SunDog Labradors
Complete Puppy Wellness Package
The SunDog Labradors Complete Puppy Wellness Package is an all-inclusive medical package that provides the necessary preventative care to help your puppy grow into a healthy companion. In order to reap the full benefits of this comprehensive package, you will be required to return to SunDog Labradors in Oak Harbor, WA for completion of the vaccination series and spay/neuter surgery.
The following preventative care is provided for each puppy purchased from SunDog. We believe so strongly in the health and well-being of each and every one of our puppies that we formulated our Complete Puppy Wellness Package and include it with every puppy we produce. There are no additional fees for these services. The prices following each medical service are included to illustrate the consumer veterinary cost of the treatment(s) and the total value of the package that you automatically receive with your SunDog puppy. For more detailed information about each veterinary procedure, please see the paragraphs below.
Preventative Care
Local Clinic #1 Local Clinic #2
DHLPP (series of three vaccinations) $61.50 $150.72
Bordetella (series of two vaccinations) $39.50 $ 64.16
Rabies $10.00 $ 21.74
Fecal Examination (minimum of two) $25.00 $ 33.74
AVID Microchip $35.00 $ 49.29
Spay $95.00 $147.07
or
Neuter $85.00 $132.27
Total $256.00 -266.00 $451.92-466.72
What is a vaccine?
A vaccine consists of a modified virus (altered to prevent animal from contracting disease from the vaccine itself) suspended in a substrate so that it may be administered as an injection.
The vaccines are administered subcutaneously (SQ), or under the skin, over the shoulder regions with the distemper vaccines placed over the left shoulder and the rabies vaccines over the right. Any other vaccines to be given are placed on midline (ie. Lymes disease vaccine). By following this protocol, we can track when an animal experiences a localized vaccine reaction and which vaccine caused it. For example, if an owner calls and states that his puppy has a small, firm swelling over its left shoulder and it was vaccinated a day or two ago, it is most likely that the swelling is a result of the distemper vaccine.
Dogs must return to their veterinarian annually for all vaccines (with the exception of the rabies virus) in order to maintain adequate immunity. Once an animal receives its first vaccine for rabies, it will return in one year for a booster. After that, the rabies vaccines will last for three years.
Why is vaccination important?
Regardless of how cautious you are with your new SunDog puppy, it will still have some risk of exposure to various infectious diseases. Many of these diseases may be life-threatening, while others may pose a public health risk (i.e. rabies). Vaccination to prevent common infectious diseases supports the first goal of medicine – disease prevention.
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines contain viruses or bacteria that have been killed or otherwise modified to stimulate your SunDog puppy to mount an immune response to the infectious agent(s) without actually contracting the disease(s). After your puppy has been vaccinated, its immune system will respond to the agents injected and begin to produce protective antibodies. These antibodies will then recognize any future infections of the naturally-occurring virus or bacteria and signal the body to mount an immune response if your SunDog should be exposed to it in the future.
Puppies require a series of vaccines to ensure their immunity. There are many different methods of vaccinating puppies and it seems as though every clinic and every breeder has their own schedule. Our schedule begins for puppies at 8 weeks of age and provides for re-vaccination every 4 weeks. The vaccines administered contain protection against Parvovirus, the highly contagious and often fatal disease of young puppies. The other viruses contained in the vaccine are Distemper, Hepatitis (Adenovirus), Parainfluenza, and Coronavirus. The last component is Leptospirosis. It is from the viruses contained that we derive our abbreviation for the distemper combination vaccine (DAPPCL)
8 weeks -- DAPP
12 weeks -- DAPPL
16 weeks – DAPPL and Rabies (1 year)
The next set of vaccines would be due one year from the administration of the final vaccines in the series.
Why does my SunDog puppy need to return for booster vaccines?
After your SunDog puppy was born, it drank immunizing antibodies in its mother’s first milk. Those maternal antibodies provide early protection against infectious diseases, however, they also neutralize the immunizing agents in vaccines.
Maternal antibodies naturally decline during the first eight to twelve weeks of life and eventually disappear. For this reason, SunDog puppies receive a series of vaccinations starting at eight weeks of age. This increases the likelihood of long-term protection from vaccination as soon as maternal antibody levels have declined below protective levels.
What are the potential risks of vaccination?
The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the relatively small risk of vaccine-related adverse effects. Allergic reactions to vaccinations and local injection-site irritation are uncommon, but they do occur. By the time you take possession of your SunDog puppy, it will have already received its first vaccines.
What diseases are addressed in a SunDog’s vaccination series?
Rabies is a viral disease that can affect all warm-blooded mammals, including dogs, cats, wildlife and humans (most of us are familiar with this disease…remember Ol’ Yeller?) The Rabies virus is usually transmitted by a bite wound from an infected animal. The virus infects cells of the nerves and results in behavioral abnormalities such as unusual aggression or withdrawal and incoordination. Once the signs of Rabies appear, the disease is always fatal. Your SunDog puppy will be protected from this devastating disease by a one year vaccination. When it receives its booster vaccine the following year, that vaccine will be protective for three years.
Canine Distemper is a wide-spread, high-mortality viral disease of dogs. Exposure is considered inevitable during a dog’s lifetime and puppies or young dogs with limited immunity are at greatest risk. Canine distemper virus infects various tissues in the dog’s body, producing diarrhea, fever, nasal and ocular discharge, respiratory disease, appetite loss and neurologic signs such as muscular spasms and paralysis. The disease is easily transmitted and often fatal.
Infectious Canine Hepatitis is caused by canine adenovirus type 1, is a worldwide disease of dogs. Canine adenovirus-1 infects a wide range of tissues, including the liver, kidneys, spleen, and lungs. Infected dogs typically develop a fever, bleeding of gums and soft tissue and experience loss of white blood cells that are a key component of the immune system. Opacity of the eye (“blue eye”) occurs in some cases. Death, chronic hepatitis, or severe illness may occur, and recovery may be gradual in non-fatal cases. Canine adenovirus-1 can be shed in the urine and feces for up to one year and can survive outside the host for weeks to months.
Enteritis is a fancy name for intestinal inflammation or infection. Dogs may be at risk of enteritis caused by Parvovirus. The diarrhea and vomiting caused by these viruses can range from mild to severe, and are accompanied by depression and loss of appetite. Severe cases of viral enteritis can be fatal due to dehydration, anemia, and inappetance. Unvaccinated puppies and young dogs are most commonly affected because their immune systems are immature and they have not been previously exposed or vaccinated for the causative disease. Because of their limited body reserves, puppies are also at the greatest risk of death. Viral enteritis is easily spread because of the large volume of virus in feces, which contaminates the environment and is readily spread from one animal to another. In addition, Parvovirus is stable in the environment for months to years.
Canine respiratory diseases are troublesome problems in dogs because they are easily transmitted in the air or by direct contact, especially in kennels or among dogs living together. Upper respiratory disease will not only limit the dog’s activity, but it may also progress to pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. The most common causes of respiratory infections in dogs include canine Adenovirus type-2, canine Parainfluenza virus and Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria. Infectious tracheobronchitis (“kennel cough”) is a persistent respiratory disease with a harsh, dry, non-productive cough, often caused by viral infection complicated by Bordetella bronchiseptica.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection resulting from contact with infected wildlife, urine from infected dogs or contaminated water or food. Even more noteworthy, Leptospirosis can be transmitted to humans by contact with breaks in the skin or mucous membranes. Leptospira bacteria infect the kidneys and liver, causing fever, anorexia, depression and generalized pain.
What is an AVID microchip?
Prior to placement in its new home, every SunDog Labrador puppy shall be injected with an AVID FriendChip permanent identification microchip. The microchip is carefully placed underneath the skin between the shoulder blades where it can be easily scanned should the pup ever become lost or stolen. Unlike an engraved identification tag or collar, a microchip provides real protection that cannot fade, fall off or be removed. Once the microchip is in place, the number is registered with the global recovery network, PETtrac. The PETtrac database contains all of the information necessary to ensure that any lost pet is quickly returned to its owner. Should a SunDog Labrador ever become separated from its family, it is our hope that the placement of an AVID chip will ensure its safe return.
Genetic Screening/OFA/CERF
SunDog takes great care in screening for hereditary diseases prior to breeding any Labrador. The point of performing such screening tests is to ensure that we are not breeding any animal that possesses a genetic disorder. Please bear in mind that these certifications cannot guarantee that your puppy will be free of any of these disorders, but that every care has been taken to prevent such conditions. It is our hope that by maintaining high standards in the quality of the stock we breed, we will continue to produce Labradors that fulfill the breed standard, are healthy, and will enjoy great longevity as companions or working dogs.
OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals)
SunDog entrusts the skills of a panel of unbiased, board-certified veterinary radiologists employed by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals to evaluate the pelvic radiographs of both the sire and dam. Using their expertise on skeletal structure, this panel will formulate a score for the structure of each individual dog’s coxofemoral joints (hips). Both the sire and dam of every SunDog puppy must have either a “Good” or “Excellent” rating on their hips. SunDog does not recognize “Fair” as an acceptable rating for hip conformation, as it is our opinion that such a rating suggests borderline issues with hip dysplasia. Any dog rating “Fair” or below will not be considered for breeding at our establishment. In addition, each dog must have their elbows evaluated and found to be “Normal” prior to breeding any individual.
THE FOLLOWING ASPECTS OF OUR WELLNESS PACKAGE WEBSITE WRITE-UP ARE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION:
CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation)
The sire and dam of every SunDog puppy are evaluated annually by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist to be certified clear of heritable ocular disease.
Ovariohysterectomy/Spay
Orchidectomy/Neuter
Fecal Examination
Frontline Application