Health Tips

With a good diet and regular vet care, your dog should live a long and healthy life. Here are some general tips:

  1. In the past, vets recommended annual booster shots for parvo/distemper. However, research has shown that immunity can last for several years to the pet’s lifetime and over-vaccinating is now thought to cause immune-system problems in many dogs. Many vet schools today recommend that boosters only be given every 3 years.
  2. It is best to give your dog his rabies shot after 24 weeks or 6-months of age. NEVER give him a rabies shot at the same time as other shots. This is too much for the immune system of many dogs and can cause serious health problems. It is best to wait 2 to 4 weeks between shots.
  3. For information on dogs and medications like aspirin and Kaopectate, click here.
  4. Many Keeshonden are sensitive to anesthetics, so if you have to put your dog under a general anesthetic, be sure to tell your vet to weigh the dog carefully and be extremely careful with the dosage. (Keeshonden look heavier than they are!) Many dogs have died unnecessarily.
  5. Avoid using general anesthetic to have your dog’s teeth cleaned—it is not worth the risk. Pet suppliers sell canine toothpaste and other cleaners. Do not use human toothpaste on your dog. There are also people who clean teeth without anesthetics; ask your dog's breeder and your vet for more information.
  6. One flea can cause tapeworm. This is often seen in the fresh stool and looks like short, flat, white worms. If you notice rice-like segments in the coat around the anus, this is dried tapeworm. Do not buy worm medication over the counter. Go to a veterinarian and follow his directions carefully. All worming medications are potentially poisonous and must be given carefully. Have a stool check run on your dog once a year.
  7. Avoid letting your dog walk on grass that has recently been treated with chemical fertilizer, weed killer, or insecticide. He can inhale toxins when he sniffs or even absorb them through the pads of his feet.
  8. In case of serious illness, especially if the dog appears listless and/or has a high temperature, call the vet immediately. (Normal temperature for a dog is 100.5-102.5.)
  9. Sometimes dogs just don’t feel well and often you can treat them as you would treat a child. If the condition does not clear up right away, feed mild foods like boiled rice and hamburger, cottage cheese, chicken broth, and plain yogurt. If the diarrhea is accompanied by a temperature or if it is combined with blood, call your vet.
  • Diarrhea: Dogs can get diarrhea if they’re sick, but also if they eat something they aren’t used to, or if they’re under stress. Give Kaopectate or a similar product as long as it does not contain aspirin.) A tablespoon of canned pumpkin in his food can also help, as well as products like Nature’s Farmacy Dogzymes Canine Paste or Gel.
  • Vomiting: Vomiting does not always mean your dog is sick—some dogs vomit from excitement, stress, and other reasons. Don’t worry about vomiting unless it is accompanied by one or more of the following: diarrhea, dehydration, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, high fever, lethargy, bloody vomiting. If your dog is energetic and acts well, keep an eye on him, but don’t worry about it.

The Four Types of Dog Vomit, courtesy Stephanie Thorn

YELLOW URKA-GURKAS—Dog runs around the house and hides under furniture while making a prolonged “uuuurka-guuurka, uuurka-guuurka” noise. (This noise is the only thing guaranteed to wake up a true dog lover who is hung-over from a post dog show celebration at 3:30 am.) After mad scrambling to capture the dog and drag him outside, the episode ends with an indelible ten yard line of slimy yellow froth from the living rug to back door.

BLAP DISEASE—Dog exercises hard and a. eats large mouthfuls of snow (Winter Blap Disease) or b. drinks a bucket of water (Summer Blap Disease). Within 2 minutes of returning inside the dog spews out large amounts of clear slimy liquid while making a distinctive “blap” sound and sharp percussive noise as it hits the linoleum.

GARKS—Dog suddenly clears his throat with loud and dramatic “gggaark, gggark,” noises, generally followed by prolonged “iiikssss” and then loud satisfied smacking noises. There is nothing on the rug. Don't investigate, you don't want to know.

RALFS—Apropos of nothing, the dog strolls into the dining room and waits ‘til the innocent dinner guests are all watching him. Then with a single deep gut-wrenching “raaaalfff” disgorges the entire week's contents of his stomach on the dining room rug. VARIATION: then he eats it.

In all the above events, the dog is entirely healthy and indeed deeply pleased with himself!
Hip dysplasia: When the ball joint of the leg does not fit well in the hip socket, it is known as hip dysplasia and it leads to arthritis. To reduce the occurance of the disease, responsible breeders X-ray their dogs to detect hip dysplasia and will not breed dyplastic dogs. Click here for more information.
Luxating patellas: In this condition, also called “slipped stiffles,” the kneecap slips out of position. Responsible breeders have their dogs checked for luxating patellas and will not breed animals that have them. Click here for more information.
Allergies: Just like humans, some dogs have allergies to food, insect bites, shampoos, mold, and other allergens. If your dog scratches and does not have fleas, it might be an allergy. (He might also be blowing coat, so don’t overreact.) Dogs can be allergic to beef, chicken, wheat, corn, eggs, grass, etc. Click here for more information. If you suspect an allergy, you might try switching to a different food. Most dry dog food contains a mixture of ingredients, which will make it hard to eliminate a possible allergen. However, some companies make dog food with limited ingredients (such as Natural Balance Potato & Duck). You might also consider feeding only raw food. It’s a lot more work to give your dog balanced nutrition and it's not for everyone, but some people swear by it. (See www.barfworld.com.)
Primary Hyperparathyroidism (PHPT): When your dog is around 7-years old, you should start getting him annual blood tests along with the regular vet exam. Ask your vet to check the calcium level, in particular, which is an indication of PHPT (primary hyperparathyroidism), a relatively common disease in Keeshonden. If your dog's calcium levels are even slightly higher than normal, have him tested for PHPT. If caught early, it is treatable and your dog should live a happy, normal life. If undetected, it can lead to kidney damage, as well as brittle bones and loose teeth. Click here for more information. If you think your dog may have PHPT, you can also contact Kris Arnds (karnds@aol.com) or Tawn Sinclair (tawnsinclr@aol.com).