Having a kennel full of dogs takes more than time. We have an outstanding vet whom we entrust our dogs to; if you are looking for a new veterinarian, give Stoney Brook Veterinary Hospital a call at 603-448-4448.
Standard Practice
Each month we perform a short physical exam, including a weight check, on each dog every month. After reviewing the weight trend and activity level of the dog, we will adjust their diet to keep them in their ideal range. Dogs are groomed and nails are clipped as needed.
We recommend and use some sort of parasite prevention (such as Heartguard, Iverhart, or Interceptor), which we give all year. We give each dog Frontline when there are sustained temperatures above 40F.
What do we vaccinate for?
We have had several conversations with our veterinarian on our vaccine protocol, and all parties are quite comfortable with it. For the adult dogs, each dog receives a Heartworm/Tick Screen blood test (Idexx 4dx every other year), in addition to any vaccines needed. All dogs receive a rabies vaccine and a combo distemper, parvo virus, adenovirus and parainfluenza virus every three years. We also give lyme and leptospirosis vaccines annually. Puppies and adolescent dogs are on a different schedule. Lastly, each dog receives Bordetella vaccines every 6 months.
Why do we vaccinate and do preventatives?
Once you experience one of these preventable diseases in your dog, a vaccine or a dose of parasite prevention seems like a small price to pay. Cassie had Lyme Disease when we adopted her, so its important to us to make sure we do what we can to prevent it in anybody else. Rusty came from New Orleans with Heartworm disease, so again, we treat everybody each month.
Other health practices:
In addition to the vaccines, the dogs receive a 20 mg tablet of Famotidine (Pepcid) on the days they run. Siberians can develop stomach ulcers, so this practices helps to reduce acid buildup.
Each dog receives dental cleanings as needed. We give bones and rawhides and high quality food and kibble to them, so we do not have many dental issues.
Every dog is microchipped or tattoo'd. We have use various companies such as Home Again, AKC Companion, and 24 Hour Pet Watch. We have no preference.
Once we make a decision to eliminate a dog from the breeding pool, we spay or neuter them. Generally this doesn't occur until they are at least three years old; however, once the decision is made, we feel there is no point in keeping the animal intact.
Dogs in the breeding pool have their hips radiograph prior to a breeding decision. The radiographs are sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. You may hear this referred to as "OFA xRays". These results are certified.
Finally, all dogs receive specific eye exams. This is preformed by a Board-Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist. Dogs in the breeding program have these exams done multiple times over the course of their life. We are less stringent with dogs not in the breeding pool. Every few years is fine. Specific intervals are not mentioned because it varies. At this point in time, we have not submitted results to the Canine Eye Research Foundation (or CERF, as it is known) as this is an additional expense, and does not change the end result.
General Approach:
The dogs enjoy training and running with other teams, but the experience can be stressful, so we try to prevent as much other stress as possible. Stress can be from the pack, health, or environment. While we do not coddle the dogs (well... not much!), we also don't create undue stress for them. This allows them to maintain a higher level of health and they appear happier and more excited to work in harness as a result.
Summary:
So, you can see just from above, how much it takes to keep the Brinbella Kennel dogs happy and healthy. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Often there are additional incidents ranging from porcupine quills to ADR (Ain't doin' right!). We couldn't do it without the support of a great veterinarian and clinic.
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