What does the Code of Practice say about veterinary care?
Dogs:
All dogs should be under the supervision of a consulting veterinarian(s) responsible for prevention and control of diseases, the provision of adequate veterinary care, and, if the need for euthanasia arises, provision of a humane, rapid death that minimizes fear and anxiety.
If a dog is sick, injured, in pain or suffering, prompt and adequate veterinary care must be provided.
WHAT EVERY DOG NEEDS: PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE
Three ways to help keep a dog healthy are:
- Vaccinations
- Spay/neuter
- Regular health and dental checkups with a veterinarian
Dogs and cats need preventative dental care. Tooth brushing, water additives, dental diets and dental chews can help maintain good oral health.
Regular professional dental cleanings under anesthesia are also an important part of maintaining dental health. This is where the teeth are probed, x-rayed, scaled and polished just like you would have done at your dentist.
Each of these requires the services of a veterinarian. But the cost of veterinary services for preventive care is much less than the cost of veterinary services after a dog has become ill.
A dog needs a guardian who takes preventive measures to keep them healthy.
WHAT EVERY DOG NEEDS: VACCINATIONS
Vaccinations help protect dogs from potentially life-threatening diseases. They also help protect dogs from spreading diseases to each other. Most veterinarians recommend a combination vaccination that protects dogs against diseases such as:
- Canine distemper
- Canine parvovirus
- Canine adenovirus (infectious canine hepatitis)
- Kennel cough
- Rabies
- Canine coronavirus (in high-risk environments)
- Canine parainfluenza
- Lyme and leptospirosis (may be required based on your location)
How often does a dog need vaccinations?
Vaccinations typically require several doses of vaccines to make sure the animal develops the antibodies it needs to protect it against diseases. Puppies up to 8 weeks of age still have some protection passed on from their mother. A puppy’s vaccination program should typically begin when the puppy is 8 weeks old, and should be repeated at 12 and 16 weeks.
Dogs should get vaccinated again when they’re one year old, and then on the schedule recommended by their veterinarian.
The frequency of the rabies vaccination is set by many municipalities as well as for travel anywhere with a pet.
WHAT EVERY DOG NEEDS: SPAY OR NEUTER
Spaying (for females) or neutering (for males) are extremely important. Spaying or neutering a dog will:
- Reduce the risk of many life-threatening diseases, including types of cancer and diseases of the reproductive system.
- Reduce wandering, marking territory, and frustration behaviour.
- Prevent unwanted litters of puppies.
Owners who make sure their pets are spayed or neutered are also helping to keep unwanted animals from suffering neglect. Unless your vet recommends delaying spay or neuter, or you have a specific plan for breeding your dog and caring for its puppies, spaying and neutering are what every dog needs.
A dog needs a guardian who takes responsibility for their animal’s health.
- The key to disease control is early recognition of abnormalities in behaviour, hair condition, skin, etc., by those individuals who see the dogs or puppies on a day-to-day basis.
- Regular grooming – appropriate to the breed – must be carried out.
- Dogs receiving treatment for a communicable disease or suspected of harbouring a communicable disease must be housed separately in a quarantine area for a time deemed suitable by the attending veterinarian.
- Preventive disease control in a kennel operation should be of primary consideration. The size of kennel, type of facility, number of dogs housed and number of litters produced per year will determine the type of program best suited for the operation. It is important to work closely with the kennel’s regular veterinarian. He or she can develop a suitable program which would include kennel visitations and examinations supported by radiographic and laboratory work (as required), accurate record-keeping, and follow-up regimens.
Excerpts obtained from the Code of Practice for Kennel Operations (3rd Edition, 2018), Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
Cats:
What does the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s Code of Practice for Catteries say about veterinary care for cats?
“All cats should be under the supervision of a consulting veterinarian(s) responsible for the prevention and control of disease, the provision of adequate veterinary care, and if the need for euthanasia arises, provision of a humane death.
A well-managed cattery will have an established rapport with a local veterinary hospital to deal with emergencies or unforeseen problems.
A standard emergency/crisis plan should include emergency contact numbers for all staff, a local consulting veterinarian, local animal control, poison control centre, and local emergency services such as fire, ambulance and police.”
Excerpts from the Code of Practice for Cattery Operations (2009) by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association have been used with permission.
WHAT EVERY CAT NEEDS: PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE
Taking good care of a pet includes thinking about how to keep it healthy. Preventing illness is as important for cats as it is for people. Cats need caretakers who know how to keep them healthy, and who know how to recognize signs that they are sick.
Five ways to help keep a cat healthy are:
- Vaccinations
- Testing for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV)
- Prevention and management of dermatophyte infections (such as ringworms)
- Spay/neuter
- Regular health and dental checkups with a veterinarian
Dental health is a very important part of your pet’s overall health, and dental problems can cause or be caused by other health problems.
Each of these requires the services of a veterinarian. But the cost of veterinary services for preventive care is much less than the cost of veterinary services after a cat has become ill.
Regular cleaning and disinfection of the litter box with products like bleach or ammonia are necessary to eliminate odours and bacterial or viral contaminations from cats as well as to control parasites. Even cats that only live indoors can develop internal and external parasites. Cats should be routinely dewormed from the time they are three weeks of age.
Cats need people who recognize the signs of good health and who detect health problems early by watching for signs of disease.
EVERY CAT NEEDS: VACCINATIONS
Vaccinations help protect cats from potentially life-threatening diseases. They also help protect cats from spreading diseases to each other. Most veterinarians recommend a combination vaccination that protects cats against viruses and diseases.
How often does a cat need vaccinations?
Vaccinations typically require several doses to make sure the animal develops the antibodies it needs to protect it against diseases. Kittens up to 8 weeks of age still have some protection passed on from their mother. A kitten’s vaccination program should typically begin when the kitten is 8 weeks old, and should be repeated at 12 and 16 weeks.
Most veterinarians recommend a combination vaccination that protects cats against diseases such as:
- Feline Panleukopenia – cat flu/ cat distemper
- Feline Rhinotracheitis – (herpes virus)
- Feline Calicivirus – (“cold” virus)
- Rabies
- Feline Leukemia virus
When should a cat NOT get vaccinations?
Cats should not be vaccinated if they are pregnant or unhealthy. If possible, avoid giving vaccinations to cats who have just had spay or neuter surgery.
Check out Alberta Veterinary Medical Association’s information on the importance of pet vaccinations for an animal’s health.
WHAT EVERY CAT NEEDS: SPAY OR NEUTER
Spaying (for females) or neutering (for males) are extremely important. Spaying or neutering a cat will:
- Reduce the risk of many life-threatening diseases, including types of cancer and diseases of the reproductive system.
- Reduce wandering, marking territory and anxious behaviour.
- Prevent the cat from having an unwanted litter.
Owners who make sure their pets are spayed or neutered are also helping to keep unwanted animals from suffering neglect. Unless you have a specific plan for breeding your cat and caring for its kittens, spaying and neutering are what every cat needs.
WHAT EVERY CAT NEEDS: REGULAR DENTAL CARE
- Kittens have 26 teeth
- Adult cats have 30 teeth – 12 incisors (6 on top and 6 on bottom), 4 canine teeth (2 on top and bottom), 10 pre-molars (6 on top and 4 on the bottom), 4 molars (2 on top and bottom)
- Puppies can start teething at 4 months of age and usually have their full set of adult teeth
come in by 6 months of age - Cat teeth can have either 1, 2 or 3 roots depending on which tooth it is.
- Cats are prone to ‘resorptive lesions’ on their teeth. These are erosions or ‘holes’ in the
enamel of the teeth that can be very painful. These ‘holes’ are similar to cavities in humans. We do not currently understand why this happens in cats as it can occur at any age on any diet. Treatment options usually involve extraction of the affected tooth.
A cat needs a guardian who takes preventive measures to keep it healthy.
What does the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s Code of Practice for Catteries say about disease?
“Caretakers should be cognizant of the infectious and often asymptomatic nature of feline respiratory disease and have facilities to adequately disinfect their hands, clothing, and the isolation areas. The same principles apply to ANY infectious disease of cats.
Caretakers should be knowledgeable about all zoonotic diseases and take appropriate precautions when handling litter and feces.
The keys to preventing disease in a cat colony are to avoid overcrowding, to provide sanitary living conditions with good nutrition of all cats, and to recognize and treat problems early and appropriately.
Also crucial is early recognition of abnormalities in behaviour, appetite, elimination, and coat/body condition by individuals who see the cats and kittens on a day-to-day basis.”
Excerpts from the Code of Practice for Cattery Operations (2009) by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association have been used with permission.