Vaccination and parasite control

Vaccination is part of preventive medicine. Your vet draws up the schedule, taking into account age, vaccination history, health, lifestyle, where you live, how exposed the dog is and what the law requires. You can't just copy a friend's dog's schedule onto yours without an assessment.

Puppies get an initial series, with the doses spaced so they're protected as the immunity they got from their mother wears off. Adults get boosters and vaccines matched to their risk. If your dog goes to boarding kennels, mixes in groups, competes, travels or goes into areas with specific exposures, the vet may recommend extra cover. A dog that's ill or has reacted badly before needs to be assessed individually.

Rabies vaccination also has a legal side, and you won't get far travelling without it. For it to be recognised in travel documents, microchip identification and the order of the procedures both matter. Check with your vet the date it was given, how long it's valid for, whether there's a waiting period and what your destination requires.

Internal and external parasite control is based on risk. The plan depends on age, how much time the dog spends outdoors, whether they catch prey or eat raw meat, contact with other dogs, travel, whether there are children at home and the area you live in. Dosing product after product with no assessment is no substitute for a vet check. Sometimes a faecal parasite test or other tests are worth doing.

Every product has its own indications, weight range, target species and contraindications. Don't split a dose meant for one dog by eye and give it to another. Products made for other species can be dangerous. You need the dog's current weight, not what they weighed last year. If you notice an unusual reaction after a dose, tell your vet.

Boarding kennels, daycare, courses and events may have extra health requirements. These should be explained before you sign up and applied the same way to everyone. A decent organiser won't tell you they remove the risk of transmission completely.

It matters most for puppies at the start of their medical schedule, adults that take part in activities or travel, and dogs whose preventive cover the vet is reassessing.

There's no one-size-fits-all programme. And products don't get given on someone's say-so in a group chat, or just because they worked for another dog.

It starts with a consultation where the vet goes through the dog's history. Then they decide which product to use and when.

A competent person gives it. After that you keep an eye out for reactions, and the documents get updated.

Watch the dog afterwards. Lethargy or mild discomfort needs monitoring. Swelling, vomiting, difficulty breathing or a dog that's going downhill fast tells you something's wrong.

So you're not scrambling at the clinic, bring the health record or passport, the history of products and reactions, the current weight, and details of travel and contact with other dogs.

Look for the product being correctly identified and stored, and given on the vet's recommendation. You should get instructions on possible reactions and an emergency contact. Everyone's skills and responsibilities should be explained clearly, and medical data passed on correctly.

If you practise handling, the muzzle and standing on the table at home, your dog will be less stressed at the clinic. It doesn't change the medical indication, though, and it's no reason to put off a procedure the dog needs.

These are medical procedures, and the decisions are the vet's. Check the requirements for boarding or travel as they stand now, since they can change. The risks to talk through with your vet are adverse reactions, the wrong dose, interactions or contraindications, and the false sense of security an incomplete programme gives you.