Husbandry Flashcards
First Veterinarian Appointment
between 6-8 weeks of age, physical exam and vaccines
Fully vaccinated
16-18 weeks after the last dose of distemper/parvo or adenovirus
For early disease prevention a dog should be examined by a vet
Examined by a vet at least once yearly
Core vaccines recommended for all dogs
Distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, rabies
Vaccine schedules
Distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, given every 3-4 weeks starting around 6-8 weeks of age until the puppy is 12-14 weeks of age. Then boostered at 1 year of age, then repeated every 3 years. Rabies is given once in the first year at 12 weeks of age or older followed by a booster at 1 year of age, then repeated every 1-3 years.
Additional non-core vaccines dependent on area of living
lyme disease, leptospirosis, bordatella, and parainfluenza.
Wolf dog hybrids do not get the same effectiveness as domestic dogs from what vaccine
Rabies
Gastrointestinal parasites
damage the gastrointestinal tract and impede the absorption of proper nutrients from the diet. Examples: roundworms and hookworms which can be transmitted to people.
External parasites
can cause disease, allergic reactions, or infections. Dog may become lame, febrile, or have organ dysfunction. Examples: Fleas and ticks
Disease prevention practices
vaccines, not allowing unvaccinated or unhealthy dogs in class. Keep training spaces free of hair, debris, fecal material, urine, and clean regularly with disinfectant. Solution of 1:30 bleach is effective against parvovirus.
Parvovirus
puppy that is depressed, vomiting, or diarrhea (may be severe and bloody). It is spread by direct contact between dogs as well as by contaminated stool, surfaces, bowls, collars, leashes, equipment, and the hands and clothing of people. It can also survive in the soil for years, making the virus hard to kill. Treating can be very expensive and many dogs die despite intensive treatment.
Tracheobronchitis
kennel cough, highly spreadable. Dogs do not get colds so any coughing should be assessed by a veterinarian. Can be accompanied by a snotty nose.
Canine distemper
Very contagious virus. Puppies and dogs usually become infected through virus particles in the air or in the respiratory secretions of infected dogs. Infected dogs typically develop runny eyes, fever, snotty nose, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and paralysis. It is often fatal.
Canine influenza
a relatively new disease in dogs. Because most dogs have not been exposed to the virus, their immune systems are not able to fully respond to the virus and many of them will become infected when they are exposed. Spread through respiratory secretions, contaminated objects (including surfaces, bowls, collars and leashes). The virus can survive for up to 48 hours on surfaces, up to 24 hours on clothing, and up to 12 hours on people’s hands. Dogs can be shedding the virus before they even show signs of illness, which means an apparently healthy dog can still infect other dogs. Signs include coughing, a fever and a snotty nose, which are the same signs observed when a dog has kennel cough.
Leptospirosis
caused by bacteria. The bacteria are shed in the urine of infected animals, and animals and people usually become infected by drinking contaminated water or coming into contact with contaminated soil or food. Dogs infected may develop fever, muscle weakness, vomiting, lethargy, abdominal pain, and kidney or liver failure.
Rabies
any mammal can be infected. 100% fatal in animals once they start to show signs of disease. The virus is spread by saliva, either by a bite from an infected animal or by saliva contaminating a skin wound. In addition, any contact with wildlife (including bats) can introduce the risk of infection. Raccoons, skunks and other wild animals can carry the virus and may be present in areas where dogs gather.
Heartworms
spread by mosquitoes and can cause coughing, lethargy, difficulty breathing, heart disease and death.
Hydrocephalus
when excessive cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain due to clogging of brain drains. Can be a congenital defect or from trauma, inflammation, or infection in the brain.
Epilepsy
brain disorder characterized by intermittent bursts of abnormal brain activity resulting in seizures. Seizures can be convulsions or loss of consciousness. Can produce sudden changes in behavior like sudden out of control aggression, salivation, or hallucinations (like fly biting).
Liver disease
hepatic encephalopathy. Renders liver unable to remove toxic products and unable to produce the amino acids necessary for neurotransmission. Behavior changes most noticeable in the few hours after eating. Signs include loss of appetite, vomiting, weight loss, increased water consumption, increased urine output, pacing, mental dullness, increased irritability or aggression, and sometimes seizures.
Hypoglycemia
low blood sugar. Signs include weakness, disorientation, irritability, failure to process information, sometimes seizures.
Hypothyroidism
underactivity of the thyroid. Problems include aggression, irritability, and anxiety related disorders.
Cognitive Disfunction Syndrome (CDS)
age related changes in mental function and behavior. Signs include disorientation, change in the way a dog interacts with its social group, disruptions to the sleep/wake cycle, forgetting of known rules (example: house soiling). May startle more easily due to loss of vision or hearing.
Signs of pain
reduction of motivation to learn or take risks, increase in irritability possibly resulting in aggression in response to certain stimuli, heightened need to protect themselves, odd patterns of movement or refusal of certain body positions.
Heatstroke
big risk during warm and hot weather. A temperature that seems only a little warm to a person can be too hot for a dog. Never leave your pet in the car on warm days. Even a 70°F day can be too hot in a car. Short-nosed breeds, such as pugs, Boston Terriers, boxers, bulldogs, etc. are more prone to this and breathing problems because they don’t pant as effectively as breeds with normal-length noses. Signs include excessive panting and drooling, anxiousness, weakness, abnormal gum color (darker red or even purple), collapse and death. Any dog showing signs should be immediately taken to a shaded area and cooled with cold, wet towels that are wrung out and rewetted every few minutes. Running cool water over the dog’s body and quickly wiping it away (so the water absorbs the skin’s heat and is immediately wiped away) can also help. Transport the dog to a veterinarian immediately, because it can rapidly become deadly.
Health Benefits of Spaying
protection from serious disease of reproductive tract including uterine cancer, and pyometra (life threatening uterine infection). If done before first heat cycle can have dramatic decrease of risk of mammary cancer.
Health Benefits of Neuter
Reduced risk of infection and benign overgrowth of prostate. Risk of testicular cancer is eliminated.
Spay procedure
the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus are removed from a female dog. Ovariohysterectomy
Neuter procedure
the testes are removed from a male dog. Orchiectomy
Injury prevention practices
all interactions between dogs should be directly supervised. Bite wounds should be immediately evaluated by a veterinarian and efforts should be made to determine the rabies vaccination status of the biting dog. Overweight dogs and dogs accustomed to more sedentary lifestyles should be encouraged to become more active, but excessive activity can put them at risk of injury to joints, bones or muscles. Overweight dogs should be given a weight loss plan by a veterinarian. Train on stable nonslip surfaces.
Phylogenic Behavior
behaviors common to the dog as a species in general that have developed over generations and have evolutionary significance. These behaviors can be modified. Example: innate fear of fire or loud noises.
All canine behavior can be categorized into 3 motivations
food acquisition, hazard avoidance (safety/comfort seeking), and reproductive behaviors.
Food acquisition sequence
Hear, see, smell prey orient, stare, freeze creep, stalk, run grab, hold, shake bring down kill dismember eat guard
Fixed action pattern
specific examples of innate or phylogenetic behavior. A particular trigger is needed to start the behavior. Once started in needs to go to completion before the animal stops. Examples: nursing, snarling, male urination/marking behavior.
Ontogenetic behavior
develop over the lifetime of the dog as a response to environmental influences. These behaviors can be modified. Example: dog learns to run to human for food when it hears its name.
Instinctive drift
(The Breland Effect) Whenever an animal has a strong instinctive behavior, the animal will drift toward the instinctive behavior to the detriment of the conditioned behavior, even to the delay or exclusion of the reinforcement. Learned behavior drifts toward instinctive behavior.
Testosterone
principle male hormone manufactured by testes. Influence behaviors like mounting, mating, searching for females, scent marking, and aggression.
Estrogen and progesterone
hormones become active near puberty in females. Peak 2x a year in estrus cycles when females become sexually receptive.
Estrus, heat, in season
occurs in females 2x a year. Approximately 20 days in duration. Females may court males and allow them to breed.
Hepatitis (Adenovirus 2)
transmitted through bodily fluids.
Signs high fever, anorexia, depressed mood
Coccidia
zoonotic, disinfectant resistant, contagious, produces watery diarrhea
Giardia
microorganism that infects the digestive system, lives in contaminated soil. Transmitted via mucus, blood, or stool.
Tick Transmitted Diseases
Lyme, Rocky Mountain Fever, Anemia, Paralysis
Sarcoptic Mange
Also Known as Canine Scabies. Highly contagious and zoonotic, skin/fur mite
Demodectic Mange
Disease caused by mite on the skin and hair of dogs- red itchy skin infection. Not zoonotic or contagious. Believe to result from and underdeveloped or suppressed immune system
Learned Helplessness
Learner has learned that they are incaplable of escaping and cease trying.
Normal Dog Body Temperature
100.2 to 102.8
Normal Resting Pulse Rate
Toy Breeds = 100-160bpm
Dog 10-25 lbs = 90-140bpm
Dog 25-50 lbs = 80-120bpm
Dog 50+ lbs = 70-120bpm
