RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW OWNERS
We would like to congratulate
you on the acquisition of your new puppy. Owning a dog can be an
extremely rewarding experience, but it is also a large
responsibility. We hope this handout will give you the
information needed to make some good decisions regarding your
puppy.
First, let us say that we are
grateful that you have chosen us to help you with your puppy's
health care. If you have questions concerning any subject
related to your puppy's health, please feel free to call our
hospital. Our entire professional staff is willing and happy to
help you.
What type of
playing should I expect from a puppy?
Stimulating play is important
during the first week. Stalking and pouncing are important play
behaviors in puppies and are necessary for proper muscular
development. Your puppy will be less likely to use family
members for these activities if you provide adequate puppy-safe
toys. The best toys are lightweight and movable. These include
wads of paper and rubber balls. Any toy that is small enough to
be swallowed should be avoided.
Can I discipline
a puppy?
Disciplining a young puppy
may be necessary if its behavior threatens people or property,
but harsh punishment should be avoided. Hand clapping and using
shaker cans or horns can be intimidating enough to inhibit
undesirable behavior. However, remote punishment is preferred.
Remote punishment consists of using something that appears
unconnected to the punisher to stop the problem behavior.
Examples include using spray bottles, throwing objects in the
direction of the puppy to startle (but not hit) it, and making
loud noises. Remote punishment is preferred because the puppy
associates punishment with the undesirable act and not with
you.
When should my
puppy be vaccinated?
There are many fatal diseases
of dogs. Fortunately, we have the ability to prevent several of
these by vaccinating your pet. In order to be effective, these
vaccines must be given as a series of injections. Ideally, they
are given at about 6-8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, but this
schedule may vary depending on several factors.
The routine vaccination
schedule will protect your puppy from several diseases:
distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza virus, and parvovirus. These
are included in one injection that is given at 6-8, 12, and 16
weeks old. Rabies vaccine is given at 16 weeks of age. There are
two other optional vaccinations that are appropriate in certain
situations. Your puppy should receive a bordetella vaccine,
which protects against kennel cough, if a trip to a boarding
kennel, groomer, or dog park is likely or if it will be placed
in a puppy training class. Lyme vaccine is given to dogs that
are exposed to ticks because Lyme disease is transmitted by
ticks. Please advise us of these needs on your next visit.
Why does my
puppy need more than one vaccination?
When the puppy nurses its
mother, it receives a temporary form of immunity through its
mother's milk. This immunity is in the form of proteins called
maternal antibodies. For about 24-48 hours after birth, the
puppy's intestine allows absorption of these antibodies directly
into the blood stream. This immunity is of benefit during the
first few weeks of the puppy's life, but at some point, this
immunity fails and the puppy must be able to make its own
long-lasting immunity. Vaccinations are used for this purpose.
As long as the mother's antibodies are present, vaccinations do
not have a chance to stimulate the puppy’s immune system. The
mother's antibodies interfere by neutralizing the vaccine.
Many factors determine when
the puppy will be able to respond to the vaccinations. These
include the level of immunity in the mother dog, how much
antibody has been absorbed, and the number of vaccines given to
the puppy. Since we do not know when an individual puppy will
lose the short-term immunity, we give a series of vaccinations.
We hope that at least two of these will fall in the window of
time when the puppy has lost immunity from its mother but has
not yet been exposed to disease. A single vaccination, even if
effective, is not likely to stimulate the long-term immunity,
which is so important.
Rabies vaccine is an
exception to this, since one injection given at the proper time
is enough to produce long-term immunity.
How important
are heartworms?
Heartworms are important
parasites, especially in certain climates. Larval stages live in
your dog’s bloodstream and cause major damage as they mature in
heart. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes. Fortunately,
Heartgard protects your dog from heartworms as long as it is
administered monthly. This drug is very safe and effective and
also protects against hookworms and roundworms.
Heartworm preventatives are
dosed according to your dog's weight. As the weight increases,
the dosage should also increase. Please note the dosing
instructions on the package.
Do all puppies
have worms?
Intestinal
parasites are common in puppies. Puppies can become infected
with parasites before they are born or later through their
mother's milk. The microscopic examination of a stool sample
will usually help us to determine the presence of intestinal
parasites. We recommend this exam for all puppies. Even if we do
not get a stool sample, we recommend giving Heartgard, a monthly
tablet, that is safe and effective against several of the common
worms of the dog. We do this because our deworming medication
has no side-effects and because your puppy does not pass worm
eggs every day so the stool sample may not detect worms that are
present. Additionally, some of these internal parasites can be
transmitted to humans. Deworming is done now and repeated
monthly. It is important that Heartgard be repeated monthly
because the deworming medication only kills the adult worms.
Within 3-4 weeks, the larval stages will become adults and need
to be treated. Dogs remain susceptible to re-infection with
hookworms and roundworms.
Tapeworms transmitted by
eating prey or waste containing the infective larval stage.
These are much larger tapeworms, often up to one yard (one
meter) in length. Intermediate hosts include rodents, rabbits,
hares and sheep. The intermediate stages develop hyadatid cysts
in various organs.
Dogs infected with tapeworms
will pass small segments of the worms in their stool. The
segments are white in color and look like grains of rice. They
are about 1/8 inch (3 mm) long and may be seen crawling on the
surface of the stool. They may also stick to the hair under the
tail. If that occurs, they will dry out, shrink to about half
their size, and become golden in color. Tapeworm segments do not
pass every day or in every stool sample; therefore, inspection
of several consecutive bowel movements may be needed to find
them. We may examine a stool sample in our office and not find
them, and then you may find them the next day. If you find them
at any time, please notify us so we may provide the appropriate
drug for treatment.
There are lots
of choices of dog foods. What should I feed my puppy?
Diet is extremely important
during the growing months of a dog's life. We recommend a
NAME-BRAND FOOD made by a national dog food company (not a
generic or local brand) and diet MADE FOR PUPPIES. This should
be fed until your puppy is about 12-18 months of age, depending
on its breed and size. We recommend that you only buy food that
has the AAFCO certification. Usually, you can find this
information very easily on the label. AAFCO is an organization
that oversees the entire pet food industry. It does not endorse
any particular food, but it will certify that the food has met
the minimum requirements for nutrition. Most of the commercial
pet foods will have the AAFCO label. Generic brands often do not
have it.
Feeding a dry, canned, or
semi-moist form of dog food is acceptable. Each has advantages
and disadvantages. Dry food is definitely the most inexpensive.
It can be left in the dog's bowl without drying. The good brands
of dry food are just as nutritious as the other forms. We
recommend feeding your pet Science Diet Puppy (original, large
breed, or small bites depending on the breed of dog).
Semi-moist and canned foods
are also acceptable. However, both are considerably more
expensive than dry food. They often are more appealing to the
dog's taste; however, they are not more nutritious. If you feed
a very tasty food, you are running the risk of creating a dog
with a finicky appetite. In addition, the semi-moist foods are
high in sugar and will lead to dental problems more quickly than
dry food.
Table foods are not
recommended. Because they are generally very tasty, dogs will
often begin to hold out for these and not eat their
well-balanced dog food. Table foods also are a major cause of
obesity in pets. If you choose to give your puppy table food,
be sure that at least 90% of its diet is good quality commercial
puppy food.
We
enjoy a variety of things to eat in our diet. However, most dogs
actually prefer not to change from one food to another unless
they are trained to do so by the way you feed them. Do not feel
guilty if your dog is happy eating the same food day after day,
week after week.
Commercials for dog food can
be very misleading. If you watch carefully you will notice that
commercials often promote dog food on the basis of TASTE.
Nutrition is rarely mentioned. Most of the "gourmet" foods are
marketed to appeal to owners who want the best for their dogs;
however, they do not offer the dog any nutritional advantage
over a good quality dry food, and they are far more expensive.
If your dog eats a gourmet food very long, it will probably not
be happy with other foods. If it needs a special diet due to a
health problem later in life, it is very unlikely to accept it.
Therefore, we do not encourage feeding gourmet dog foods.
How often
should I feed my puppy?
There
are several “right” ways to feed puppies. We recommend a method
that is commonly called “meal feeding.” This means that the
puppy is fed at specific times of the day. A measured amount of
food should be offered four times per day for 5-12 week old
puppies. What is not eaten within 30 minutes is taken up. If the
food is eaten within 3-4 minutes, the quantity is probably not
sufficient. Puppies fed in this manner generally begin to cut
themselves out of one of those meals by 3-4 months of age and
perhaps another one later. If a meal is ignored for several
days, it should be discontinued.
“Free choice feeding,” means
that food is available at all times. This works well with dry
foods and for some dogs. However, other dogs tend to overeat and
become obese. If there is weight gain after the optimal size is
reached, this method of feeding should be discontinued.
How do I
housebreak my new puppy?
Housebreaking should begin as
soon as your puppy enters his new home. How long the training
must continue depends on both the puppy and you. Some pups learn
sooner than others. Your dog wants to please you. But a puppy's
memory is short, so your patience is important. A home with a
poorly trained puppy is not a happy home for you or the puppy.
a)
The puppy's bed may be a box, open
at one end and slightly larger than the puppy. If the bed is too
large, the puppy may defecate or urinate in a corner rather than
go outside. If the bed is smaller, the puppy will do its
"business" outside rather than soil its bed.
b)
Enclose the bed in a small area,
such as a laundry room. Cover this area with newspapers to be
used at night, or when your pup is left unsupervised.
c)
A common housebreaking technique
is creating a “scent post”. A scent post is created when your
puppy has an "accident." The problem becomes one of locating
the scent post in the place you want it.
d)
To create a scent post, leave a
smear of stool from the last "accident" or wet paper on the
clean paper in the place you want it, and coax or scoot the
puppy to that area. The same is true of an outside scent post,
but without the paper, in an out-of-the-way place in the yard.
This will solve the "mine-field" problem.
e)
The first thing in the morning,
the puppy should be scooted to the scent post. This is so he can
learn his way to the door and the scent post. Let him sniff
about. The moment he has relieved himself, pat him on the head
and immediately bring him into the house. Do not let him play
about. The toilet period and play period should be definitely
separate in the puppy's routine.
f)
The puppy should then be fed. In a
short while the puppy will become uneasy and walk in circles
sniffing at the floor. The puppy should then be scooted and
coaxed to the scent post as quickly as possible.
g)
This routine should be repeated
every hour or two throughout the day, especially after meals and
naps.
h)
When the puppy is taken out to
play, it is wise to leave the house by another door and avoid
taking him near his scent post. Never play with your pup until
after he has been taken out and has eliminated.
i)
There will of course be some
"accidents" in the house. Never let one of these slip by
unnoticed; punishment five minutes after the offense is too
late. Scold (not whip) the puppy and rush him to the scent post.
Then scrub the area of mishap thoroughly until all odor is gone.
Products such as Nature’s Miracle help in removing all pet odor.
j)
Positive reinforcement of proper
urine and bowel habits is just as important as properly applied
discipline. When your puppy urinates or defecates in the correct
place, offer a small healthy treat and spend several minutes
stroking and praising him.
How do I
insure that my puppy is well socialized?
We recommend socializing your
puppy after it has had 2 sets of vaccines (the second set 3-4
weeks after initial vaccination). However, because your puppy is
more susceptible to disease, it is best to only socialize with
other pets that are up to date on their vaccines as well. During
that time, the puppy is very impressionable to social
influences. If it has good experiences with men, women,
children, cats, other dogs, etc., it is likely to accept them
throughout life. If the experiences are absent or unpleasant, it
may become apprehensive or adverse to any of them. Therefore,
during the period of socialization, we encourage you to expose
your dog to as many types of social events and influences as
possible.
My puppy seems
to be constantly chewing. Why does this occur?
Chewing is a normal puppy
characteristic. The puppy’s baby teeth are present by about four
weeks of age. They begin to fall out at four months of age and
are replaced by the adult (permanent) teeth by about six months
of age. Therefore, chewing is a puppy characteristic that you
can expect until about 6-7 months of age. It is important that
you do what you can to direct your puppy’s chewing toward
acceptable objects. You should provide puppy-safe items such as
nylon chew bones and other chew toys so other objects are
spared.
My
puppy has episodes of hiccuping and a strange odor to its
breath. Are these normal?
Yes. Many
puppies experience episodes of hiccuping that may last several
minutes. This is normal and will not last but a few weeks or
months. All puppies have a characteristic odor to their breath
that is commonly called “puppy breath.” It is also normal and
will last only until the puppy matures.
Can I trim my
puppy's sharp toe nails?
Puppies have very sharp toe
nails. They can be trimmed with nail trimmers made for dogs and
cats. If you take too much off the nail, you will cut into the
“quick” and bleeding and pain will occur. If this happens,
neither you nor your dog will want to do this again. We will
happily perform a demonstration of proper nail trimming
technique when you bring your pet in for booster vaccinations.
It is important to trim toe nails regularly, about every 2-3
weeks. As the nail grows, the “quick” will grow as well and thus
prevent trimming the nail to the proper length.
Why should I
have my female dog spayed?
Spaying offers several
advantages. The female's heat periods result in about 2-3 weeks
of vaginal bleeding. This can be quite annoying if your dog is
kept indoors. Male dogs are attracted from blocks away and, in
fact, seem to come out of the woodwork. They seem to go over,
around, and through many doors or fences. Your dog will have a
heat period about every six months.
Spaying
is the removal of the uterus and the ovaries. Therefore, heat
periods no longer occur. In many cases, despite your best
efforts, the female will become pregnant; spaying prevents
unplanned litters of puppies.
It has been proven that as the
female dog gets older, there is a significant incidence of life
threatening mammary tumors and uterine infections if she has not
been spayed. Spaying before she has any heat periods will
virtually eliminate the chance of either. If you do not plan to
breed your dog, we strongly recommend that she be spayed before
her first heat period. This can be done anytime between four and
six months of age.
Why should I
have my male dog neutered?
Neutering offers several
advantages. Male dogs are attracted to a female dog in heat and
will climb over or go through fences to find her. Male dogs are
more aggressive and more likely to fight, especially with other
male dogs. As dogs age, the prostate gland frequently enlarges
and causes difficulty urinating and defecating. Neutering will
solve, or greatly help, all of these problems that come with
owning a male dog and will help prevent life threatening tumors
that can develop in intact males. The surgery can be performed
any time after the dog is four months old.
If I choose to
breed my female dog, how old should she be?
If you plan to breed your
dog, she should have at least two heat periods first. She will
then be more physically mature allowing her to be a better
mother. We do not recommend breeding after five years of age
unless she has been bred prior to that. Having her first litter
after five years of age increases the risk of complications
during the pregnancy and/or delivery. Once your dog has had her
last litter, she should be spayed to prevent the reproductive
problems older dogs have.
Can you
recommend something for pet identification?
The latest in pet
identification is microchipping. This tiny device is implanted
with a needle much like administering an injection. A special
scanner can detect these chips; veterinary hospitals, humane
societies, and animal shelters across the country have these
scanners. A national registry permits the return of microchipped
pets throughout the United States and Canada. We strongly
recommend microchipping all pets.
