The Fun Times Guide > Dogs > vaccinations

Annual Dog Vaccinations & Pet Wellness Check-ups… Necessary Or Not?

It can be confusing to sort through all the hype about dog vaccinations being safe or not. photo by Tobyotter on Flickr

I recently posted something about this on my Facebook page... Had a long talk with our vet today about the state of the economy and how it's affecting the pet industry. Spending on animal accessories & fun stuff is up; spending on animal care & checkups is down. Vet visits tend to be for illnesses & emergencies, rather than for preventive maintenance these days. My dog Tenor got his 3-year Rabies shot today and everything else that goes with an annual dog checkup. What about you... … [Read more...]

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Should You Vaccinate Your Dog Against The Dog Flu?

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Did you know there is a dog flu virus called H3N8? H3N8 is more than just the dog flu. This particular strain is a variation of the horse flu. This dog flu virus was first discovered in 2004 in the Greyhound racing community and has since spread to household dogs. We do not use the general term “dog flu” because it could refer to any flu-like illness in dogs due to various causes. Rather, canine influenza is a specific disease caused by a particular subtype, H3N8, of the influenza A … [Read more...]

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Dog Vaccinations: What’s The Difference Between The 3-Year Rabies Shot And The 1-Year Rabies Shot?

All states in the U.S. have laws in place requiring dogs to be immunized to prevent the spread of Rabies. As of March 2009 Alabama is the one last remaining state requiring an annual Rabies shot.  However, there is a proposed rewrite of their law in process now to remove the 1-year requirement there as well. All other states require the 3-year Rabies vaccination instead. The convenience of taking your dog to the vet for a Rabies shot only once every 3 years offers a nice savings, as … [Read more...]

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Dog Costs: The True Cost Of Owning A Dog & How To Save On Vet Care

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Did you know that owning a dog costs about $1000 for the first year alone? Then, it costs about $500 each year after that -- and that's just for the basics! According to a report I saw on the news this morning (on my local FOX news channel in Nashville), there are a number of ways that you can save money when you own a dog. Here are a few...   … [Read more...]

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How To Tell If Your Dog Has Lyme Disease From A Tick Bite

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I have Lyme Disease. My dog does not. Our vet thought this was odd, because dogs spend much more time closer to the ground and inevitably get a lot more tick bites than we do. Plus, 90% of the time we're outdoors, our dog is usually with us. ...I guess the tick preventative that our dogs have always worn (Frontline Plus) really does work! Here is the best way to remove a tick from your body ...or your dog's body. Here are some of the ticks that we've found on our dogs (and on … [Read more...]

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