The following guidelines are our general recommendations for preventative health for your dog. Because each animal is unique, we will tailor your pet’s health program as needed for optimal care in the medford area.
| 8 weeks: |
Physical examination |
| DHPP combination vaccine - canine distemper, hepatitis virus, parvo and parainfluenza |
| Begin heartworm preventative |
| Deworming – we recommend bringing in a stool sample at this visit |
| none |
| 12 weeks: |
Physical examination |
| 2nd DHPP vaccine with Leptospirosis added |
| Manual hip dysplasia evaluation |
| none |
| 16 weeks: |
Physical examination |
| 3rd DHPP vaccine with leptospirosis added |
| Bordatella vaccination if going to a boarding facility, puppy classes, or other high risk environments |
| Radiographic hip dysplasia evaluation |
| Juvenile Pubic Symphysiodesis (JPS) surgery if necessary |
| Spay or Castration at this time if JPS is performed |
| none |
| 20 weeks: |
Additional parvo vaccinations for breeds such as Dobermans, Pit Bulls and Rottwielers may be needed if not vaccinated as recommended |
| none |
| 6 months: |
Rabies vaccination (booster required in 1 year) |
| Spay or Castration |
| Microchip implantation |
| Annual Care: |
Wellness examination |
| Dental examination (with dental cleaning and prophylaxis as required) |
| Leptospirosis vaccination |
| Bordatella (Kennel Cough) vaccination: if boarding or high-risk environments |
| Deworming: We recommend bringing in a fecal sample yearly; dogs can carry parasites without showing signs, some of which can be transmitted to people or children. |
| Nutrition/activity consult and body condition evaluation |
| none |
| Every 2 Years: |
Heartworm test beginning at 1 year of age. Being on heartworm preventative medication all year round is highly recommended, and testing is to be sure the preventative is working. |
| none |
| Every 3 Years: |
Rabies vaccination |
| DHPP vaccination: Distemper Virus, Canine Hepatitis Virus, Parvo Virus and Parainfluenza Virus |
| Annual Care: |
Biochemistry/Complete Blood Count/Urinalysis every 1-2 years beginning at 6-8 years of age depending on the breed |
| Tonopen evaluation for glaucoma (increased eye pressures) |
| ECG evaluation for heart arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) |
| Thoracic (chest) radiographs to evaluate the heart and to check for the presence of lung tumors |
Canine Aging Chart
| Age |
Relative Age in “Human” Years |
| 0-20# |
21-50# |
51-90# |
>90# |
| 5 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
| 6 |
40 |
42 |
45 |
49 |
| 7 |
44 |
47 |
50 |
56 |
| 8 |
48 |
51 |
55 |
64 |
| 9 |
52 |
56 |
61 |
71 |
| 10 |
56 |
60 |
66 |
78 |
| 11 |
60 |
65 |
72 |
86 |
| 12 |
64 |
69 |
77 |
93 |
| 13 |
68 |
74 |
82 |
101 |
| 14 |
72 |
78 |
88 |
108 |
| 15 |
76 |
83 |
93 |
115 |
| 16 |
80 |
87 |
99 |
123 |
| 17 |
84 |
92 |
104 |
|
| 18 |
88 |
96 |
109 |
Adult |
| 19 |
92 |
101 |
115 |
Senior |
| 20 |
96 |
105 |
120 |
Geriatric |
There are two points to notice on this chart. First, your pet’s age is based on body weight. Not only is this true for small v large breed dogs, but also overweight dogs as well. Overweight dogs have more health problems, including heart, respiratory, orthopedic (arthritis, ligament damage, etc.), and others. Second, dogs are considered senior at around 6-8 years. This is the time period when a large portion of health problems begin to appear in our canine pets. For this reason, we stress annual wellness exams and bloodwork screens to help identify those health issues before they become a problem.
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