Artemis Animal Clinic recommends an annual health check-up for your dog.
During this check, we examine your dog from head to tail. We inspect the mouth and teeth, checking for any dental issues and assessing if you need to start brushing or take other measures. There are many ways to improve your dog’s dental hygiene.
We check the coat and skin. Are there any issues with itching?
Depending on the season, we discuss the need for preventive treatments for fleas and ticks.
What is your dog’s diet? Is the stool normal? We assess if the dog’s weight is within a healthy range. Unfortunately, many dogs are overweight, and there is a lot you can do as an owner to help your dog reach a normal weight.
We listen to the heart and lungs. Many heart problems are detected during the annual check-up when the veterinarian listens to the dog’s heart with a stethoscope.
It might be relevant to check for heart and lungworms as well.
If the dog is older, a blood test might be recommended to ensure all organs are functioning properly.
Many older dogs develop arthritis. However, there is much you can do as an owner to help alleviate this and support the dog’s mobility.
We are happy to discuss your pet’s behavior, as behavior often reflects overall health.
In general, there is a lot a dog owner can do to ensure the best life for their dog.
Some dogs “hide” their issues, making it hard for owners to identify if something is wrong. Talking to the veterinarian can help identify areas where we can make improvements for our beloved pet.
Vaccination
During the annual health check-up, we assess the dog’s vaccination needs.
In Denmark, we typically vaccinate against the following diseases:
Distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus diarrhea, parainfluenza, and leptospirosis.
The veterinarian customizes the vaccination according to the individual dog’s needs through a conversation with the owner. Vaccines are composed of different components, allowing for vaccination against all or only some diseases at once.
We can therefore tailor the vaccine very precisely to the individual dog’s needs.
The immunity provided by a vaccine varies depending on the specific disease.
Vaccines are divided into core and non-core vaccines. Core vaccines should be given to all dogs in the household, while other vaccines are chosen based on lifestyle and assessed risk of exposure.
Recommendations for dog
Core vaccines:
– Distemper
– Parvovirus
– Infectious hepatitis
Non-core vaccines:
– Leptospirosis
– Parainfluenza
– Bordetella
– Borrelia
– Herpes
– Rabies
Puppy vaccination
Puppies receive core vaccines starting from 6-8 weeks of age, and then every 2-4 weeks until the puppy is 16 weeks or older.
A booster vaccine is given between 6.5 months to 1 year of age. This ensures protection for puppies who may not have fully responded to the initial vaccinations. We send a reminder for a check-up and vaccination when the puppy is around 6.5 months old.
Vaccination for adult dogs
Dogs who have completed their puppy vaccinations are re-vaccinated with core vaccines at intervals of 3 years or more.
For non-core vaccines, like leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and borrelia, annual revaccination is necessary to maintain immunity. An adult dog with an unknown vaccination history will be protected after a single dose of the core vaccine.
These recommendations follow the guidelines of the Danish Veterinary Association, developed in collaboration with the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA).
Kennel cough vaccine
There is a specific vaccine for kennel cough.
The term “kennel cough” refers to various viral infections often complicated by the bacterium *Bordetella bronchiseptica*.
A vaccine is available that protects against the most common flu strain in kennel cough (caused by canine parainfluenza virus-2) and also against the bordetella bacteria.
Kennel cough vaccination may be relevant in certain cases, often required by dog boarding facilities. The vaccine should be administered 2-3 weeks before boarding. However, it is not a guarantee that the dog will never get kennel cough, as multiple virus strains can cause the disease.
The vaccine is given as a drop in the nose.
