Pet Wellness

Getting Your New Puppy or Kitten off to a Healthy Start

Congratulations on your new puppy or kitten! The decision to become a pet owner is a big commitment, and the first year of your new pet’s life is full of important milestones. Make sure that your new friend gets the best start possible by following our puppy or kitten schedule for checkups.

Until your new addition has their complete set of vaccinations, please remember that your puppy or kitten is not fully protected against diseases. We strongly recommend that your puppy or kitten not have exposure to other animals, dog parks, or pet stores until they are fully vaccinated.

Disease Risk Assessment (Provided by Fort Dodge Animal Health)

• • When your pet goes outdoors, will it ever be unsupervised?

  • Could your pet come into contact with other pets or their environments?

  • Is there wildlife in your area, including mice, squirrels, birds, possums, raccoons or skunks?

  • Will your pet be in an area where there is a risk of coming into contact with ticks?

  • Will your pet have an opportunity to drink from standing water outdoors (ponds, puddles, etc.)?

  • Will your pet sleep with you or your children?

  • Will you be taking your pet to a groomer, boarding facility or park?

  • Will your pet be going to dog shows?

  • Will you be taking your dog hunting?

Can I Vaccinate my own pet?

It is not advisable to give your own vaccinations although many owners do so.  Allergic reactions and even anaphylactic shock is a possibility.  You may pick up a vaccine that may not protect your pet for all the diseases in our area, or a vaccine that has not been reliably stored or handled properly, or a vaccine that is out-of-date.  Giving a vaccine to an animal that is incubating and not showing signs of illness may actually make the illness worse.  Animals that are malnourished or heavily parasitized my not acquire optimal protection.  Nebraska requires rabies to be given only by a veterinarian.

Does really need to be done annually?

Each dog/cat is different.  Like people, each animal may "remember" the vaccine for a year or more.  Most dogs only remember Leptospirosis for 6 months.  Testing for protective titers is available and usually costs about as much or more than vaccinating.  Testing may not be a reliable indicator of protection against the diseases.

Intestinal Parasites

How do I know if my pet has a parasite?

Sometimes you see them, most of the time you don't.  There are only two types of intestinal worms that are visible to the naked eye (roundworms and tapeworms).  The others require you bring a stool sample in and have a technician look at it under the microscope.  Sometimes it takes several samples to find evidence of parasites because parasites don't lay eggs all the time.  You can see symptoms without seeing a microscope (but other more serious diseases can be mistaken for parasites).  Signs of parasites includes: coughing, dry & dull hair-coat, pot-bellied, loose stools (sometimes with blood), some are constipated, change in appetite, and skin irritation and itching.   Tapeworms can be seen under the tail and on the stool.

Heartworms: Other worms you won't see are heartworms because they live in the right side of the heart and the blood vessel between the heart and lungs. Heartworms are spread by mosquitos. A mosquito bites a dog with heartworms, in the blood meal are baby heartworms aka larvae. Then a while later that same mosquito bites another dog. The larvae are now more mature and hanging out in the mosquito's saliva which is then injected into the second dog. This bite gives the dog 2-3 baby worms which then grow into adult worms which are up to 12 inches long and can live 5-7 years. The more bites a dog receives, the more heartworms they carry. 

What other species carries heartworms? Heartworms can live in foxes, coyotes,  wolves, and domestic cats. 

What is the risk in Southwest Nebraska? We do have heartworms here but there aren't as many as in the southern states.  For more information watch the video below or click here.

Can I purchase a dewormer from a pet store or department store?

Most dewormers purchased over the counter are have been available for decades and the parasites have developed a resistance to them or you may pick up a dewormer that doesn't get the worm your parasite has.  Some wormy animals may need to treated multiple days in a row depending on the deworming preparation and the worm(s) involved.

How do pets get intestinal parasites?

• • coming into contact with other pets or the feces containing eggs or larvae (your shoes can carry the eggs into your house)

  • drinking contaminated water

  • swallowing fleas

  • eating birds, rabbits & rodents

  • nursing from an infected mother or through the placenta

  • Mosquito bites- heartworms