Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A VET?
Please remember to make sure the veterinarian you are using is a great surgeon, and has dealt with spaying and neutering older dogs. Doing a simple Google search on your veterinarian and looking for reviews will give you ample information regarding if they had had any issues with surgery on dogs.
WHEN SHOULD I TAKE MY PUP TO THE VET?
If you do not already have a vet, it is a good idea to take your pup as early as possible to a vet of your choosing so that you become a customer. This way, if your pup swallows something he shouldn’t, your vet will see your pup because you are a customer, and you will not have to go to an emergency room where the care is extremely expensive and often inferior.
Your pup has already been seen by our vet and given a clean bill of health so this first early visit is simply a “get to know you and your new pup” visit. Do NOT do anything to the pup. NO vaccinations.
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WORMS, GIARDIA & SALMONELLA?
Giardia and salmonella are commonly carried by dogs. They will not pass it on to you. Please DO NOT let your veterinarian test for salmonella and giardia, as the tests will come back positive because of the raw food diet that your puppy is on. Salmonella and giardia are not life threatening to your puppy and will not harm them. Save the antibiotics for conditions that really need to be addressed.
Worms are a fact of life. Your puppy has been dewormed multiple times by us before they leave with you, but that does not mean they cannot get worms tomorrow. It is fine to give your puppy Heartgard (which isprovided by your vet) 3 or 4 times a year to keep your pup heartworm and worm-free.
WHAT VACCINES DO I NEED TO HAVE ADMINISTERED?
At 16 weeks of age, take your puppy to the veterinarian again and have your veterinarian titer your puppy to test their immunity to the Parvovirus. If your puppy titers greater than 65% or higher for the Parvovirus, your puppy is fully immune and does not need any other vaccines except for rabies. Sometimes the test will say: probably protected, or something like that. This is to protect the vet and the insurance companies. Your pup is protected and immune and does not need another Parvovirus vaccine. Parvo is currently an epidemic and very contagious but it is a puppy problem, not an adult dog problem.
With the exception of rabies, no other vaccination is required by law. If not for the law, we would not administer the rabies vaccine either. We do not administer any other vaccines as they have been shown to cause allergies, Pano, cancer and many other conditions in dogs. Our dogs are being over vaccinated. If you are feeling unsure, do your research!
Ask your vet how much Distemper they have seen in the last few years. Our vet has not seen it in over 30 years. The immunization for kennel cough, (A2-Boratello) will not prevent kennel cough. It may prevent a possible secondary infection called Boratello. Kennel cough is not life threatening. It is just a cough they will get over in less than 2 weeks. If you feel pressured by your vet to vaccinate, then make sure you do the vaccines one at a time and allow for a lot of time to go by between each one. Do not do a second vaccination.
WHAT VACCINES OR TREATMENTS HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED ALREADY?
While your pups are with us at On The Bluff, we give them critical health and medical care starting at an early age. We are often asked what vaccinations we do give, considering our stance on minimizing vaccines that are not needed, so here is a basic outline:
- Parvovirus vaccine administered @ 5 weeks of age and @ 7 weeks of age.
- Deworming:
- Pyrantel administered 1 dose @ 3 weeks of age and 1 dose @ 4 weeks of age.
- Safeguard administered @ 6 weeks of age for 5 days.
- Toltrazuril administered @ 7 weeks of age for 3 days.
RELATED BLOG POSTS
THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LABRADOR
What was the English Lab bred to do, and how does that behavior express itself in the modern home?
HOW TO TREAT EAR INFECTIONS NATURALLY
Labs have big floppy heavy ears and this creates a dark, moist environment which can make them sometimes prone to ear issues such as yeast and bacteria.
HOW TO GIVE BONES & TREATS
Raw bones are good for your dog, but do not feed cooked bones – they can splinter. We also recommend natural treats from a local company.
HOW TO PREVENT FLEAS & TICKS NATURALLY
Systemic flea and tick repellents, as well as flea colors, are insect repellents that enter the bloodstream and can cause serious side effects like seizures and paralysis.
THREE WAYS TO TRACK YOUR DOG’S LOCATION
We are okay with microchips but if you’d like a direct tracking option, we would recommend either a GPS collar or an Apple Airtag.
OPTIONS FOR FEEDING YOUR LAB FRESH FOOD
We will not recommend any dog food, because they are all overly processed, have no expiration date and are made with inferior ingredients.
TRANSITIONING YOUR PUP TO THEIR NEW HOME
Predictable challenges of the first days in a new home are potty training regression, crate training regression, and GI upset.
5 REASONS TO FEED YOUR LAB RAW DIET
A cornerstone of our English Labrador care strategy is feeding raw dog food. You might be thinking – why raw food? We would counter – why commercially manufactured kibble?