Improvements in pet nutrition over the years have contributed to increased pet longevity and quality of life. At Diamond Valley Veterinary Hospitals we recommend feeding your dog a balanced, high quality diet. Factors to consider include age, dental health, weight management and special needs as your pet ages. Puppies require a diet higher in protein and calcium, whilst older dogs often require reduced calorie diets to manage their weight.
At Diamond Valley Veterinary Hospitals we stock a wide range of premium dog food, and can offer you expert advice on the best food to feed your individual dog. When changing your dogs food type please introduce the new food gradually, over about a week, mixing it with the old food. This reduces the chance of a tummy upset due to a sudden diet change.
Whilst most dogs will tolerate most types of foods there certain foods and common household products that we do not recommend you ever feed your dog or allow access to – some are unhealthy and can increase the risk of disease, whilst others can be toxic:
Fatty foods, including large amounts of bone marrow, biscuits, cakes, fried food – over time such food can lead to obesity and in some dogs fatty foods can trigger pancreatitis, a painful and sometimes life threatening disease.
Sultanas, grapes and raisins – can cause kidney failure, even in small amounts
Chocolate – milk and dark chocolate contain a stimulant that in small amounts can cause agitation, and in large amounts seizures or even death.
Onions – onions, particularly raw onion and concentrated onion or garlic powders, can cause damage to red blood cells in dogs, leading to a life threatening anaemia. Remember even small amounts in foods like hamburger mince can be toxic.
Cooked bones – cooked bones can splinter when chewed and cause irritation to the gut lining, constipation or even perforation. We recommend bones are given raw, marrow removed and strictly under supervision.
Pest poisons – rat bait and snail baits are both toxic to dogs. Even the ingestion of a poisoned rat can cause secondary toxicity in dogs. We do not recommend you use pest poisons if you have pets at home.
For a comprehensive list of foods, household products and plants that can be toxic to pets please contact our staff.
Fleas are seen in maximum numbers during the warmer months but as we keep our homes warm throughout winter, we do see fleas all year round. Only a small part of the adult flea population actually lives on your pet – they hop on for a feed, then hop off to lay eggs in the animals environment. Flea eggs and larvae can survive for up to a year, so it is important to not only treat your animal directly for adult fleas but also to use a product that manages environmental contamination as well. Washing your pets bedding using the hottest cycle and regularly vacuuming carpets and fabric furniture can help.
Most animals will be itchy and mildly uncomfortable when they pick up a few fleas, but a small number of dogs and cats can have a severe reaction to flea saliva resulting in a skin condition called Flea Allergy Dermatitis or FAD. Treatment of FAD can be complicated and veterinary advice is recommended.
In addition to causing skin irritation fleas can spread blood borne diseases – another reason we recommend using a good quality flea preventative product all year round.
Warning: Some types of flea treatments for dogs are potentially lethal when applied to cats. Always seek veterinary advice about the best flea treatments for your pet.
There are two broad categories of worms that may affect dogs – intestinal worms and heartworm (see below).
Worming is one of the first health care issues new pet owners need to address as puppies and kittens are the most susceptible to both infection and the effects of worms. As their name suggests, intestinal worms are parasites that live inside the intestinal tract (the bowel). These worms range in size from being a few millimetres long to up to 18cm in length. Regardless of their size they all have detrimental (and in extremely rare cases potentially life threatening) effects.
Most species of animal (including humans) can become infected with intestinal worms.
Common intestinal worms in Australian pets are Roundworm, Tapeworm, Whipworm and Hookworm.
If your pet has a large number of worms it may find it difficult to maintain body weight. In some cases worm infestation can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and even anaemia (a low red blood cell level). Occasionally, heavy intestinal worm burdens can lead to death.
Worms sometimes have complex life cycles which involve a period of existence and development outside your pet. Understanding the life cycle of a specific worm is important so that strategies for treatment and prevention can be designed and implemented. For instance, some tapeworms need to pass through fleas to complete their lifecycle, so flea prevention is an important method of preventing tapeworm infection.
It is important to maintain a routine worming treatment for your dog, to reduce the incidence of infection and to reduce environmental contamination. There are many worming treatments available as tablets, spot-ons, or pastes. Re-infection is a common problem, particularly in pets that are in contact with a heavily contaminated environment. Another very important reason to worm your pets is to protect your family as children in particular can become infected with certain dog and cat worms.
Below are some tips to improve the prevention of worm infection:
The main tick of concern for pet owners is the Paralysis Tick (Ixodes holocyclus) as it can cause paralysis and death within 2-4 days of attachment. Whilst Paralysis Ticks occur naturally only in certain geographic areas (mainly along the coastal eastern seaboard of Australia, but also in East Gippsland) they can attach to pets who visit these areas. Ticks may also hitch a ride back with you or a neighbour in cars, rugs, towels or plants. Several isolated cases have been seen in Melbourne on dogs that have not travelled. At this stage there is no evidence that Paralysis Ticks are now breeding in metro Melbourne.
Early signs of Tick Paralysis include wobbly back legs and weakness. Treatment of tick paralysis includes searching for and removing all ticks. This may include clipping the fur and/or the use of medication to kill remaining ticks. Tick antiserum is administered to counteract the toxin and supportive care is provided during recovery. If travelling to high risk regions we recommend ensuring your pet is on a tick preventative medication (various medications can be purchased from us without need to see a veterinarian. Our nurses will be able to find the product to best suit you and your pets needs). Be aware that no tick prevention is 100% effective and should always be used in combination with daily searches of your pet. Searching your pet shouldn’t cease once you return from tick-affected regions but should continue for at least 7 days after returning home. Use your fingers to feel over the entire body, especially under the collar, on the face and around the front of your pet. Don’t forget to check carefully between the toes, under the lips, in the ears and near the anus and genitals.
There are other species of ticks found in Victoria that do not cause paralysis – it is always best to call us for advice before trying to remove a tick from your pets body.
There are two broad categories of worms that may affect dogs- heartworm and intestinal worms (see above).
Heartworm, or “Dirofilaria immitis”, is a blood-borne parasite spread by mosquitoes – ‘carrier’ mosquitoes travel between dogs spreading the disease – so a dog can become infected even if it has no contact with other dogs. It can cause serious and life-threatening illness in dogs, and once infected, treatment can also be dangerous.
In the early stages of heartworm infection there may be no visible signs, however infection can lead to heart failure and even death. Heartworm is present throughout much of Australia, and each year there are many reported cases of heartworm infection throughout all regions of Victoria. These infections could have been easily prevented by administering regular heartworm preventative medications. And remember foxes are part of the canine family, and can be carriers of heartworm too.
Fortunately, heartworm is very easy to prevent and should form part of your dogs health care routine. We have very effective preventative treatment options available including monthly tablets, chews, and topical “spot-on” products. There is also the option for your veterinarian to administer your dog with an annual long-acting injection. We highly recommend this method as it prevents you forgetting to give a treatment at home, and we will provide you with a reminder each year advising when your pets next injection is due.
Heartworm prevention should be started in puppies at 12 weeks of age.
If your dog is older than 6 months of age and has not been on heartworm prevention we strongly recommend a heartworm test prior to starting a prevention program, followed by a repeat test 6 months after commencing. This is a blood test that we can perform here at the clinic and with results available in about 5 minutes! Providing the blood test result is negative, we can then discuss the best preventative treatment for your dog. If your dog has been on heartworm prevention but missed some doses please contact our staff to work out the best course of action.
The immunity from puppy vaccination weakens over time and your pet can again become susceptible to disease. An annual health check and booster vaccination if needed will provide the best protection for the life of your pet.
We most commonly vaccinate our canine patients against Canine Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis (often called a C3) and Canine Cough (a C3 plus Canine Cough makes up a C5 vaccination). There is the option for adult dogs to receive a C3 vaccination once every 3 years.
Your veterinarian will discuss with you the most appropriate vaccination requirements for your individual pets needs – vaccination is not a ‘one treatment suits all’ scenario.
Following vaccination your dog may be a little quiet or off-colour for a day or two, or may have some slight swelling or tenderness at the injection site. Access to food and water and a comfortable area to rest are usually all that is required for a quick recovery. However, if the response seems more severe, you should contact us for advice.
If you’re uncertain about your dogs current vaccination status, please visit or call our team to discuss your vaccination needs. If you have a number of worries to discuss at the annual check-up and vaccination, we recommend booking an extended consultation.
Castration in male dogs prevents disease of the testes, and reduces the incidence of testosterone-related disease. Castration can improve a male dogs behaviour. Entire male dogs are more likely to to exhibit dominance behaviour including aggression and inappropriate urine marking Entire male dogs are also far more likely to want to escape and stray, which increases their risk of injury.
In addition to the prevention of unwanted litters of puppies, speying a female dog significantly reduces the risk of mammary (breast) cancer developing as she ages. Older entire female dogs are also at risk of developing life threatening infections of the uterus. Entire female dogs are also more likely to stray and get injured when on heat. If you choose to breed your female dog we still recommend desexing after she ceases breeding.
In the past we have generally recommended 6 months as the ideal age to desex a dog, however there is now evidence that suggests most breeds of dogs should be allowed some extra growth time before desexing. We recommend discussing the ideal age to desex your dog with one of our veterinarians when in for a vaccination or health check. Please note that some local councils suggest desexing at 12 weeks of age for a reduced registration fee. We do not recommend that dogs are desexed this young if it can be avoided.