A preliminary note on the subject of your dog's health: it is important to know that you can never replace your vet. Just as every family has a trusted GP to turn to for the treatment and prevention of illness, in the same way it is essential to have a vet to entrust with your dog's care — a professional who can follow him over time for routine vaccinations and periodic check-ups, and step in whenever there is an urgent need. A relationship of trust and ongoing collaboration between owner and vet are indispensable for making correct diagnoses and administering the right treatment.

A specialist vet for your dog's health

Among vets, too, there are general practitioners and others who specialise in the care of companion animals; among the latter, some have specific expertise in particular fields (cardiology, ophthalmology, traumatology, etc.). It is advisable, however, for your trusted vet to point you towards the right specialist. Here, in any case, are the main general symptoms of illness in dogs: lethargy; low mood; reluctance to play; loss of appetite (anorexia); persistent vomiting and/or diarrhoea; nasal and conjunctival discharge; excessive thirst and/or hunger (polydipsia and polyphagia); elevated rectal temperature.

But what are the physiological parameters to refer to for a dog's health? Here are the main ones. Rectal temperature (°C): puppy – 38–39° – Adult – 37.5–38°. Respiratory rate (per min.): in puppies between 20 and 22; in adults between 14 and 20 (respiratory acts). Pulse rate per minute: in puppies between 100 and 130, in adults between 60 and 120.

Infectious diseases

"A dog – explains Dr Cinzia Cortelezzi, veterinary surgeon – comes into contact throughout its life with numerous infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, etc.) that can in some cases cause disease. It is therefore very important to observe some fundamental rules of hygiene and prophylaxis, to prevent contagion from other animals and the possible illness and death of the animal. It would be advisable, for example, not to take puppies to places crowded with other dogs (public parks, boarding kennels, shows, etc.) before vaccination programmes have been completed. One must not forget that following vaccination a dog may be less resistant to common pathogens, as it is already engaged in the immune response stimulated by the vaccine."

It is impossible to suggest a universally valid vaccination programme: in general, it must be assessed on a case-by-case basis according to the different rearing conditions and the epidemiological situation of the disease.

Useful tips and information

• avoid contact with adult dogs before completing vaccinations;
  
• do not cause stress — brought about mainly by sudden dietary, climatic and environmental changes — in the first days immediately after vaccinations;
  
• do not bathe puppies or young dogs;
  
• follow scrupulously the instructions of your trusted vet, who, by observing the individual animal, will be able to offer useful advice;
  
• feed your dog well and, where necessary, supplement with the correct vitamins and minerals;
  
• repeat booster vaccinations as advised by your vet and never assume you have "closed the book" on the infectious agent;
  
• carry out regular parasite checks and treatments.

Advice on the main infectious diseases

• Distemper
• Viral Infectious Hepatitis
  
• Herpesvirus
  
• Parvovirus
  
• Kennel Cough
  
• Rabies
  
• Leptospirosis

The term parasite describes the type of relationship that exists between the dog's organism and the unwanted guest; the latter exploits the animal by living in a condition of equilibrium that can lead to the animal's death as a consequence of a high parasite burden or other concurrent factors that weaken the host. Parasitoses are caused by agents that may be unicellular, such as Babesia canis (the agent of piroplasmosis), or small organisms such as arthropods, insects and others, or worms. Contagion generally occurs through contact with eggs or other larval forms shed into the environment by already infected dogs or by other animals that act as intermediate hosts.

Some of these parasites are also dangerous to humans. The level of infestation can vary depending on: age (almost all puppies have intestinal worms); individual susceptibility; environment (high-risk areas include parks and kennels with a high concentration of animals); the biological cycle of the parasite.

Therapeutic treatment must, in any case, be carried out according to the type of parasite and the organs affected, following your vet's prescription carefully; the drugs used against the parasite can indeed also be harmful to the dog, since such remedies seek to block fundamental biochemical cycles. Given the high risk of infestation in dogs and the possibility of transmission to humans for some of these parasites, it is good practice to carry out regular checks and specific treatments for groups of parasites. Checks should begin from the very earliest age and will need to be repeated periodically. Here too, the advice of your trusted vet proves indispensable for preserving the wellbeing and health of our dog.