Kelcliffe Kennels

Health, with all its complexities,
is a subject that the layperson
should not attempt to enter into.
Always consult with your vet.

What this page hopes to achieve
is to pass on some general
information that all responsible
dog owners should be aware of.

General Health Topics

	Intestinal Worms
	Heartworm
	More About Worms
	Vaccinations
	Fleas
	Desexing

Craigend Caroline "Bonnie"

A PET'S PRAYER

Sadly, the inevitable does happen.
We hope the following might help a little:

If it should be, that I grow frail and weak,
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then, you must do what must be done,
For this, the last battle, can't be won.
You will be sad, I understand,
Don't let your grief then stay your hand,
For this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship stand the test.
We've had so many happy years,
What is to come can hold no fears,
You'd not want me to suffer, so,
When the time comes, please let me go.
Take me where my needs they'll tend,
Only, stay with me to the end,
And hold me firm and speak to me,
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know, in time you will see,
It is a kindness you do to me,
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I've been saved.
Don't grieve it should be you,
Who decides this thing to do,
We've been so close, we two, these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.
Smile, for we walked together,
For a little while.

Breeders of Quality Cairn Terriers
• Cairn Care - Health •

In all areas of your dogs health, and especially if your dog is obviously sick or behaving irrationally - consult your vet immediately.
Having said that, a good investment would be to purchase a copy of The Dog Owners Manual on selecting, raising and breeding dogs. We have found this book to be invaluable in the everyday running of our kennels, and it is readily available throughout Australia.
Cairn Terriers are generally very healthy dogs. They are little dogs with big hearts and spirits. Their health is very hearty by nature, especially if allowed indoors, and they don't require much care beyond being clean and well fed.
Like a child, they rely on you to provide not only the basic food and shelter, but proper healthcare to keep them healthy and happy. The following tips may be of some help:

INTESTINAL WORMS
Dogs can be infected with various intestinal worms - round, hook, whip, and tapeworms; all of which can cause severe damage to the digestive system. Pups can be infected with round and hookworm larvae whilst in the mothers uterus or via her milk.
Hookworms can kill young pups by causing internal blood loss. Roundworms can cause vomiting, coughing, intestinal blockages, and a can result in a pot belly. Whipworms have been know to cause a lot of abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhoea. While tapeworm, which is carried by fleas, is responsible for an itchy bottom.
All of these worms can be transmitted to the rest of your family, and in humans can have severe consequences. Tapeworm segments, which look a bit like cucumber seeds, are usually the only worms that you will see - the rest live quite happily inside your pet. If you want to know more about intestinal worms, then have a look at this detailed report by Dr Nick Sangster from the University of Sydney.

A good worming schedule is:

Age Worming Frequency

2-12 weeks every 2 weeks

3-6 months every month

after 6 months every 3 months

Like all of us, your new family member will grow ...
remember to weigh them before each wormimg!
Adult dogs need to be treated for all intestinal worms once every three months. For example, on the first day of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

HEARTWORM
Another worm that can put your dog at risk is heartworm. This mosquito borne worm can seriously affect your dog's heart, and left untreated it can kill the dog. Common symptoms of heartworm are a low exercise tolerance, a small cough, laboured breathing from time to time, and general lethargy.
Worming against heartworm can be administered by tablet either on a daily or monthly basis, starting at about 12 weeks of age. Adult dogs should return a negative heartworm blood test before commencing heartworm medication for the first time or after a prolonged break.
As always, consult your vet for their recommendation on worming tablets and schedules (for both intestinal worms and heartworm).

VACCINATIONS
Puppies older than 6 weeks should be vaccinated. In Australia, vaccination is generally against distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza (involved in kennel cough). All these diseases are highly contagious and potentially fatal.

A typical vaccination schedule is:

Age Vaccination

6-8 weeks distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza

12-14 weeks distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza

16-18 weeks parvovirus (recommended by some vets)

yearly distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza

C3 vaccination includes distemper, hepatitis, and parvovirus
C4 vaccination includes C3 plus parainfluenza (involved in kennel cough)
C5 vaccination includes C4 plus another compound for kennel cough
A C4 level of vaccination is required by most kennels and dog clubs.
Remember: Your puppy is not fully protected until all vaccinations have been given, and ideally they should be kept away from other dogs and off the streets until then. Protection of pups is a special problem - bitches immune to parvovirus through previous vaccinations have a protective level of antibodies in their blood. These antibodies are passed onto the pup through the milk, giving the pup limited immunity. After weaning, a pups immunity drops until they manage to built up sufficient antibodies of their own.

flea FLEAS
Whilst a flea is just a tiny insect it has an Olympic standard high jump and the ability to drive your entire family crazy.
Make sure any product you use on a puppy less than 12 weeks of age is safe - most flea washes and rinses are toxic to young animals.
Fleas need to be controlled on the dog as well as in the basket, in the home, and in the yard. Fleas breed over a 14 day cycle, so an egg laid today may be a female flea laying eggs in 14 days time. Therefore, treatment should be done at least every 14 days until the problem is under control. Collars, sprays, rinses, and flea bombs are available - once again, consult you vet for recommended treatments.
Fleas can transmit tapeworm and cause anaemia, but most significantly they cause miliary dermatitis - a very frustrating problem.

In short, there is no easy way to control fleas!

gender symbols DESEXING
We are often asked the question "should we desex our dog, and if so when?" That is something that only you can decide; however, if you do not intend to show or breed then you should consider desexing.
Desexing females (spaying) will prevent pregnancy through removal of the ovaries and uterus. The risk of breast cancer is substantially reduced and that of pyometron (a life threatening uterine infection) is totally reduced. A litter before desexing will not improve the character of your pet. Overfeeding is the major cause of obesity in desexed animals, not desexing itself.
In males, desexing (castration or neutering) reduces typical masculine behavioural problems such as territorialness, roaming, and aggression.
This procedure should be carried out around 6 months of age, before the onset of puberty, as we all have a responsibility to try and reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. Again we urge you to talk to your vet.

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Text and graphics reproduced from public domain are used in good faith,
and will be acknowledged or removed if requested by relevant author(s).


[Kelcliffe Kennels Home] [Grooming] [Diet] [Pick a Pup] [More About Worms] [Site Map]

Website owned by Kelcliffe Kennels Text and graphics reproduced from public domain are used in good faith, and will be acknowledged or removed if requested by relevant author(s).