Recently my best friend got a new Doberman puppy, Kody.  Knowing that most people that are not familiar with Dobermans have a tendency to be scared of them (especially if Kody grows into his big paws) his owner is making a very concerted effort to expose him to all things loud, nosing and colorful.  As a veterinarian we are still concerned about his immune system or rather the lack of it so we don’t really advocate you take your new puppy to dog parks and beaches right away.  But there is an easy way to get around that.  Enlist your friends that have healthy vaccinated dogs to come over for supervised play dates.  Playing with other dogs (or cats at our household) teach the pup manners and how to socially interact.  Here is a clip of our year old shelter dog Sophia teaching a San Clemente shelter dog how to play. Click here for the Sophia and Shelter pup video

Answer:  Your toothpaste contains fluoride and you actively spit out the toothpaste, your pet’s toothpaste does not contain fluoride because they are not able to spit out the toothpaste

Getting Started

Puppies and Kittens-  I usually let them play with the toothbrush with tooth paste on it for the first week or two and practice lifting their gums and rubbing their gum.  As you get your pet becomes more accustomed to brushing start focusing on the teeth in the back- the ones you can not see.  Those are the ones that are hard to see how plaque and tartar is affecting the gum line

This blog is not meant to scare you but I think it is important to educate pet owners that there are certain diseases they can contract from their pet.   The best way to avoid the below diseases is to use good basic hygiene.  Small children are more at risk since they are closer to the ground and they usually don’t mind eating that cookie they just dropped in the grass.

Let’s start with roundworms and hookworms.  Yuck!  You may have seen them, they look like a pile of spaghetti but moving.  They are very common in your kittens and puppies because the worms go dormant in the female until pregnancy.  The problem with roundworms is that they can cause incredible damage as they migrate across the body.  These worms can work their way up your limbs,  travel across the back of your eye and even through your brain.  Roundworms are a hygiene problem and usually effects small children.  The monthly medications that are used to prevent heartworms in dogs are also very effective in treating roundworms.  Whether or not you live in a heartworm area, your pet should be on a monthly dewormer and especially if you have small children.  The CDC and CAPC have great information on their sites.   

Salmonella-   Salmonella is not just about raw eggs.  Salmonella is commonly carried by reptiles.  There have been several cases reported to the Orange County Public Health Department due to an iguana and a small child sharing bath water.  Horses on the east coast have come down with Salmonella when they drink from a pond that has become infected by the turtle population.  Again use basic hygiene especially with small children handling reptiles.

Giardia-  Giardia is the parasite that you have to watch out for when you go to Mexico or on camping trips.  Giardia is spread by drinking infected water.  Avoid the water and avoid the problem.  Dogs will also get a watery diarrhea that can be treated with medication.  Often time in multi-dog or cat households the whole herd may need to be treated.