When we think of animal health, discussions frequently centre on livestock, with dogs often down the list of importance. The health of dogs is important from a number of angles – the animal’s own health, risk of neospora in cattle and the lower risk of passing on certain diseases to humans. The best way to reduce the risk of any of these is to keep your dog healthy by administering an adequate health programme. Sheepdog pups and young working dogs are most susceptible to health risks. Veterinary advice recommends vaccination against a number of life-threatening diseases (administered in one vaccine).
When we think of animal health, discussions frequently centre on livestock, with dogs often down the list of importance. The health of dogs is important from a number of angles – the animal’s own health, risk of neospora in cattle and the lower risk of passing on certain diseases to humans. The best way to reduce the risk of any of these is to keep your dog healthy by administering an adequate health programme.
Sheepdog pups and young working dogs are most susceptible to health risks. Veterinary advice recommends vaccination against a number of life-threatening diseases (administered in one vaccine).
Two treatments are required, with the first administered at about eight weeks of age (in certain circumstances, it can be given as young as six weeks). A second injection is required two weeks after the first and completes the primary course. Full immunity is not developed until a week to 10 days after the full course. The advice is not to allow dogs to mix until immunity has developed. An annual booster is required to maintain protection. A vaccine is available for kennel cough, a highly contagious cough in dogs, which is particularly high-risk where dogs are mixing in public places or in trials.
Veterinary advice is to worm pups every two to three weeks until 12 weeks old and then every month until six months of age. The advice is every three months thereafter.
Take note that dogs should never be treated with anthelmintics approved for use in livestock for worms, lice etc as doing so can lead to adverse reactions and put the health of your dog at high risk.
Microchipping laws
Laws were implemented this year requiring dog owners to ensure that all dogs are microchipped and that the chip is correctly registered from 31 March 2016. There are a number of benefits to this from an animal health and safety perspective. Where adequately enforced, it will allow the owners of abandoned or roaming dogs to be identified and reduce the safety risks of dog attacks on sheep or in a minority of cases attacks against people.
All dog owners must have a certificate proving that each dog has been microchipped and registered as such. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that their contact details are maintained on one of the Government-approved databases.
The introduction of this law has meant it has been illegal since 1 September 2015 to buy or acquire ownership of a pup that has not been microchipped and correctly registered. Local authorities, authorised officers and An Garda Síochána will be responsible for enforcing the law. Vets will also be asking dog owners to ensure that their dogs are microchipped.
Offending owners who fail to comply with these regulations can face fines up to €5,000. The average cost of getting a dog microchipped at the vet is €25, though the cost of the procedure can range from €12 to €30 in the various animal health practices.
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Focus: Winter animal health
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