Kirra came to us already vet checked, spayed, dewormed, microchiped and so on. However, it’s always a good idea to take you rescue dog to your own vet for a basic physical and to confirm all of their vaccinations are done and up-to-date. As it turned out she had to have booster shots for the “core canine vaccines”.

Several weeks after we picked Kirra up from the Niagara Rescue Group, in Niagara Falls, we scheduled a physical plus early spring appointment.

Before you take a new dog, or any dog, to the vet, it is always recommended to give them some exercise before hand. This will help them deal with a potentially stressful situation  and it will also give them the opportunity to do their “business” before they go in.

We went to the same vet hospital that we took Maya to for 14 years. They had always treated us and Maya so well, that is only made sense.

Kirra had a morning walk and playtime and then we gave her a stuffed toy for the drive in, since she still wasn’t fond of being in the back of the truck. It was also pretty cold, so we had been putting warm jackets on her since she isn’t use to the cold yet.

It’s really important to be calm and to try to make the experience as positive and fun as possible. Maya always loved going into the vets, not so much the rooms, but she loved meeting the people.

A bunch of the staff came out to meet her and she got treats and lots of petting.

Inside we couldn’t have been happier with how well she behaved with the technician and the vet. She had booster shots, her glands cleaned and her nails trimmed. She was so good!

We did realize that at this point she still was not at 100%. She developed a fairly severe case of colitis from the 2 day trip from Tennessee to Niagara Falls and then another 3 hours to our home. We were feeding her rice and boiled chicken frequently during the day to settle her colon, so we’ll see whether it was a one time fluke that she was a little angel due to not feeling well.

If you are taking your dog into the veterinarian for the first time, here is a list of the vaccinations available for dog. Depending on your pet’s age, current health, location, etc. some of the vaccinations are more important than other. Talk to your vet to determine which of the following are recommended for your dog:

• Rabies (required)
  • Rabies is a virus that affects the nervous system that can be transmitted, through saliva, from an infected mammal to any other mammal, including livestock, pets, wildlife and humans.
• Distemper
  • Highly contagious virus causing an upper respiratory infection with a high fever.
• Hepatitis / Adenovirus
  • spread by contact with urine and feces of infected animals. Causes liver and kidney damage.
• Parinfluenza
  • Virus causes upper respiratory infection.
• Parvovirus
  • Virus attacks the intestinal tract and causes severe diarrhea and vomiting. Highly contagious.
• Leptospirosis
  • Causes fatal kidney and liver damage.
• Lyme Disease
  • Transmitted by infected deer ticks.
• Corona virus
  • Like parvovirus, this virus attacks the intestinal system.
• Bordetella
  • Upper respiratory infection, commonly known as kennel cough. High contagious.