Dog Adult Care (1-6y)
An adult dog is 1-6 years of age. These tips will help ensure your dog has a long and healthy life.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are done yearly.
The core vaccinations given are:
DA2PP (Distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, parvovirus)
Some recommended vaccinations based on risk are:
Canine Flu (H3N8, H3N2)
Intestinal Parasite Screening
At your pet's yearly exam, we will check a stool sample for parasites the monthly preventatives do not cover for, such as coccidia, giardia, and whipworm.
Diet
We use Hill’s Science Diet Adult or Healthy Advantage for our dogs.
Handling/Desensitizing (Feet/Face/Ears)
Handling your dog often will help them understand and get used to be handled by others, including your veterinarian.
Practice holding the paws; this will help with nail trims.
Practice looking in the ears; this will help with ear cleanings and treatments.
Practice opening the mouth and lifting the lips; this will help with home tooth-brushing.
Fleas/Tapeworms
Fleas are one of the most irritating parasites that we have in the South. Fleas can cause severe anemia, carry plague, and infect your dog with tapeworms. If your dog eats a flea, the flea may have a tapeworm infection that can be then passed onto your dog!
Vaccine Reactions:
Though rare, vaccine reactions can happen at any point. Normal vaccine reactions are sleepiness, soreness, and feeling lousy. True emergency reactions vary from swollen face, hives, vomiting, and diarrhea. In those cases, calling us at 850-479-9484, or the Veterinary Emergency Referral Center right away will help your pet in a timely manner.
What not to do/give:
It may be tempting to medicate our dog with human medication, but you would not be doing them any favors. Dogs metabolize medications differently from us, so something mild to us could be toxic and deadly to them! If in doubt, always call us!
People food can be a big issue in pets. We know that chocolate is bad for dogs, but did you know grapes and raisins are toxic? Garlic, onions, and sugar-free gum can cause issues with dogs too!
If you suspect your dog has gotten into anything toxic, call the Pet Poison Helpline or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center ASAP!
Housebreaking/Behavior Issues
Click on each subject to learn more about them:
Teething/Home Dental Care
How to brush your dog’s teeth.
Is it ok to give bones to dogs? Short answer: No.
Grooming/Bathing
We provide grooming at our facility! Please click this link to visit our Hotel & Spa.
Use a mild dog shampoo. These non-medicated shampoos will not strip the oils from the dog's skin and remove any flea prevention you may have applied.
Cleaning the ears is important during their bathing regimen because extra moisture in the ears can cause overgrowth of yeast and bacteria leading to ear infections. Clean the ears after they go swimming too! We use Epi-Otic Advanced because of its gentle formula and drying action.
How to do a nail trim. Or, bring your dog to us for free nail trims!*
Anal Sac Expression. This may or may not be needed, but it is something to know about!
*Free nail trims as long as examination is current.
Breed Specific Issues
How well do you know your dog breed’s medical or behavioural issues? Click the link to find out more: AKC Dog Breeds
Flea and Heartworm Prevention Year-Round
Visit Companion Animal Parasite Council for more interactive maps.
We love it in the South, and so do the bugs!
Mosquitoes carry heartworm disease.
We never have a cold enough winter to kill the fleas and mosquitoes, so it is imperative that you keep your pet on prevention year-round.
Even if your dog is, “indoor only,” it only takes one mosquito to enter your home and infect your dog! Don’t risk it! Treatment for heartworm disease is expensive, while prevention is not. Check out Monthly Preventative options here: Monthly Preventatives.
We also have 6 month and 12 month heartworm prevention options through ProHeart.
Microchipping
Microchipping your dog can save its life! If your dog ever escaped and was picked up by Animal Control, the first thing they do is check for a microchip. Check out Home Again Microchipping!
Spay/Neuter
Annual Wellness Exams
At their yearly visit, we will update the vaccines we have received last year and check blood chemistries, complete blood count, and screen for parasites. This gives us an overall picture on what your pet’s health looks like.
Please feel free to refer back to this New Dog Guide whenever you wish.
Congratulations again on your new addition! We look forward to watching your dog grow.
~Davis Animal Hospital Staff
