Adult/Rescue Dog Recommendations

 

• Vaccines - Dogs generally receive core vaccines every year. Additional vaccines such as rabies vaccine and Bordetella vaccine (commonly called ‘kennel cough’) are also given as needed in your situation. Many adult dogs adopted from a shelter or rescue will have their vaccines up to date and will usually come with a health record for you to review. Discuss any further health needs with your veterinarian. Click HERE for more information on vaccines
   

• Deworming - an important step in keeping your dog and your family healthy. Intestinal parasites can cause serious disease in animals and may be transmitted to people as well. We recommend you bring a stool sample to your dog’s annual visits. If your dog does have parasites we will help select the right medication to treat the problem.
   

• Heartworm Prevention - We recommend that all dogs start monthly heartworm preventative, if not already taking it. We are happy to help you choose the right product for your dog. An annual heartworm blood test is required at this time if your dog is over six months of age. Click HERE for more information on heartworm.
   

• Flea and Tick Prevention - recommended to prevent infestation, skin irritation and infection. These medications will also help prevent diseases that fleas and ticks can transmit. We have several products to choose from and our staff will be happy to help you select the one that is perfect for your pet.
   

• Socialization and Obedience classes - classes will help your dog learn how to interact with other dogs and help teach basic commands to aid in training. Classes are recommended for any dog that needs them, from basic obedience to more complicated behavioral issues. If you new dog needs some brush up training or first time training, we recommend Paws University (808-325-6436) for these types of classes.

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• Spay or Neuter - usually done between five and six months of age. This prevents pregnancy, helps control many unwanted behaviors, and prevents life threatening diseases of the reproductive tract such as pyometra. Most shelter & rescue dogs will have already been altered. 
   

• Microchips - This tiny microchip is inserted with a needle under the skin where it serves as identification number, read by a microchip scanner. Most veterinarians and shelters have microchip scanners, which reads the microchip number, used to look up owner contact information in a database. A microchip can be inserted at any time during your regular visits or during a spay/neuter procedure. Some adult dogs will already have a microchip, so be sure to update the microchips information with your own. For more information on microchips, click HERE.

 

For more general advice on bringing a new pet into the home, the resource library at PAWS.org has some great information.