Ashley and friend.
Canine Preventive Medicine
Vaccinations
Dogs generally receive a series of vaccines as puppies and then a booster-distemper combination according to the doctor's recommendation. We now offer a 3-year distemper vaccine for adult dogs.
Rabies vaccines are required by law and a county tag must be obtained yearly by presenting a valid rabies certificate. The first rabies vaccine is good for 1 year, follow-up boosters are good for 3 years.
Bordetella vaccines are required for dogs being boarded or groomed at the clinic and in general for other animal facilities in the New River Valley. These are given yearly. Leptospirosis vaccines are recommended for many dogs. The doctor can help you decide whether your dog needs these vaccines.
We reccomend dogs be vaccinated against kennel cough twice a year if they boarding, groomed, going to the dog park or going to dog places like classes or Petsmart. If they are only at home and not around other dogs we will do it annually. Talk about this with your doctor, because each pet's circumstances will vary.
Lyme Disease vaccines are available but not routinely administered for animals that do not travel to known Lyme Disease areas. Known Lyme Disease areas include Virginia's Eastern Shore and the Northeastern US coastal states. There are other vaccines available for specific disease situations but are not routinely administered.
Heartworms
This is a parasitic disease spread by mosquitoes. It involves worms that live as adults in the right side chambers of the heart and the lungs, eventually causing heart failure and death. It is easily prevented through a variety of medications. In this area, we are currently recommending year round heartworm prevention be administered to all dogs.
Heartworm tests should be done every year, unless the pet is on prevention year-round, including winter months (then we test every two years). This is the guideline for the American Heartworm Society. Different heartworm preventions are available and none is best for all situations. Consultation between you and your vet will determine which program is best for your pets. Some of the medication also serves as a monthly dewormer.
Flea and Tick Control
In this area we have a tick problem from March through June, then fleas take over as the major external parasites we fight with. Flea season lasts until November-December, peaking in September-October.
For ticks, there are topical medications and special tick collars that are effective. For fleas, multiple topical products that are safe and effective are available. Some retail store products are not effective and could even be dangerous. Check with us if you have any questions at all. The veterinary products are effective at treating the environment as well if applied to all animals in the house repeatedly. Repeated bathing and swimming can decrease the effectiveness of all the topical products.
We carry oral and topical flea medication. If your pet is a frequent swimmer, topicals may not be the best choice. Sentinel, Capstar, and Comfortis are three options. Sentinel is also a heartworm preventative. Ask a doctor or technician what might be the best choice for your pet.
Especially in the summer months, fleas and ticks can become a big problem. Applying a topical or oral prevention every month throughout the entire season is important to keep these parasites from causing an infestation. The adult flea represents only 5% of the flea population. Female fleas can lay from 20 to 50 eggs a day and up to 2000 eggs during their lifetime, which can immediately fall off the animal and lie dormant, ready to hatch - around your house.
Internal Parasites
Many of the internal parasites are protected against by the newer combination heartworm preventatives. However, most of these products have less than 100% effectiveness against parasites, and none protects against all of the internal parasites we see in this area. Therefore, it is still recommended that an annual fecal exam be performed to screen for internal parasites.
Suggested Schedule for Canine Care and Vaccination
6 Weeks Old
Physical exam
Distemper-Measles-Parainfluenza-Parvovirus
First deworming
9 Weeks Old
Physical exam
Distemper-Adenovirus 2-Parainfluenza-Parvovirus-Coronavirus
Second deworming
Start Heartworm Prevention
12 Weeks Old
Physical exam
Bordetella-PI-Adenovirus (intranasal)
Distemper-Adenovirus 2-Parainfluenza-Parvovirus-Coronavirus
First Leptospirosis vaccine for dogs at risk
16 Weeks Old
Physical exam
Distemper-Adenovirus 2-Parainfluenza-Parvovirus-Coronavirus
Second Leptospirosis if applicable
Rabies vaccine 1-year duration
Fecal exam for parasites
6 Months Old
Physical exam
Spay or neuter
Microchipping (Home Again System)
Annual Visit
Physical exam
Distemper-Adenovirus 2-Parainfluenza-Parvovirus-Coronavirus
+/- Leptospirosis
Rabies if due
Heartworm test
Fecal exam
Every 6 Months
Bordetella-PI-Adenovirus (intranasal) is required for boarding and grooming at Companion Animal Clinic.
Buying Medication Online
Attention to owners who buy medication online: many online pharmacies are safe and can be convenient, but we at Companion Animal Clinic do not work directly with 1-800-PetMeds. We are willing to work with you by giving written prescriptions to those who would like to buy through Petmeds, but we do not reccommend this pharmacy.
The reasons are:
PetMeds has a number of lawsuits pending
Medications are often used where concentrations of active ingredients are not the same as in the USA, and are not FDA approved for use in the US
PetMeds will attempt to fill prescriptions that have no doctor authorization or have never before been prescribed (by us) to the patient.