Working with Your Dog’s Other Best Friend: His Veterinarian

In this chapter

• Choosing a veterinarian
• Recognizing signs of illness
• Vaccinating a dog
• Saving your Shepherd from deadly heartworms
• Getting your dog to take his medicine

As good an owner and guardian as you try to be, there will come times when you need the help of a professional — a veterinarian trained in diagnosing and treating your dog’s problems. By doing your part in protecting your dog from injury, vaccinating against diseases, and detecting the first signs of illness, you can cut down on your veterinary bills to some extent. Trying to play home vet can be flirting with disaster, however.

Remember

Your Shepherd’s health care is a team effort that your veterinarian directs but that you undertake. Preventive medicine encompasses accident prevention, vaccinations, and parasite control, as well as good hygiene and grooming (see ­Chapter Grooming Your Dog). An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.

Finding a Hospitable Hospital

No matter how diligent you are to give your dog the proper nutrition and exercise, he will eventually need professional medical attention. You also need a good veterinarian to monitor your dog’s internal signs by way of blood tests and other procedures.

Just like human doctors, veterinarians vary in personality, skills, and so on. You want to find the one who best meets your dog’s needs — and yours. When choosing a veterinarian, consider the following:

• Availability: The best vet in the world is no good to you if she is never in the office when you need her. If you work during the week, you may need to find a veterinarian with Saturday or evening hours, or one who allows you to drop off your dog for the day. Some vets even make house calls in mobile veterinary units.
• Costs: Some veterinarians include more sophisticated tests as part of their regular check-ups, which, though desirable, add to the cost of a visit. Unless money is no object, reach an understanding about procedures and fees before having them performed. A good vet should explain why a procedure is needed, whether it is optional for the health of your pet, and, if the procedure is expensive, about what the cost will be. It’s difficult to compare prices from one veterinarian to another because you often get what you pay for. What seems like a really good deal may be so only because the vet cuts corners.
• Facilities and staff: The clinic should be clean and have safe, sanitary overnight accommodations. The staff should be proud to give you a tour if they aren’t too busy. Trained veterinary technicians are a valuable asset to any clinic, but not all clinics have them. A clinic staffed by several veterinarians is usually better; the vets can confer about tough cases and are more likely to be available for emergencies.
• Communication skills: You and your veterinarian form a team who work together to protect your dog’s health, so your rapport with your veterinarian is very important. The vet should listen to your observations and explain to you exactly what is happening with your dog. A vet who is familiar with German Shepherds and their special problems is a real asset.
• Emergency arrangements: Many veterinary clinics refer all clients to a central emergency clinic after-hours, but your veterinarian should still be reachable in cases of extreme emergency. Avoid a veterinarian with an unlisted phone number — but if your vet has a listed phone number, don’t harass!

After you choose a veterinarian, bring your dog in for some routine checks, as shown in Figure 11-1. Doing so gives you a chance to evaluate your vet a bit more, gives your dog a chance to feel comfortable at the clinic, and, most of all, gives the vet a chance to get to know you and your Shepherd. If you establish yourself as a concerned and regular client, your veterinarian is much more likely to go the extra mile for you, whether it entails staying open late for your closing-time emergency or conferring with a specialist on your dog’s case.

FIGURE 11-1: By getting to know the dog in his “normal” state, the vet will be better able to diagnose and treat the dog if he becomes ill in the future.

SPECIALISTS

Most veterinarians are general practitioners, and most of their days are filled with routine cases, such as check-ups, vaccinations, spaying and neutering, skin allergies, and the more common illnesses. A good veterinarian will not hesitate to utter the phrases “I don’t know” and “Perhaps you would like to be referred to a specialist.” For any serious disease, always ask whether a specialist’s opinion would be helpful. Most specialists work at university veterinary teaching hospitals, although you can find some in private practice in larger cities. As with humans, expect to pay more for a veterinary specialist’s opinion. Sometimes even a specialist can do nothing for a dog, but many owners find peace in knowing that they did everything they could and left no stone unturned.

Giving Your Dog a Checkup at Home

A veterinarian can treat a dog only after the dog’s owner recognizes that the dog needs professional care. The only way to know whether your Shepherd may be sick is to be in tune with him when he’s well. Take five minutes every week to perform a simple health check, examining the following:

• Mouth: Look for red, bleeding, swollen, or pale gums; loose teeth; sores on the tongue or gums; or bad breath. (Yes, dogs should have fresh-smelling breath!)
• Eyes: Check for discharge, cloudiness, or discolored whites.
• Ears: Watch for foul odor, redness, discharge, or crusted tips.
• Nose: Look for thickened or colored discharge.
• Skin: Check for parasites, hair loss, crusts, red spots, or lumps.

Warning!

If your dog has a sore that does not heal, or any pigmented lump that begins to grow or bleed, have a veterinarian check it immediately.

• Feet: Check for cuts, abrasions, split nails, bumps, or misaligned toes.
• Anal region: Watch for redness, swelling, discharge, or sores.

Also watch your dog for signs of lameness or incoordination, a sore neck, and loss of muscling, and for any behavioral changes. Run your hands over the dog’s muscles and bones and check that they are symmetrical from one side to the other. Weigh your Shepherd and observe whether he is putting on fat or losing weight. Check for growths or swellings, which could indicate cancer or a number of less-serious problems. Look out for mammary masses, changes in testicle size, discharge from the vulva or penis, increased or decreased urination, foul-smelling or strangely colored urine, incontinence, a swollen abdomen, black or bloody stool, change in appetite or water consumption, difficulty breathing, lethargy, coughing, gagging, or loss of balance.

If your dog has any of these signs, call your veterinarian and ask about bringing your pet in to be checked.

Remember

Shepherds are sometimes so concerned with their tough-guy image that they are amazingly stoic, even when they’re in pain. Because a dog may not be able to express that he’s in pain, you must be alert to changes in demeanor. A stiff gait, low head carriage, reluctance to get up, irritability, dilated pupils, whining, and limping are all indications that your pet is in pain.

Gums

The simplest yet most overlooked checkpoint is a dog’s gum color. Looking at the gums is simple, yet virtually no one does it — except your vet, who looks at the gums before anything else when your dog comes into the exam room. Get used to looking at your dog’s gums — the one place you can see his blood without actually taking it out.

The neat thing about blood is that its color can say a lot:

• Normal gum color is a good deep pink.
• Pale gum color can indicate anemia or poor circulation.
• White or tan gum color can indicate shock, severe anemia, or very poor circulation.
• Bluish gum or tongue color indicates a life-threatening lack of oxygen.
• Bright red gum color can indicate carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Yellowish gum color can indicate jaundice.
• Tiny red splotches on the gums (called petechia) can indicate a blood-clotting problem.

Warning!

All of these conditions (except, of course, normal, deep pink gum color) warrant a call to the emergency vet.

THE NOSE KNOWS — OR DOES IT?

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t tell whether a dog is well by whether it has a wet nose. Sick dogs can have wet noses, and well dogs can have dry noses.

Warning!

Don’t confuse a red line around the gum line with healthy gums. A dog with dirty teeth can have gum disease, giving an unhealthy but rosy glow to the gums, especially at the margins around the teeth.

In addition to checking color, you can estimate capillary refill time, which is an index of blood circulation, simply by pressing on the dog’s gum with your finger and then lifting your finger off the gum. The spot where you pressed will be momentarily white but should repink quickly as the blood moves back into the area. If repinking takes longer than a couple of seconds, circulation is poor, and you should have the vet examine your dog.

Temperature

Your dog’s body temperature is another clue to what’s going on inside him. You can’t put your hand on your Shepherd’s forehead and get an idea, and you can’t have your dog hold a thermometer under his tongue. You can get a very rough idea by feeling your dog’s ears, but for an accurate reading, you need to use a rectal thermometer.

Tip

Digital thermometers are much easier to use. Your dog will appreciate it if you lubricate it with a bit of Vaseline or K-Y jelly before inserting it.

Normal body temperature for a German Shepherd is about 100 to 102 degrees F. (As in humans, a dog’s temperature is slightly lower in the morning and higher in the evening.) If your dog’s temperature is 103 or above or 98 or below, call the vet and ask for advice. If it is 105 or above or 96 or below, go to the emergency vet immediately.

Pulse, heartbeat, and breathing rate

The easiest way to check your dog’s pulse is to feel the pulse through the femoral artery. If your dog is standing, cup your hand around the top of his leg and feel around the inside of it, almost where it joins with the torso. If your dog is on his back, you can sometimes even see the pulse in this area. Normal pulse rate for a German Shepherd at rest is about 60 to 120 beats per minute. A dog with an excessively high or low pulse rate should be examined by a veterinarian.

You can feel your dog’s heartbeat by placing your hand on his lower ribcage just behind his elbow. Don’t be alarmed if it seems irregular; the heartbeat of many dogs is irregular compared to humans. Have your vet check it out, and then get used to how it feels when it’s normal.

While you’re at it, you can check your dog’s breathing rate. Normal respiration rate for a German Shepherd at rest is about 10 to 30 breaths per minute. A higher rate in a resting dog is cause for a veterinary exam.

Hydration

Finally, check your dog’s hydration. Pick up the skin on his back just above the shoulders so that it makes a slight tent above the body. After you release your hold, the skin should pop back into place almost immediately. If it remains tented and separated from the body, your dog is dehydrated. If dehydration is due to lack of water, give your dog lots of water and keep him quiet and still. If his condition does not improve, or if dehydration is due to vomiting or diarrhea, take your Shepherd to the veterinarian to be checked and to receive treatment, including intravenous fluids.

Vaccinating Your Dog

Many German Shepherds have succumbed to contagious diseases — diseases that could have been avoided with a simple vaccination. Don’t let your precious pooch be one of them.

Vaccinations are available for several diseases. Some vaccinations are mandatory from a legal standpoint, some are mandatory from a good-sense standpoint, and some are optional. The following list explains the types of vaccinations that are available and when (and if) they should be administered.

• Rabies: Because rabies is inevitably fatal after symptoms appear, all dogs must be vaccinated against it. The initial rabies vaccination should be given at around 3 to 4 months of age, again one year from the first vaccination, and then once every three years (although to comply with local law, you may have to give a booster every year). Unvaccinated dogs remain the principal hosts for the disease in undeveloped countries.
• Distemper: The history of purebred dogs is riddled with stories of entire kennels being decimated by outbreaks of distemper. The production of a vaccine was one of the greatest developments in canine health. Today, distemper appears primarily in unvaccinated puppies. The initial symptoms are upper respiratory problems and fever, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, and neurologic signs such as difficulty walking or even seizures. Distemper is not always fatal, but curing it is a lot more expensive than getting a simple vaccination.

Very young puppies (about 6 weeks old) usually get a distemper/ measles vaccination because the measles fraction can give temporary immunity even in the presence of maternal antibodies. Subsequent distemper inoculations are given every three to four weeks until the pup is about 16 weeks old. Annual boosters are traditionally recommended.

• Hepatitis: Infectious canine hepatitis type 1 is caused by CAV-1, an adenovirus found mostly in foxes and dogs but also in coyotes, wolves, skunks, and bears. The disease is highly contagious, and there is no cure. Although this form of hepatitis can occur in adults, it most often occurs in young puppies. Some puppies survive, and others do not. Vets usually administer a vaccination with CAV-2 (which works just as well but doesn’t result in the blue-eye reaction that CAV-1 caused when it was used years ago) along with the distemper vaccination.
• Leptospirosis: Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that causes serious liver, kidney, and blood abnormalities. It’s thought to be more prevalent in rural areas, where it is spread by the urine of infected wild animals. Vaccination for lepto protects for only about three to six months, and it works to prevent severe disease but does not protect against infection or all strains of leptospirosis. A small percentage of puppies have an adverse reaction (sometimes very serious) to the vaccination, thus some people prefer not to include lepto in their vaccination regimes. Talk to your vet about the pros and cons of including it in your dog’s vaccination schedule.
• Parvovirus: In the late 1970s, an entirely new worldwide virus broke out that caused often fatal intestinal bleeding in dogs. The advent of a vaccination was a major triumph, although breeders still fear parvovirus because it’s extremely contagious and can remain in the environment for years. Maternal antibodies often interfere with vaccination for parvo; for this reason, three vaccinations by the age of 16 weeks are recommended, with an optional fourth at around 18 to 20 weeks. Annual boosters are traditionally recommended.
• Coronavirus: Coronavirus causes extreme diarrhea, in rare cases resulting in death. Younger dogs are most adversely affected. A vaccination is available but is currently considered optional. Discuss it with your veterinarian.
• Tracheobronchitis (kennel cough): Kennel cough is highly contagious and tends to spread when dogs share closed spaces. It is characterized by a dry, honking cough that can last for weeks. Vaccinations are available, but many different infectious agents can cause kennel cough; the vaccines protect against the most common ones (CPIV, CAV-2, and bordetella), but not all of them. The effects of the vaccines also do not last very long.

For these reasons, and because kennel cough is not fatal, some people prefer not to vaccinate for it. Nonetheless, kennel cough vaccination can be a good idea for dogs who are boarded or shown. The vaccines should be given a week before exposure or with annual boosters, usually by putting drops in the nose.

• Lyme disease: Lyme disease is known to cause severe problems in humans, but its effects in dogs are less clear-cut. A vaccination is available but is not universally accepted as necessary. Only dogs living in areas in which Lyme disease is prevalent should be considered candidates for Lyme disease vaccination. Consult with your veterinarian about the prevalence of Lyme disease in your area.

Remember

You often need proof of current vaccination to transport a dog by air, cross international lines, attend obedience classes, board at a kennel, or have the dog work as a therapy dog.

Puppy vaccinations

Puppy vaccinations are some of the most vital, but most confusing, vaccinations your dog will receive. A puppy receives his mother’s immunity through nursing in the first days of life. This is why it’s important that your pup’s mother be properly immunized long before breeding, and that your pup be able to nurse from his dam. The immunity gained from the mother wears off after several weeks, and then the pup is susceptible to disease unless you provide immunity through vaccinations. The problem is that there’s no way to know exactly when this passive immunity will wear off, and vaccinations given before that time are ineffective. So you must revaccinate over a period of weeks so that your pup is protected and receives effective immunity. That’s why puppies get a series of shots instead of just one or two.

Your pup’s breeder should have given your Shepherd his first vaccinations before he was old enough to go home with you. Bring the information about your pup’s vaccination history to your veterinarian on your first visit so that the pup’s vaccination schedule can be maintained.

Adult vaccinations

The German Shepherd is one of several breeds in which the immune system seems to act a little differently. For example, GSDs sometimes fail to gain immunity from certain vaccinations. One solution is to revaccinate them often, more so than with other breeds. The problem with this solution is that vaccinating can precipitate autoimmune diseases (in which the immune system turns on parts of the dog’s own body in sort of a case of mistaken identity). GSDs also tend to be somewhat predisposed to autoimmune diseases.

Recent studies have implicated “overvaccination” — repeated vaccinations of combined vaccines — with some autoimmune problems. Some veterinarians thus recommend staggering different types of vaccines and discourage overvaccination. They also discourage vaccination in any dog who is under stress or not feeling well. Many dogs seem to feel under the weather for a day or so after getting their vaccinations, so don’t schedule your appointment the day before boarding, surgery, a trip, or a big doggy event.

Tip

Vaccinating is unlikely to affect your dog adversely, but if you’re a worrywart, you can ask your veterinarian about getting titers run every year instead of boosters. A titer can tell you whether your dog has sufficient immunity to a disease. The main problem with getting titers is that they’re more expensive than vaccines. In addition, knowing how to interpret some of them is difficult.

THE GREAT VACCINATION DEBATE

Traditional vaccination schedules vary, but they typically consist of annual booster shots. Several espected veterinary teaching hospitals have recently revised their vaccination protocols to include fewer booster shots. One such protocol suggests giving a three-shot series for puppies, each shot containing parvovirus, adenovirus 2 (CAV-2), parainfluenza (CPIV), and distemper, with one rabies vaccination at 16 weeks. Following this series, a booster is given one year later, and then subsequent boosters are given once every three years. Other respected epidemiologists disagree and prefer the traditional vaccination schedule. The great vaccination debate is far from over, so confer with your veterinarian about current thinking on the matter. One thing is for sure: No matter what their possible side effects, vaccinations are a good thing, and all dogs must be vaccinated for their own health as well as the health of others.

Preventing Heartworms

One of a veterinarian’s most important jobs is to prescribe medicine that keeps your dog from getting heartworms — deadly parasites carried by mosquitoes. If you live in a warm area, your dog may need to be on heartworm prevention year-round, but in a cooler climate, you may need to use prevention only during the warmer months. Your veterinarian can advise you whether year-round prevention is necessary in your area and will prescribe prevention medicine for you.

Several effective types of heartworm prevention are available, with some also preventing many other types of worms. Some require daily administration, and others require only monthly administration. The latter type is more popular and actually has a wider margin of safety and protection. The drugs don’t stay in the dog’s system for a month, but instead act on a particular stage in the heartworm’s development. Giving the drug each month prevents heartworms from maturing.

Warning!

If you forget to give the preventive as prescribed, your dog may get heartworms. Do not give a dog with suspected heartworms the daily preventive, because a fatal reaction could occur. The most common way to check for heartworms is to check the blood for circulating microfilarae (the immature form of heartworms), but this method may fail to detect the presence of adult heartworms in as many as 20 percent of tested dogs. An “occult” heartworm test, though slightly more expensive, tests for the presence of antigens to heartworms in the blood and is more accurate. With either test, the presence of heartworms will not be detectable until nearly seven months after infection.

Remember

Heartworms are treatable in their early stages, but the treatment is neither cheap nor without risks. If left untreated, heartworms can kill your pet. The best solution is to prevent them in the first place.

Some heartworm preventives also protect your dog from some other parasites (see Chapter Taking Care of a Sick Shepherd). Discuss your options with your veterinarian.

SCOOTING

Is it true that a dog who scoots his rear on the ground must have worms? No. Although scooting may be a sign of tapeworms, a dog who repeatedly scoots more likely has impacted anal sacs (see Chapter Taking Care of a Sick Shepherd).

Spaying and Neutering

One of the most important proactive things you can do for your dog’s wellbeing is to neuter or spay your pet. Most veterinarians advocate neutering and spaying dogs who will not be used for breeding. These procedures negate the chance of accidental litters, do away with the headaches of dealing with a bitch in season or a male on the prowl for a date, and even afford some health benefits.

Spaying (surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus) before the first season drastically reduces the chances of breast or uterine cancer, as well as pyometra (infection of the uterus). Tumors of the mammary glands are among the most common of cancers in dogs, occurring mostly in females who were not spayed early in life. Spaying after the age of 2 years doesn’t impart the protection from mammary cancer that earlier spaying does.

Castration (surgical removal of the testicles) eliminates the chance of testicular cancer with few, if any, adverse effects. And if you fear that a lack of testicles will somehow make your dog seem less macho, artificial implants (called Neuticles) are available so that no one can tell the difference.

Giving Your Dog Medicine

Chances are your dog will occasionally have to take medicine at home. For most dogs, taking medicine is no problem. The following list walks you through administering medicine in various forms:

• Pills: Open your dog’s mouth and place the pill well to the back and in the middle of the tongue. Close the mouth and gently stroke the throat until your dog swallows. Pre-wetting capsules or covering them with cream cheese or other food helps prevent capsules from sticking to the tongue or the roof of the mouth.

f you have a dog who thinks you’re trying to feed him thumbtacks, try hiding pills in cream cheese, hamburger, or peanut butter. Give a few decoy treats first so that he isn’t suspicious and is more likely to gulp down the treat.

• Liquid medicine: Tilt the dog’s head back, keep his mouth almost closed (but not tightly), and place the liquid in the pouch of the cheek. Liquid medicines are easier to give if you put the liquid in a syringe (without the needle!). Then hold the mouth almost closed until the dog swallows.

Liquid medications can be almost impossible to give if your Shepherd says, “No way!” You can try injecting the liquid into a blob of meat, cream cheese, or peanut butter, being very careful that it doesn’t leak out. You can also try a sneak attack when your dog is sleeping, but only if you’re absolutely sure that your dog won’t become startled and bite. (This tactic seldom works more than once.) Or you can simply put the medicine on your dog’s food if you’re sure that he will lick the bowl clean. Of course, if you have to go to all this trouble, you really need to ask your vet whether the medicine is available in some other form!

• Eye medications: First, clean any goop out of your dog’s eye, which can prevent the medication from contacting the eye. Then do your best to pry the eye partially open and place the drops or ointment in the inner corner of the eye. Because dogs have an extra eyelid and an extra muscle that pulls the eye back into its socket (neither of which people have), they can do a good job of appearing to be eyeless and making your job as difficult as possible.
• Ear medications: Clean any heavy debris from the ear, if possible. Then place the medicine as deep into the canal as you can. Remember that the ear canal first goes down vertically and then turns abruptly toward the center of the dog’s head. Therefore, you should hold the head vertically at first so that the medicine can drop down to the curve and then turn the dog’s head so that the ear you’re medicating is turned upward.
• Because most dogs are rarely this cooperative, your next choice is to massage the base of the ear in hopes that you squish the medicine inward. Remember that it’s best to medicate ears outside, because as soon as you let go, the dog will shake his head and medicine will go everywhere.

Warning!

Always give the full course of medication that your veterinarian prescribes. If a medicine is worth giving, it’s worth giving a full course. Also, don’t give your dog human medications unless your veterinarian has directed you to do so. Some medications for humans have no effect on dogs, but others can have a very detrimental effect.

by D. Caroline Coile, PhD