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• Applying Ointments, Creams, and Lotions on Dogs

  Applying topical medications to your pet can be a challenge. Ointments, creams, and lotions are for external use only. It is important to prevent your dog from licking and swallowing any of these external preparations as they may contain ingredients that could be harmful if swallowed. If you find it difficult to prevent your pet from licking the medication, contact your veterinarian to have them fitted for an Elizabethan collar.

• Arthritis in Dogs

  Osteoarthritis is a common condition affecting bones and joints in many older dogs. Medications, physical therapy, nutrition, and surgery may all be considered to help alleviate the pain.

• Behavior Counseling: Complementary Treatments

  There are many non-pharmaceutical products designed to improve a pet's behavior. There is little oversight for many of these products, and the label “natural” does not guarantee a product is safe to use in dogs and cats. Ask your veterinarian before using any over-the-counter product for your pet.

• Birth Control for Dogs

  Depending on the size and breed of the dog, heats (estrus) can begin as early as four months old and can occur as frequently as every four months. Spaying a dog either through ovariohysterectomy or ovariectomy is the most effective way to prevent pregnancy. Spaying also negates false pregnancies and pyometra and reduces the risk of mammary cancer. Drugs that regulate the heat cycle are not approved for use in the US or Canada.

• Boarding Your Dog

  When traveling, you may need to board your pet at a kennel or veterinary clinic. Ask for references to find a boarding facility and visit it before having your pet stay there. A short stay before a longer trip can help your pet to settle in more easily.

• Body Condition Scoring in Dogs

  Body condition scoring is a way to check if a pet is too skinny, too heavy, or just right. It allows a pet owner to determine how much fat their pet has compared to the muscles and bones. This handout outlines how to assess your pet's body condition score by look and feel.

• Booster Vaccines for Dogs

  Booster vaccines are follow-up vaccines given after your dog first receives a vaccine. Protection from an initial vaccine series can fade, so boosters help keep immunity at a safe level by reminding the immune system how to fight a disease.

• Breeding for Dog Owners: Caring for Mother and Puppies During and After Weaning

  Preparing puppies for their new homes involves more than weaning alone. This article outlines important guidance on re-homing age, parasite prevention, vaccinations, and disease protection during early puppy development, as well as how mother dogs typically adjust as nursing ends.

• Breeding for Dog Owners: Caring for Newborn Puppies

  For the next two months, even if everything went smoothly with the birth, you have a lot of work to do! This includes keeping the whelping area clean and dry, closely monitoring the health of the mom and pups, and assisting with feeding and care of the pups as necessary. It is important to have the mother and puppies examined by your veterinarian within 48 hours of birth. The pups should be weighed regularly to make sure they are gaining weight. The mother can experience serious health problems including mastitis and eclampsia, needing emergency veterinary treatment.

• Breeding for Dog Owners: Caring from Birth to Weaning

  Having a litter of puppies is an exciting event, with many responsibilities. This article outlines how to care for the mother and new puppies after birth, until the puppies are eating on their own. It discusses how and when to wean the puppies, guidelines for feeding the mother, and when to treat the puppies for parasites.