{"topic_id":"companion_dog_health","category":"companion-health","context":"---\ntopic_id: companion_dog_health\ncategory: companion-health\ntitle: \"Dog health — routine veterinary care, vaccines, parasites, dental, and signs of illness (Merck Vet Manual)\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"Merck Veterinary Manual - Routine Health Care (companion_dog_health)\"\nsource_file: pdf-raw/companion-care/dog_routine_health.txt\ndate_parsed: 2026-08-01\ntokens_estimated: 305\nverified: true\nverification:\n  method: paraphrase\n  claims: 11\n  passed: 11\n  date: 2026-08-04\nsource_document: \"Merck Veterinary Manual (pet-owner version)\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Merck Veterinary Manual\"\n  title: \"Dog health — routine veterinary care, vaccines, parasites, dental, and signs of illness (Merck Vet Manual)\"\n  url: \"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/pet-owners/dog-care/routine-health-care-of-dogs\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-08-01\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"pet-owner veterinary reference\"\n  needs_review: false\nlicense: paraphrase\ncopyright_note: \"Source Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) is copyrighted and not openly licensed; per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3 all claims are paraphrased derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not verbatim quotations.\"\nauthority_tier: T3\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T3:vet-ref\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\n\n# Dog health — routine veterinary care, vaccines, parasites, dental, and signs of illness (Merck Vet Manual)\nSource: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com), a copyrighted veterinary reference. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, the points below are paraphrased derived fact summaries: numerical values and proper nouns are preserved from the source, but sentences are rewritten and not quoted verbatim.\n\n## Claims\n\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Dogs need regular vet checkups, grooming and a safe home to stay healthy.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Adult dogs: a full checkup at least once a year.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Older dogs are more prone to illness and need to see the vet more often.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A vet may suggest blood tests or x-rays to catch problems early.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Signs a dog may be sick include reduced appetite, low energy, vomiting or diarrhoea, changed urination, coughing or sneezing, discharge from eyes/ears/nose, hair loss, excessive itching, red skin spots, or limping — if any last more than a day or two, book a vet visit.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* For liquid medicine, use a syringe to squirt it toward the back teeth at the back of the mouth.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Vaccines protect dogs from serious diseases.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Core vaccines recommended by nearly all vets prevent distemper, parvovirus and rabies.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Vaccines for other illnesses, such as Lyme disease or Bordetella, matter in certain regions.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A vet will advise which vaccines a dog needs based on location and lifestyle.\n---\n## License & attribution\n\nSource: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) — copyrighted, non-Open-Access. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3 all claims are paraphrased derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not verbatim quotations.\n\n*[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]*","sources":["companion-health — Dog health — routine veterinary care, vaccines, parasites, dental, and signs of illness (Merck Vet Manual) (retrieved 2026-08-01)"],"source":{"authority":"companion-health","title":"Dog health — routine veterinary care, vaccines, parasites, dental, and signs of illness (Merck Vet Manual)","url":"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/pet-owners/dog-care/routine-health-care-of-dogs","retrieved":"2026-08-01","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual (pet-owner version)","verification_file":"pdf-raw/companion-care/dog_routine_health.txt"},"source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual (pet-owner version)","source_file":"pdf-raw/companion-care/dog_routine_health.txt","trust":{"authority_tier":"T3","fidelity":"paraphrase","license":"paraphrase","display_grade":"B"},"tokens_estimated":146,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}