body condition score, vet visits and tests. It reminds you before each one is due.

VetVitae is free on iPhone, Android and the web.

This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. Your vet knows your pet.

Questions