Man’s best friend – so they need to stay healthy with good diets, appropriate preventative treatments and exercise. Whether your dog is a pedigree pooch or a cuddly mixture – their health and well being needs some simple steps to keep them in the best condition.

Worming
• Any dog can get worms. They are picked up on walks from other dogs, the worms eggs or larvae are then ingested when the dog is grooming. Puppies are also vulnerable to worms. Worms are not normally a serious problem but in severe cases can cause loss of condition, a dry coat, vomiting or diarrhea. The roundworm (Toxocara Canis) is also a potential health threat to people, especially children.

Roundworms are a very common worm in dogs, so is the tapeworm. They look like pieces of rice and will be found in your dog’s bed or stools, but can grow up to 5 metres inside your dog – so they need treating. Drontal Dog Tablets are a simple and easy method of preventing and treating both type of worms, and need administering every 3 months.

Nutrition
• Most pet foods contain nutrition for a specific stage of your pet’s life. When selecting a food, make sure the product is appropriate for your pet’s age and lifestyle. Feeding your pet properly is more involved than following instructions on a bag or can. Dogs need fresh water at all times and even though your dog is part of the family they are not a human, so feed them appropriately – you could actually be developing problems for their old age; diabetes or heart problems can arise from over feeding and obesity in dogs.

Dental Care
• It is important to keep pets gums and teeth healthy as it helps to prevent bad breath, plus many diseases associated with old age like kidney failure and heart disease originate from infections in the mouth from poor hygiene.

General
• Puppies are vulnerable to worms. They can even be born with worms, as they can be infected in the womb or get them from their mothers milk.
• Your puppy will be vaccinated with an injection that contains vaccine against the following diseases:
Parvo Virus
Distemper (Hardpad)
Canine Hepatitis
Leptosyrosis
Kennel Cough (Tracheobronchitis)
Your puppy will need 2 injections suitable from 8 weeks old and an annual booster.