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Annual Care for Dogs
Recommended Wellness Care for Dogs Chart
The chart below summarizes our recommendations for vaccination and other care for dogs living in lower Manhattan. The goals is to keep our patients in top health and to maintain protection from preventable diseases. The chart is based on how much exposure your dog has to the outdoors, to other animals, or to local or international travel. These are general guidelines; preventive care must be tailored to each dog’s individual needs and should consider not only travel, but diet, exercise, weight, the presence of other medical problems, and overall health status. A description of each vaccine or disease is given after the chart. The chart is printable as well.
Dogs over 6-10 years of age, depending on breed, should also have annual blood testing performed as well.
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My Dog’s Exposure Group
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Wellness Recommendations
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Immunizations (Vaccines) Needed
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My dog is always indoors |
Thorough annual health exam with weight, diet, and body condition evaluation; Dental Evaluation; Parasite Testing; a parasite control program should be considered even in indoor pets, especially if young children are present; Microchip Identification & Registration is strongly recommended as the best measure to assure the return of a lost pet. |
Distemper/Hepatitis/Parvovirus Vaccination; Rabies Vaccination Recommended: Bordetella-Parainfluenza, influenza H3N8, leptospirosis |
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My dog is in contact with other animals but does not leave Manhattan |
Thorough annual health exam with weight, diet, and body condition evaluation; Dental Evaluation; Parasite Testing; a year around parasite control program that emphasizes heartworm, intestinal parasite, flea, and tick control is very important; Microchip Identification & Registration is strongly recommended as the best measure to assure the return of a lost pet. |
Distemper/Hepatitis/Parvovirus Vaccination; Rabies Vaccination; Recommended: influenza H3N8 Not Recommended: Lyme Disease (borreliosis), corona-virus, giardia |
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I will travel with my dog outside of Manhattan but only in the United States |
Thorough annual health exam with weight, diet, and body condition evaluation; Dental Evaluation; Parasite Testing; a year around parasite control program that emphasizes heartworm, intestinal parasite, flea, and tick control is very important; Microchip Identification & Registration is strongly recommended as the best measure to assure the return of a lost pet. |
Distemper/Hepatitis/Parvovirus Vaccination; Rabies Vaccination; Recommended: Not Recommended: |
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I anticipate international travel with my dog |
In addition to the above recommended routine wellness care, you should know that Microchip Identification is now required for most international travel. Some countries require a special type of rabies vaccine or even distemper or other vaccines in addition to the rabies. Some require testing for exotic diseases that may take several days or weeks to perform. For information on any country of travel, go to the USDA website below and look up your country of interest: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs/animals/
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Download Chart- Rabies vaccination is required for all dogs in NYC and it is important that it be current, even for indoor dogs. Rabies vaccine is given at 3 months of age and then repeated in one year and then every three years. A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE MAY BE REQUIRED IF YOU ARE TRAVELING TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
- Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus Vaccine protects against the most serious, fatal, contagious, recurring diseases of dogs. These vaccines are combined in one shot and are given in a series to puppies, again at one year of age, and then every three years.
- Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease found wherever there are rodents and standing water. The disease is reported in lower Manhattan. It is serious with high mortality and is contagious to people as well. If your dog is at risk of exposure, as all outdoors dogs are, we advise leptospirosis vaccination as a core vaccine. For most rapid immunity, a series of 2 shots are given initially and then boostered yearly.
- Lyme is extremely prevalent throughout New England as well as 46 states. If you travel a lot in the area then you should consider vaccinating your dog. Tick prevention in the form of Frontline, Revolution, or a Preventic collar will often work for casual exposure to ticks. This vaccine is a series of 2 with annual boosters.
- Bordetella-Parainfluenza are the most common infectious agents associated with “Kennel Cough” Kennel Cough is a name applied to any bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, or other respiratory disease acquired by casual contact with other dogs. In NYC this could be a daycare environment, a dog run or any contact just walking on the street. Over 30 different viruses, bacteria, and other agents have been associated with kennel cough. The most common and serious causes that are preventable by vaccination are Bordetella, para-influenza, adenovirus-2, and Canine Influenza Virus H3N8.
- Vaccinations to prevent giardia, porphyromonas, and corona-virus are special situation vaccines, much like tetanus is for people. We will advise you if these vaccines are indicated. Dogs over 6-10 years of age (depending on breed) should have periodic Wellness Blood Testing performed.
