At the Animal Medical Clinic, we customize the preventive care of your dog to his or her specific lifestyle and risk factors.  Recommendations for preventive care, including vaccinations, will be made by Dr. Moon in consultation with you, the pet owner, to fit the individual needs of you and your pet.  Among the tools of preventive care for you to consider are:

 

  • Physical examinations:  We recommend annual physical examinations for young dogs, and semiannual examinations beginning at five years of age.  Regular physical examinations allow us to recognize and intervene early in disease processes, monitor your dog’s weight, make appropriate recommendations for dental care, and answer any questions you may have about your dog’s home care and medical needs.
  • Distemper and parvovirus vaccines:  Distemper is a severe respiratory disease of young dogs that can cause brain damage in older dogs.  Parvovirus causes vomiting and diarrhea that can be life-threatening in severity.  Both viruses are common enough that all dogs should be protected throughout their lives.  A series of vaccines is recommended beginning at six to eight weeks and ending at or near four months of age, followed by a booster a year later.  Beginning at two years of age, we recommend yearly testing, called “titers,” to determine your dog’s immunity against these diseases.  When titers show a significant decrease in immunity, re-vaccination will be recommended.  Although routine yearly vaccination is a lower-cost alternative, there is a risk of vaccine reactions ranging from a mild fever of short duration to allergic reactions that can be life-threatening; we therefore recommend customizing the vaccine schedule to the individual, using titers results to guide the vaccination of adult dogs for these diseases.
  • Rabies vaccines:  Rabies vaccines are required by state and local law.  Vaccination at or near four months, one year later, and then at three year intervals, complies with legal requirements and is safe and effective for most dogs.  If your dog has an adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine, we may recommend special precautions in its administration, or arrange with legal authorities to waive the vaccine requirements.
  • Kennel cough vaccines:  Kennel cough spreads rapidly in situations where dogs have close contact with each other; we therefore recommend vaccination against kennel cough for dogs who will stay at a boarding kennel, visit a groomer, attend obedience classes, or go to a dog park or a day care facility within the next six months.  Revaccination at six month intervals is recommended for at-risk dogs.
  • Leptospirosis vaccines:  Leptospirosis is a serious bacterial disease spread by contact with infected urine.  It is the most common zoonotic disease (a disease spread from animals to man) in the world, and in this area common carriers include rodents, raccoons, opossums, and cattle.  Dogs are commonly infected because they are attracted to the scent of urine.  Annual vaccination is recommended for dogs who life or visit areas where carrier animals are known or suspected to be present.  In deciding whether to vaccinate your dog against leptospirosis, consider that many of the carrier animals are nocturnal, and direct contact is not required to transmit the disease – only contact with infected urine.
  • Coronavirus vaccines:  The coronaviruses of dogs are, in our experience, a minor cause of diarrhea – minor in terms of both the number and the severity of cases seen in this area.  Vaccination is required by some boarding kennels and for entry into some foreign countries (including the Bahamas).  We have coronavirus vaccines available to assist our clients in complying with these requirements, but we do not recommend routine vaccination for most dogs.
  • Lyme disease vaccines:  Lyme disease is less common than commonly supposed, and none of the several species of ticks that inhabit Florida are, to the best of our current knowledge, important in the transmission of the disease.  We recommend vaccination only for those dogs who expect to visit areas where Lyme disease is endemic, and in those situations we recommend that you consult a veterinarian in that area for recommendations specific to that locale.
  • Heartworm preventative:  Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes, and infestations are often life-threatening, so we recommend the regular monthly use of heartworm preventatives for all dogs.  Our most commonly recommended and prescribed heartworm preventatives are Interceptor® and Sentinel® because of their superior protection against intestinal parasites as well as heartworms.  Other heartworm preventatives may be prescribed for special situations.  We do not routinely recommend topically applied heartworm preventive medications, because we have seen dogs that became infected with heartworm while on those medications, apparently because the drug was not absorbed completely after application.
  • Fecal analysis:  Interceptor® and Sentinel® prevent infestation with most intestinal parasites, but because some parasites can be transmitted to humans, we recommend monitoring of fecal samples for parasites at least once a year, for the protection of dogs and their families.  For those familiar with the recommendations of the Companion Animal Parasite Council, we are one of only around 20% of U.S. veterinarians who comply with those recommendations by processing fecal samples using a centrifuge.
  • Spaying and neutering:  Spaying female dogs and neutering male dogs at or near six months of age is recommended, for all dogs not intended for breeding.  More than one in four dogs get breast cancer if they have two or more heats, but if they are spayed before their first heat, only one in 2000 dogs ever gets breast cancer.  Life-threatening uterine infections are also common in older unspayed females, and spaying eliminates the risk of tumors of the uterus and ovaries.  For males, early neutering minimizes the development of the prostate and substantially reduces the risk of infections and cancers of the prostate later in life, as well as eliminating the possibility of testicular tumors.  Spaying and neutering decreases the number of unwanted puppies in shelters and improves both the quality and duration of life for pet dogs.  We strive to keep the cost of spays and neuters affordable while still maintaining professional standards in administering anesthesia and performing surgery, and giving your dog individualized attention as a surgical patient.
  • Dental care:  Tartar accumulation causes gum disease that can lead to deeper infections of the mouth and jaw tissues, including the bones of the upper and lower jaws, and spread to other body sites like the liver, kidneys, and heart valves.  The rate and severity of dental tartar formation varies widely in dogs.  We therefore do not make standardized recommendations regarding the intervals between teeth cleaning for dogs; rather, we perform dental examinations as a part of every physical examination and make specific recommendations based on your dog’s condition.  Home dental care may include tartar-reducing diets such as Iams® dry food or Hill’s t/d®, rawhide chews (especially CET® chews, which include a dentrifice), topical applications, and daily tooth brushing.  Any or all of these measures will reduce the rate of tartar formation, but all dogs accumulate tartar at some rate, and professional dental cleaning under anesthesia will be recommended at appropriate times during your dog’s life.
  • Senior care:  Older dogs are at increased risk for a variety of problems, such as compromised kidney and/or liver function, hypothyroidism, arthritis, and diabetes.  Routine testing of blood and urine samples can contribute to the diagnosis and management of these problems, and may be recommended at one- to two-year intervals for geriatric dogs.

Preventive health care is an important part of our services that help you and your dog enjoy a long and happy life together.  If you have any questions regarding our recommendations and their specific applications to your dog, please feel free to discuss them with Dr. Moon or any staff member.