Your Dog's Health

Not someone you call only when things go wrong. A good relationship with your veterinarian starts at the first puppy visit and runs for years. They know your dog's history, they notice changes you might miss, and they catch problems early — when treatment is simpler and cheaper.

Schedule at least one wellness checkup per year. Even when your dog seems perfectly healthy. A lump you discover early might be a simple removal. That same lump six months later? Possibly surgery, biopsies, and months of worry.

Finding a Good Vet

Ask other dog owners in your area. They'll tell you which vet is patient, communicates clearly, and doesn't push unnecessary procedures. Look for a practice that's accessible for questions — by phone, email, or an app. And check whether they offer emergency hours or refer to a nearby animal hospital for after-hours care.

Routine vet care — annual checkups, vaccines, lab work, and dental exams — runs $700 to $1,500 per year. That depends on your dog, your location, and your vet. It doesn't include emergencies.

Your puppy's first shots start around six to eight weeks old. In the US, vaccines fall into two categories, and understanding the difference matters.

Core Vaccines — Required for Every Dog

Rabies. Required by law in all 50 states. Transmitted through bites from infected animals — primarily raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. Without immediate treatment, rabies is fatal. In humans too. This isn't optional. Your dog needs this vaccine, and most states require proof of it for licensing.

Distemper. Attacks the respiratory and nervous systems. Starts with coughing and fever. Can progress to pneumonia, seizures, and brain damage. There is no cure. Prevention is the only defense.

Parvovirus. A devastating intestinal infection. Bloody diarrhea, violent vomiting, severe dehydration. Especially lethal in puppies. Treatment means hospitalization with IV fluids, antibiotics, and round-the-clock monitoring — often costing $2,000 to $5,000. With vaccination, you prevent it entirely.

Adenovirus (Canine Hepatitis). Targets the liver. Less common today thanks to widespread vaccination, but the virus is still out there. Severe cases cause liver failure.

These four are covered by the DHPP combination shot. Puppies receive a series starting at six to eight weeks, with boosters every three to four weeks until about sixteen weeks of age. Adults get boosted every one to three years.

Lifestyle Vaccines — Based on Your Dog's Risk

Bordetella (Kennel Cough). A highly contagious respiratory infection. Required by most boarding facilities, daycares, and grooming salons. If your dog spends time around other dogs, they need this one.

Leptospirosis. Picked up from water contaminated by infected animal urine — puddles, lakes, rivers. Damages kidneys and liver. Also transmissible to humans. If your dog swims, hikes, or drinks from outdoor water sources, discuss this with your vet.

Lyme Disease. Carried by deer ticks. Most common in the Northeast, upper Midwest, and Pacific coast. If you live in or travel to tick-heavy areas, this vaccine is worth considering — alongside tick prevention.

Canine Influenza. Spreading in many regions. Symptoms range from mild coughing to severe pneumonia. Required by some boarding facilities. Talk to your vet about whether your dog is at risk.

Your vet will help you build a vaccine schedule based on your dog's actual life — where you live, where you travel, and how much time your dog spends outdoors or around other dogs.

Heartworm — The Big One

Heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. It takes about seven months for the larvae to mature into adult worms that live in the heart and lungs. Left untreated, it's fatal.

Prevention is simple: a monthly chewable tablet or topical treatment. Cost: about $10 to $15 per month. The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention in all 50 states.

Treatment for an active heartworm infection involves a series of injections over several months, strict exercise restriction (no running, no playing, no excitement — for months), and costs $1,000 to $3,000. Some dogs don't survive treatment.

Prevention at $10 a month. Treatment at $2,000+ with risk. The math isn't complicated.

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas cause relentless itching, skin infections, allergic reactions, and can transmit tapeworm. A single flea on your dog means dozens of eggs in your carpet, couch cushions, and baseboards.

Ticks carry Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. A tick bite can cause illness that takes weeks to diagnose and months to treat.

Prevention: oral chewable tablets, topical spot-on treatments, or long-lasting flea and tick collars. Your vet can recommend the right product. Year-round prevention is recommended in most of the US.

After walks: check your dog thoroughly, especially around the ears, between the toes, in the groin area, and under the collar. Found a tick? Remove it with tweezers or a tick removal tool. Pull straight up, close to the skin. Don't twist.

Intestinal Worms

Puppies are dewormed on a regular schedule — typically every two weeks until eight weeks old, then monthly until six months. Adults should be tested annually through a fecal exam.

Roundworms and hookworms are also transmissible to humans — especially children who play in areas where dogs have been. Another reason to stay on top of deworming and pick up after your dog.

Every dog is an individual, but some health problems show up again and again across breeds.

Ear Infections

Dogs with floppy ears — Cocker Spaniels, Basset Hounds, Labs — are especially prone. Less airflow means more moisture, and more moisture means bacteria and yeast. Signs: head shaking, scratching at the ears, a bad smell, redness, or discharge.

Don't try to treat this at home with remedies you found online. See your vet. Ear infections that go untreated get worse and can cause permanent damage.

Skin Allergies

Constant scratching, red patches, hair loss, hot spots. The cause could be fleas, food, pollen, dust mites, or contact with certain materials. Your vet can run tests to identify the trigger. Treatment might be as simple as a diet change — or it might require long-term medication.

Allergies are common, manageable, and annoying. The key is identifying the cause early so you're treating the problem, not just the symptoms.

Joint Problems

Difficulty getting up. Stiff walking after rest. Reluctance to jump or climb stairs. Less enthusiasm for walks. Large breeds are especially susceptible to hip dysplasia and arthritis. Early intervention — adjusted exercise, weight management, joint supplements, or medication — makes a real difference in quality of life.

Dental Disease

More than 80% of dogs over age three have some form of dental disease. Plaque becomes tartar. Tartar becomes gum inflammation. Gum inflammation becomes pain, tooth loss, and — in severe cases — bacteria that enter the bloodstream and damage the heart and kidneys.

Regular brushing at home and professional cleanings at the vet are the best prevention. More on this in our grooming guide.

Obesity

If you can't feel your dog's ribs with light pressure, they're overweight. Obesity strains the joints, the heart, the lungs, and cuts years off your dog's life. The fix is straightforward but not easy: less food, more exercise, no table scraps.

Dogs eat things they shouldn't. Know the big ones and know them by heart.

Chocolate. Contains theobromine. Dark chocolate and baker's chocolate are the most dangerous. A small dog eating a few ounces of dark chocolate is an emergency.

Grapes and raisins. Can cause acute kidney failure. Even a few grapes can be dangerous. The exact mechanism isn't fully understood, but the risk is well documented.

Xylitol. A sugar substitute found in sugar-free gum, some peanut butters, toothpaste, and baked goods. Can cause a life-threatening drop in blood sugar and liver failure. Check labels — especially on peanut butter, since many dog owners use it as a treat.

Onions and garlic. Damage red blood cells. Cooked, raw, powdered — toxic in every form.

Certain houseplants. Lilies, sago palms, azaleas, tulip bulbs. If your dog chews plants, check every plant in your home and yard against the ASPCA's toxic plant database.

What to do: If you think your dog ate something toxic, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or your vet immediately. Don't wait for symptoms. Time is the difference between a scare and a crisis. There may be a consultation fee for the poison control call — roughly $75 — but it's worth it.

Pet insurance in the US runs $30 to $70 per month for a dog. It feels like an expense you can skip — until your dog tears a cruciate ligament and surgery costs $4,000.

What to Look For

• Waiting periods. Most plans have a 14-day waiting period for illness and a 6-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions. Get insured before something happens.
• Deductibles. Annual deductibles range from $100 to $500. Lower deductible = higher monthly premium.
• Annual maximums. Some plans cap at $5,000. Others go to $20,000 or unlimited. Check what happens when you hit the cap.
• Breed-specific exclusions. Some plans exclude conditions that are common in certain breeds. Read the fine print.
• Pre-existing conditions. Never covered. By any plan. The best time to get insurance is when your dog is young and healthy.

Is It Worth It?

If your dog never has a major health event, you'll pay more in premiums than you would have in vet bills. If your dog needs surgery, develops a chronic condition, or has an emergency — insurance can save you thousands.

It's a gamble either way. But only one direction risks a $5,000 bill you weren't ready for.

Most vets recommend spaying or neutering for pet dogs. It reduces the risk of certain cancers, eliminates the risk of uterine infection in females, and prevents unwanted litters.

But timing matters. The AKC and many veterinary researchers now suggest that the ideal age for the procedure varies by breed and size. Large and giant breeds may benefit from waiting until they're 12 to 18 months old, allowing their bones and joints to fully develop. Small breeds can typically be altered earlier.

Talk to your vet. They'll recommend the right timing for your specific dog.

Cost: $200 to $500, depending on your dog's size, sex, and your location.

Senior dogs slow down. They sleep more. They move stiffer. They hear and see less. That's not a failure — that's a life well lived.

What changes: more frequent vet checkups, twice a year instead of once. Adjusted food with fewer calories and more joint support. Shorter walks, but still every day. A softer bed. Maybe a ramp to the car or a step to the couch.

What doesn't change: the bond. The look they give you when you walk in the door. The warmth when they settle next to you at the end of the day.

Growing old with your dog isn't sad. It's proof that you showed up — every day, for years. And that matters more than anything.