What Dogs Need - Health Care for Your Dog

What Dogs Need

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Health Care
for Your Dog

All dogs need to see a veterinarian at least once a year. A new puppy needs a checkup with a vet soon after you get your dog. The doctor will make sure the puppy is healthy.

Some puppies may need special medicines. They also need some shots to protect them from illnesses they might catch from other dogs. A new puppy will get several shots over a six week period. These are called vaccinations. You may have to visit your vet two or three times to get vaccinations while your puppy is young.

When your dog is four to six months old, he will need to get a rabies shot. This will protect him from the disease called rabies. Rabies is contagious between humans and animals. The law requires that all dogs be vaccinated against rabies before they can get a license.

While your dog is growing up, he will have to get booster shots for those vaccinations, but only once a year. This is a good time for your doctor to give your dog a checkup and make sure she is strong and healthy.

Did you know that dogs have three eyelids? They have an upper and lower eyelid and a third one inside of the other two. It helps protect the eye from dirt and dust. It is also called a "haw".

Fido's Fabulous Dog Fact

One of the most important things you can do for your dog is to have your vet perform surgery so that she won't be able to produce puppies.
	The operation is called 'spay' for a girl dog and 'neuter' for a boy dog. Read more about why this operation is important on the page called 'Too Many Dogs'.

A dog's body is similar to ours.
We both have a skeleton that holds our body together. Inside our skeleton is a brain, a heart, and lungs. We both have backbones. We both need to keep ourselves healthy.

Click on the to find out what else we have in common with dogs.

A dog's normal temperature
is between 100.2-102.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fido's Fabulous Dog Facts

Collie on dog bed.

Don't let the bed bugs bite!

Keeping your dog's area clean is extra important in warm weather. Fleas, mosquitoes, and other nasty bugs can make your dog unhealthy and unhappy if he is exposed to them.

Watch for these signs that your dog has fleas:
*Scratching*
*Licking*
*Hair loss on his back and tail*
If you see any of these signs, ask your parents
to talk to the vet about getting rid of the little creatures. Alaskan Malamute scratching.

Give your parents a hand. Help them clean the yard, the house, and your dog because all three will have fleas. Your veterinarian can tell you what to do. Fleas can be very frustrating. Helping your parents to control them would show you are being responsible.

Of course, anytime your dog appears to be ill or is acting differently than usual, this is a good time to call the vet. You can help your parents by noticing unusual signs or behaviors.

If your dog is vomiting, has diarrhea, or doesn't want to eat for more than a day or two, you should ask your parents to call the vet. Hopefully, you will get to know your dog so well, that any unusual behavior will be a signal to you that your dog needs attention.

A Word About Exercise

Your dog needs exercise, just like you do to keep his muscles strong and his heart healthy. You can run and play in the yard with him. You can play ball. You can take him for walks on the leash.
For more activities, click here!

Girl using stethoscope to examine her dog.

Click below to find out how you can help keep your dog healthy by giving him a checkup.
Give Your Dog a Checkup!

Rusty's Ridiculous Riddles and Jokes

A dog loses its tail. To find another tail,
It goes to the re-tail shop!

Thanks to 6 year old Nidhi from Chennai, Tamilnadu India for this joke!