Preventative

• Preventative health programs for working farm dogs

  • Prevent common diseases
  • Prevent fatal infectious diseases
  • Reduce the risk of injury
  • Public health responsibility
• Most common diseases in pet dogs

  • Periodontal disease
  • Obesity
  • Degenerative joint disease
  • Skin disease (including ear disease)
  • Internal and external parasites
  • Behavioural problems
• Most common diseases in NZ Farm dogs

  • Trauma
  • Degenerative joint disease
  • Gastrointestinal disease
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhoea
  • Gastric dilation / volvulus ("bloat")
  • Dental disease – fractures, tooth root abscesses
  • Skin disease
  • Bacterial infections
  • Foreign bodies
  • Allergic
  • Reproductive problems
• Preventing disease in working dogs

  • Trauma
  • GI and reproductive
  • Nutrition
  • Body condition
  • Parasites
  • Skin disease
  • Vaccination
  • Dental disease
• Body Condition Score (BCS)


  Measure of the amount of fat and muscle covering an animal's body
• 475 Working dogs in South Island
• Most commonly cited health concern expressed by farmers: Being underweight, Loss of condition during heavy work, Inability to put condition on
• Currently unknown what is considered "underweight" for working farm dogs
• Most common worms in dogs

  • Roundworms (Toxascaris canis, Toxacara cati)
  • Whipworms
  • Tapeworm
• Uncommon worms in dogs: Lungworm
• 40% of 170 working farm dogs were positive for nematode and/or protozoan parasites
• Parasites found in working farm dogs

  • Toxacara canis (5%)
  • Hookworms (Uncinaria stenocephala or Ancylostoma caninum) (12%)
  • Trichuris vulpis (5%)
  • Sarcocystis spp. (21%)
  • Isospora canis or Isospora ohioensis (5%)
  • Neospora caninum and Hammondia heydorni (2%)
  • Giardia spp. (8%)
• Younger animals had a significantly higher prevalence of Toxacara canis and Giardia spp.
• Toxacara life cycle


  Heavy burdens in puppies, Up to 200,000 eggs per day, Bitches persistently infected in tissues, 100% of puppies infected, Infective after 2-3 weeks
• Toxacara larval migrans can cause disease in humans, including fever, anorexia, weight loss, cough, wheezing, rashes, hepatosplenomegaly, and hypereosinophilia
• Seropositivity rates for Toxocara canis in New Zealand blood donors is 2.3%
• Taenia ovis (sheep measles) can cause macroscopic cysts in dogs
• Worming programs for dogs

  • Worm bitches and queens in late pregnancy and soon after whelping
  • Worm puppies and kittens at 3, 9, 12 weeks, then every 4 weeks until 6 months
  • Continue worming 2-3x per year
• Faeces are a potential infection risk, and it is illegal to feed uncooked offal to dogs
• Worming programs are often ineffective due to poor dosing compliance, poor efficacy of single dose wormers, and resistance
• Canine vaccines


  • Parvovirus
  • Distemper
  • Infectious hepatitis
  • Bordetella bronchiseptica (Kennel cough)
  • Leptospirosis
• Concepts of vaccination


  Humoral immunity, Systemic viral infections, Mucosal diseases, Maternal derived immunity via milk, Vaccine neutralisation, Period of susceptibility, Inactive vs active ("live") virus vaccines, Subcutaneous vs intranasal, Duration of immunity
• Canine parvovirus (CPV) probably originated from feline parvovirus, is hardy and persists in the environment, and causes massive intestinal mucosal damage and destruction of white blood cells, leading to dehydration and death
• Canine parvovirus (CPV) clinical features

  Profound depression, Fever, Vomiting, Anorexia, Dehydration, Diarrhoea (often bloody), Loss of white blood cells, +/- Sepsis, death
• Canine infectious tracheobronchitis (Kennel cough)

  Acute, highly contagious, very prevalent, Caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, parainfluenza virus, CAV-2, CAV-1, CDV, canine respiratory coronavirus
• Canine infectious tracheobronchitis clinical signs

  Sudden-onset of a dry, hacking cough, Dogs may retch and bring up foam, Rarely fever and pneumonia
• Canine infectious tracheobronchitis management

  Exercise restriction for 2 weeks, Antibiotics, Cough suppressants, Minimise exposure, Vaccinate (intranasal or injectable)
• It is unknown which pathogens are most important for canine infectious tracheobronchitis in New Zealand
• Canine leptospirosis


  Important world-wide zoonosis, Many different subtypes ("serovars"), Reservoir hosts have little to no disease, Incidental hosts can have moderate to severe disease, Sudden onset of liver and kidney damage, intestinal damage, death
• Seropositivity rates for different Leptospira serovars in healthy dogs in New Zealand: Copenhageni 10%, Hardjo 4%, Pomona 1%, Ballum 1%
• Canine leptospirosis treatment and prognosis

  Antibiotics, Supportive therapy, Fluid therapy, Prognosis for recovery reasonable
• Canine leptospirosis vaccination


  Current vaccines in NZ only cover Copenhageni, Hardjo, Pomona, and Copenhageni most important in NZ, Can vaccinate off-label with 3-in-1 cattle vaccine, Vaccine titres do not remain > 1:100 for > 10 weeks, Most vaccines are bacterins and provoke allergic reactions more commonly
• Risk factors for leptospirosis infection in dogs in NZ, which serovars actually cause most disease, and which vaccine serovars are best to protect dogs in NZ are unknown
• Vaccination frequency for dogs

  • Puppies: start at 8 weeks, finish at 14 weeks
  • Adults: 1 year old, every 3 years (DHP), yearly (Lepto and K cough)
• Foot problems in working dogs

  • Abrasions / worn pads
  • Foreign bodies between toes
  • Stones
  • Grass seeds
  • Allergic skin disease ("pododermatitis")
• Managing foot problems in working dogs

  Check feet before and after work, Clean and dry before kennelling, Don't put off/delay treatment, Manage allergic pododermatitis (on-going, seasonal)