How to Care for a Dalmatian - Monitoring Your Dalmatian’s Health

1. Schedule regular veterinary visits. When your Dalmatian is a puppy, you will need to take him to the veterinarian regularly to for vaccination and deworming (removing intestinal parasites). Your puppy should start receiving his vaccinations at around 6 weeks of age. Deworming starts at 2 weeks of age and continues every 2 weeks until he is 12 weeks old.[24]
- Although there are core vaccinations your puppy should receive (e.g., rabies, parvovirus), your veterinarian may recommend other vaccinations based on where you live.[25]
- If your Dalmatian has urinary issues, you will need to take him to the veterinarian regularly to have his urine checked for crystals.
- If your Dalmatian is in good health, once or twice yearly veterinary visits should be sufficient.

2. Manage your Dalmatian’s urinary problems. As a Dalmatian owner, you will need to pay close attention to his urinary health. If you notice your Dalmatian having trouble urinating, or if you see blood in his urine, take him to your veterinarian for further examination.[26] In addition to feeding your Dalmatian a low-protein diet and giving him plenty of fresh water to drink, you may also need to give him a medication called allopurinol.
- Allopurinol can reduce the accumulation of urate, thus preventing the formation of urate crystals.[27] Allopurinol’s effectiveness is variable, though, so your veterinarian will need to check your Dalmatian’s urine for urate crystals on a regular basis.[28]
- Urinary stones are more common in males.[29]

3. Monitor your Dalmatian’s skin. Dalmatians can develop different types of skin allergies (e.g., food, contact, inhalant). Many times, removing the source of the allergy is sufficient treatment. For example, a food allergy can be treated by eliminating the ingredient causing the allergy. If a certain type of topical flea medication were causing a contact allergy, then you would try a different medication.[30]
- If your Dalmatian develops a skin allergy, his skin will look red and may have some red bumps.[31]

4. Learn about deafness in Dalmatians. Dalmatians’ genetics make them susceptible to deafness, either in both ears or in one ear. About 8% of Dalmatians are born completely deaf, and 22 to 24% are deaf in one ear at birth.[32] Even if you suspect deafness in your Dalmatian, it would be a good idea to have him professionally tested using the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) test.[33]
- This test is performed in Dalmatian puppies that are at least 5 weeks old.[34]
- If your veterinarian does not perform this test, he or she can recommend a facility where you can have it performed. If you purchased your Dalmatian puppy from a breeder, ask the breeder if the puppy has been BAER tested.
- Do not stomp your feet or bang on something to test your Dalmatian’s hearing. Even though he would not be able to hear the loud noise, he would be able to feel the vibrations.[35]