preventative medicine for your dog

Keeping your new pet healthy starts with these simple steps to prevent illness!

Vaccinations

• DHPPiL: Your puppy needs a course of vaccinations against common viral diseases at 6-9 weeks old, 10-12 weeks old and again at 16 weeks old. An annual booster is then required each year.
• Rabies: By law in Hong Kong every dog must have a rabies vaccination by five months old and a microchip inserted under the skin at this time too. Rabies booster vaccinations are needed every three years.
• Bordatella: Some owners may choose, or kennels may require, dogs to be vaccinated against the bacterium which causes “kennel cough”. This vaccination requires two injections a month apart initially followed by annual booster (can be given at the same time as the above vaccinations).

Intestinal Worms

Worm eggs are passed from dog to dog by contact with faeces (expect the tape worm which is passed by fleas). We strongly recommend your dog be dewormed by tablet every three months for its entire life. We use a tablet call Drontal. In the case of puppies, we recommend deworming every month until they are six months old. Some dog intestinal worms can cause disease in humans.

 

Heartworm

Heartworm is passed by the bite of a mosquito to your dog. The worms that subsequently form in your dog’s heart are about 10cm long and cause damage to both the heart and lungs. All dogs over six months of age should be on heartworm preventation for their whole life. We recommend a monthly tablet call Heartgard or a yearly injection called Proheart. If your dog is older than five months and has not taken preventative tablets before, they will need a blood test to confirm they don’t have existing heartworm infection before they start to take the preventive medicine. Heartworm does not affect humans.

 

Fleas

Fleas find the humid and warm environment of Hong Kong ideal for breeding. Particularly in the spring months, fleas are a great nuisance to your dog (and carry tapeworm). Your dog can pick up fleas from the ground outside, but the eggs laid by those fleas will probably find their way into your home. We recommend Advantix or Frontline to kill the adult fleas, and Program – a monthly tablet that stops flea eggs being able to hatch. Both these products are extremely safe for your dog.