Pet Medicine
Along with the fun of owning a playful pet, comes the responsibility of taking good care of the animal. Never forget that the animal cannot take care of itself for most of its needs, especially in the case of dogs. You need to take care of regular visits to the vet, even more so where puppies are concerned.
Vaccinations
The first medication that you pet receives is of course the various vaccinations. Keep a schedule of appointments with the vet, and stick to it. Most vaccinations are given in two or three doses interspaced in two or three weeks.
Puppies need to be wormed regularly, and they definitely have worms if you’ve picked up the puppy from something like an animal shelter for homeless animals. Even adult animals need to do worming at least once a year. Once your puppy is about eight weeks old, you can start the vaccination process. Do maintain a file of bills that will help you pin point the vaccination dates. You need to give your pet vaccination boosters once every year, so keeping track of the dates helps you plan visits to the vet.
Medicines for you dog
Many vets prescribe human medicines for your pet, for common infections like colds and fever and ailments like diarrhea. However always remember to make a note of the dosage your vet prescribes. If its tablets you are using, the vet generally asks you to give your animal half or a third of the tablet. The good thing about using human medicines for pets is, they are easily available at the corner drug store of course. On the other hand, do not get into thinking that you can use any human drug for your animal!
Up to a few years ago, pain relief medications were not prescribed generally where animals were concerned. They were just stitched up and sent home after an operation. Today, we have the popular NSAID drugs that can safely be given to animals as pain killers. These pain killers really comfort your animal on a temporary basis until treatment, or post treatment.
As with people, certain pets may be allergic to certain drugs! Some drugs on the other hand, have side affects on all animals. When you get a prescription from a vet, do clarify all your doubts right there. Ask the vet about what side effects are normal with the prescribed drug. This could save you an additional visit to the vet, and save you some anxiety as well, when you do see ‘normal’ side effects. At the same time, when you see side effects of a drug that seem abnormal, do call the vet immediately, your pet may be allergic to the drug.