Spring Health Care Tips for Dogs
As spring approaches, start saying goodbye to winter and take your dog out for an enjoyable hike–but wait. Is your dog properly protected for a springtime outing?
Pests and Parasites to Watch Out For
Fleas
The most common pest your dog can pick up on a walk—or at home—is fleas. Infestation can be easily prevented and eliminated with a number of products available, including topical treatments to oral tablets.
Another pest you may encounter outdoors is mosquitoes, which can spread diseases, such as heartworm. Dogs with heartworm infections can develop often life-threatening problems over time. The worms grow in the heart and can migrate to other organs.
Internal Parasites
Animals who share the wonderful outdoors, such as raccoons, coyotes and squirrels, can also transmit internal parasites. As a puppy, your dog was dewormed, but that doesn’t mean he has a life-long protection. He can also become infected with parasites later in life. Your veterinarian can test your dog’s stool during an annual exam and, if needed, provide treatment for him.
Leptospirosis
While some parasites can be a nuisance and a health risk to your dog, they can also affect you. One in particular is Leptospirosis. It is transmitted by a microscopic organism, Leptospira, and its toxins can affect kidneys and liver. The contaminated animal (small mammals, deer and even domestic stock) voids the bladder and spreads live Leptospira, which could come in contact with your dog.
There is an optional vaccine available. However, your dog might have an adverse reaction to it. Therefore, you should discuss the pros and cons of the vaccine with your veterinarian. The best way to avoid Leptospirosis is limiting your dog’s access to contaminated water.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is another concern for both you and your dog. It’s caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to pets and humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks. The disease has a variety of symptoms and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Fortunately, there is a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs.
What You Can Do
Check Your Dog for Ticks
It’s also a good idea to use tick-repellant products, such as collars and topicals, which prevent ticks from attaching to your dog. Don’t forget to examine your dog after a walk for any ticks that may have hitched a ride.
Get a Heartworm Test Done
In regions where the temperature is consistently above 57°F year-round, a prevention schedule is highly recommended. Your veterinarian can perform a simple heartworm test as part of your dog’s annual checkup and recommend the appropriate products for prevention.
Preventive care goes a long way. There are a variety of products available to help protect your dog from parasites and pests. Some can combat multiple problems. For example, a product that kills fleas can also prevent heartworm disease, and treat and control hookworms, roundworms and whipworms.
You may also like: How to Safely Remove Ticks From Dogs
I’ve always been interested in protecting my dog and ensuring the longevity of her life. I haven’t given her a Lyme disease vaccination, but I’ll be sure to schedule her in with the veterinarian later this week! Now that it’s summertime, do you have any tips on how to make sure my dog doesn’t overheat?
Alex Jennings |
Oh man, I didn’t even know that there were this many pests for my little buddy to catch that easily. I would really be sad if he caught something that I could have prevented. Can I prevent any of these at home, or is this something I need to go to an animal hospital for them to do?
very helpful tips you have shared
Helpful tips you have shared i have 2 dogs at my house this will really very helpful
We just got our first dog and are wondering how to care for him. It’s good to know about a lot of the pests and problems to watch out for. You’re right, prevention is much better than treating!
It is interesting that these types of pests become more common in the spring. This is unfortunate, because your dog is so happy in the spring; he’s ready to run around and enjoy the outdoors again. However, it is imperative that you take the necessary precautions to protect your dog from these parasites. Thank you for your information and clear instructions on taking care of a pet like this!
Thanks for the information. I had no idea that dogs were susceptible to lyme disease. I have always treated my dogs for ticks, and try to keep them clean, but it seems even more important now. Is the vaccine pretty standard and easy to find at most vets?
I enjoyed reading your informative article! I’m glad that I stumbled upon it because I’ve been wondering about spring care tips for my dog. I think you’re absolutely right: it’s important that you’re looking for fleas in your pet. I’ll be sure to follow your suggestion by looking more closely for parasites and fleas. If it got bad enough, do you think I should take my dog to the vet? Thanks for the great tips; you’ve been very helpful.
It can be difficult to know a lot about your dogs health, especially when they are such patient animals. I have had trouble in the past with realizing that my dog had a pest problem and I wished I could have helped him sooner. For this reason I greatly appreciate your information on the types of pests you need to watch out for as well as how to watch out for them. I will be utilizing your tips as I try to prevent my dog from having further problems, thank you!
My wife has always wanted to have a dog, and so I decided to go ahead and let her pick one out. So now we have a little puppy, and I just want to make sure that we are both well prepared to take care of it. We just got her some vaccinations, but it sounds like we need to be careful of external factors such as fleas and ticks, since we do have a pretty big field for our backyard. Thanks for sharing, and we’ll make sure to monitor our puppies fur.
I wash my dog regularly, and we don’t go on walks outside of populated areas. Imagine my surprise when he got fleas! While it’s nothing that needs a veterinary hospital, it’s the transmittable diseases that can need a doctors attention. Mosquitos, ticks, or worse can all transfer diseases that would require immediate attention!
I hadn’t ever known that some parasites could affect me along with my dog. My dog loves swimming, and frequently goes in lakes and rivers while we are camping. Should I keep him from swimming to avoid something like leptospirosis?
I think you should be carefully choosing where you let your dog go swimming. Clean flowing water should not be a problem.
These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to have your dog tested for internal parasites annually. My dog loves going outside to play and run around, so I’m worried he might get pick up a parasite. I’ll be sure to take him in every year to have his stool tested by the vet to make sure he’s healthy. Thanks for the great post!
I never realized how many sicknesses your pets can be exposed too, if you do not take them in for regular checkups. I would agree that when selecting a service as your pet’s doctor, you want to know that they will be in good hands. That is smart to consider taking your pet in for the occasional shot and tick check. Thank you for sharing your tips on how to care for you pets!
The spring is a fun time to own a dog. You get to start going on longer walks and playing outside more with your dog. However, you do make a good point about making sure they are healthy during this time of year as well. It seems like it would be smart to get their vaccinations taken care of every spring. That way, they will be healthy for the rest of the good weather, and you can remember when to go get them done every year.
Last spring, my dog got ticks and had to be treated. After that happened, I made sure to get my dog’s vaccinations done, including the Lyme disease one. I didn’t want anything to bite him and give him any diseases. However, now that spring is coming back, I want to make sure that he doesn’t get any more ticks. What are some environments that I should avoid walking my dog in that might allow him to pick up ticks?
My family and I just got a dog for the first time and we are in the processing of learning how to best take care of him. I like how you point out here that as spring comes, it is important to look out for fleas and parasites. I also appreciate the tip you give of looking for an animal hospital so that we will have someone to take him to if he contracts that or something similar.
I appreciate your tip on getting your dog checked for heartworms if you live in a climate that is consistently above 57 degrees. It seems that adding a simple heartworm test to your annual checkup with the vet is a good way to make sure your dog stays healthy. My wife and I recently moved to a warmer area, maybe we should add a heartworm test to our dog’s routine checkup.
Now that spring is coming around, there’s a whole new list of things that can make your dog uncomfortable. I think that it’s very important to make sure you get your dog in to be tested for heartworm. Watching out for things like fleas can keep them comfortable for the whole season, too! Thank for sharing.
In the spring, there are a lot more things out that could harm your pet. Like you said, there are parasites and diseases to watch out for. I’d take my dog to the vet if they were experiencing any of symptoms or problems related to these ailments.
I knew Lyme disease affected humans but I hadn’t thought that my dog could not only get it, but also carry the tick. Definitely, a good idea to always check your pets for ticks after going outside. I will have to tell my friends about this as well so they can keep themselves and their dogs healthy. Thank you for the information!
These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to use tick-repellent products to keep your dog healthy. My husband and I like to go camping during the summer, and we take my dog along with us sometimes. I want to make sure he stays healthy and tick-free, so we’ll definitely look into getting some repellent products. Thanks for the great post!
My sister recently got a puppy for my niece and they are still learning how to properly take care of it. I like the point made about checking your dog for ticks, especially if you are venturing in areas with tall grass since that’s where they usually hide. Bathing your pet regularly and making sure their vet visits are up-to-date will help in keeping your animal in good health. I will be sure to pass this info on to my sister.
Springs is the best season, in a whole year, although this article has lot of information for keeping our pet safe. this is very helpful article for all pet lovers. In spring season you need to take of you pet very well.
I appreciate the information on spring health tips for dogs. I agree that it is so important for your dog to get an annual exam so you can catch any possible problems they have early one. I would imagine that having a simple annual exam can’t cost too much and it can be super beneficial for your animal as well.
My sister recently got a puppy for my niece and they are still learning how to properly take care of it. I like the point made about checking your dog for ticks, especially if you are venturing in areas with tall grass since that’s where they usually hide. Bathing your pet regularly and making sure their vet visits are up-to-date will help in keeping your animal in good health. I will be sure to pass this info on to my sister.
I am really concerned about the Lyme Disease. My little puppy affected by this disease at several time. I am trying hard to ensure better health for my puppy. By the way thanks for this informative post. And Obviously, I will share this with my puppy community.
I appreciate your tip on getting your dog checked for heartworms. It would seem smart to find a vet to get this kind of test when the temperature starts to heat up. It’s finally starting to feel like summer here so I’ll have to take my dog to a vet to check her for heartworms.
I like how you say that you would want to consider a heartworm test when you live in a warm area. It would make sense to get your dog tested because it would help them stay healthy. If you do get a test you would probably need to locate an experienced and qualified vet to do the job.
I appreciate the information on spring health tips for dogs. I agree that it is so important for your dog to get an annual exam so you can catch any possible problems they have early one. I would imagine that having a simple annual exam can’t cost too much and it can be super beneficial for your animal as well.