Care for a dog, from the first vaccination to the last winter
A dog moves through four distinct stages and each one needs something different from us. What follows is what changes, and when, for a dog living in Perth.
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What changes, and when
- 8 weeks to 6 months
Puppy
The vaccination course, worming every fortnight, socialisation while the window is open, and the desexing conversation started rather than finished.
- 6 months to 2 years
Young adult
Desexing at the age that suits the breed's adult size, the first full dental grade, and the weight habits that decide the next decade.
- 2 to 7 years
Adult
A yearly check, boosters on schedule, parasite cover through the warm months, and a dental grade every visit.
- 7 years and older
Senior
Two checks a year, blood and urine screening yearly, and arthritis managed before the dog stops doing the things it likes.
Services for dogs
Health checks
Dogs and cats mask pain and illness well into the middle of it.
Vaccinations
Which vaccines a pet needs depends on where it lives, how old it is and what it does with its day.
Desexing
Timing matters more than it used to.
Parasite prevention
Perth's parasite year looks different from the east coast's.
Dental care
By three years old most dogs and cats have something worth grading.
Nutrition and weight
Carrying an extra fifteen per cent shortens a dog's life and brings arthritis forward by years.
What we see most
A dog that won't eat
One skipped meal in an otherwise bright dog is rarely urgent. A dog that refuses food for more than a day, or is quiet and off food alongside vomiting or a swollen abdomen, should be seen rather than waited out.
See 24-hour emergencyA dog that's just not right
Slower on the walk, off the couch instead of greeting you, quiet in a way you can't quite name. Owners are usually correct about this before anything shows on an exam, and it is worth a consult on its own.
See Health checksVomiting and diarrhoea
A single vomit in a bright dog is rarely urgent. Vomiting that repeats, has blood in it, or comes with a swollen or painful abdomen is a same-day call - it can be the first sign of a blockage.
See 24-hour emergencyA limp that doesn't settle
Not every limp is a cruciate. A limp still there after a day of rest, or one that comes and goes over weeks, is worth an exam rather than more rest.
See Orthopaedic surgeryA lump under the skin
Most lumps on a dog are fatty and harmless, and the only way to tell which are which is a needle sample. Anything new, or anything that changes size or shape, is worth checking rather than watching.
See Soft-tissue surgeryEar infections
Head shaking, scratching at the ears or a smell from the ear canal is usually an infection sitting on top of an allergy. Treating the ear without finding the allergy means it comes back.
See Skin and allergyItchy skin
The most common reason a dog comes back more than once a year in Perth. It has an order of investigation, and following it is faster than trying medications.
See Skin and allergyCruciate injury
A sudden hind-leg lameness in a middle-aged dog is a cruciate until proven otherwise. Both stifles are often involved over time.
See Orthopaedic surgeryDental disease
Present in most dogs by three. The grade at the annual check is the number that decides whether it is a brushing problem or a surgical one.
See Dental careWeight gain after desexing
Energy requirement drops by about a quarter and the bowl usually does not. It is the easiest of these to prevent and the slowest to reverse.
See Nutrition and weightHeat stress
A Perth summer catches flat-faced breeds and thick-coated dogs. Walks move to early morning from December, and the footpath test settles it.
See 24-hour emergencyBook for your dog
Six hospitals across Perth, and one of them is open right now.