Health
- Puppy Shots (Veterinarians may have slightly varying approaches to the series of puppy shots… due to living in different states or climates etc)
We vaccinate our puppies at 6 weeks of age using Vanguard 5/CV and they receive 2 shots of Neopar to prevent Parvo. If we keep puppies here we vaccinate at 9, 12, 16 and 20 weeks
Rabies Vaccine 20 weeks – Bordatella (kennel cough)
Heartworm protection starts at 16 weeks of age and as well as Frontline Plus.
This is only what we do, I highly suggest to ask your vet what they suggest.
1. Never put your puppy on the floor or examination table unless you have personally observed that is has been sanitized and disinfected. Although necessary, the veterinarians’ office is one of the most dangerous places you can take your puppy. As a vets office is one of the most dangerous places you can take your puppy as most pets go there due to illness.
2. Never take your puppy to areas where dogs of unknown health may have visited. This would include walks outside of your property, pet stores, and especially Dog Parks until its immune system has fully developed meaning ALL shots have been given. This included walks outside the boundaries of your property as parvo can be contracted by shoes, car tires and so forth. This is why it is so important to get all the puppy vaccinations not just a few of them.
3. When receiving your puppy from the airport you are going to want to take that puppy from the crate and let the puppy go to the bathroom. That is a HUGE NO, NO! Don’t do it. I know that sounds crazy but think of all the other dogs that have done the same thing and you don’t know if they had any disease or not. Hundreds if not thousands of dogs fly through airports daily and yearly. The Airport is a very horrible place to let a puppy that is not fully vaccinated out to go to the bathroom. Treat this puppy as your baby and protect your puppy and find a safer place. - Worming Your Puppy
I believe every new puppy buyer should re-deworm their puppy again 2 weeks after getting their puppy
no matter from me or anyone else, again at 6 months and 1 year. (Consult a licensed veterinarian)
Puppies tend to put all kinds of stuff in their mouths from the time of birth until adulthood so it is no wonder why they may contract worms.
Fenbendazole (Safe Guard) 1ML per 5 pounds or a Cocker 25 pounds is 5ML
for 3 days.
Since we are already giving this I up the dose to 1 1/2ML per 6 Pounds and give for 5 days to prevent Giardia.
If you are already using this medicine to treat worms might as well do it for two more days and prevent/treat Giardia.
Another prevention for Giardia is Safeguard and Metronidazole at the same time for 5-7 days.
Pretreatment of parasites includes disinfecting with bleach on a daily at 1:32 dilution which requires less than a minute of contact time to effectively kill giardia.
Giving your puppy/adult a sanitation shave around anus and hair between pads and toes is a good idea. - Rabies
Our dogs are vaccinated against rabies which is good for 1 year, then a year later another vaccination which is then good for 3 years.
Puppies must have a rabies shot in order to get a dog licenses, which is required by law.
Puppies over 10 weeks are required to have rabies vaccination in order for them to do a Health Certificate.
You will also need this in order to get your puppy groomed and sometimes required to go to your local vet.
Your vet will give you papers stating that your puppy/dog has had this shot. - Bordatella (Kennel Cough)
If your dog will be boarded, groomed or going to dog shows, a yearly bordetella booster is highly recommended it can be administered under the skin or by the nose.
Bordetella typically causes no more than a mild illness however, it can cause severe illness or even death.
We either use Bronchicine CAe which is an injection or Nobivac® Intra-Trac®3 which goes in their nose.
If you feel comfortable can go to www.RevivalAnimalHealth.com and purchase
Solo-Jec® KC which is one dose that goes up their nose. (Approx. $4.99 ) - Heartworm
Heartworm is endemic to most of the United States and prevention is the key.
We start on heartworm meds at 16 weeks of age and continue into adulthood.
I also do Heartworm preventative on the 1st of each month and any type of deworming on the 15th so this way the two medicines are not given at the same time.
Ask your vet for more details on what you should be using on your pet! - Getting your puppy fixed
Some vets can do this as early as 8 weeks of age. Some prefer after 12 weeks of age.
Females usually want to do this before the puppy reaches 6 months prior to coming in heat.
Males usually like to do this around 5 to 9 months of age.
I highly recommend talking to your local vet and ask them what age they recommend.
In some cities, it is cheaper to license your pet if they are fixed vs not fixed. - Fleas
Besides Revolution which is for the prevention of heartworms and fleas, I use another line of defense to prevent my dogs from having them. Dawn dish soap!
It’s believed that soap breaks down cell membranes and removes the wax from the insect cuticles.
As a result, insects can’t retain water and they quickly drown. Killing them within minutes.
Fleas tend to like the face, neck, ears, and privates but make sure you do the whole pet.
Because of stripping the oils from using the Dawn I recommend a high-quality conditioner after shampooing.
When bathing my own puppies/dogs I usually use Dawn at the beginning of the bath, followed by a shampoo of my liking then followed by a really good conditioner.
That is my routine which has prevented my puppies/dogs from getting fleas. - Coccidia
Clinical signs of coccidiosis usually are present or shortly following stress such as weather changes; weaning; long automobile or plane rides; relocation to a new home and new owners; and/or unsanitary conditions.
Symptoms or signs of coccidiosis will depend on the state of the disease at the time of observation.
Coccidiosis affects the intestinal tract and symptoms are associated with it. In mild cases, only watery diarrhea may be present, and if blood is present in the feces, it is only in small amounts. Severely affected animals may have a thin, watery feces with considerable amounts of intestinal mucosa and blood. Straining usually is evident, rapid dehydration, weight loss and anorexia (off feed) also may be clinically visible.
Coccidiosis is frequently referred to as an opportunist – a disease that will develop when other stress factors are present. For example, the highest incidence of coccidiosis is in the first 21 days after a dog has changed owners and moved to a new residence. If a normal animal carries oocysts, it is relatively easy for rapid development when the conditions are right – adverse weather, shipping, dog food changes, new owners, new residence, and other stresses.
As prevention:
Since 2020 as a prevention we use Ponazuril that’s a compound drug that we get from our Vet.
It takes 1 to 2 days to work.
We give it 3 days prior to them leaving.
.5 ml for Cocker puppies and usually only takes 1 dose but the vet has read studies which he thinks 3 days is better.
Ponazuril kills coccidia! - Allergies
Allergies particularly food allergies. It is been found that many Cockers have issues with chicken, wheat, and soy just to name a few. When trying to get a new puppy/dog food try to pick something in the fish, salmon selection and grain-free.
Another great source of dog health information is at www.BeaglesUnlimited.com
They talk about beagle health but Cockers are pretty close in weight and size.
- Liability:
I’ll tell you what I use and do, you can use your own judgment whether you want to follow in my footsteps.
This article is presented only as documentation of how to do things for our Cockers at our house.
Should you have a concern regarding the health of your Cocker(s), you should contact your veterinarian. All information on this site is presented solely for educational and informational purposes and should not, at any time, be considered a substitute for seeking or receiving veterinary care for your Cocker(s).