"Congratulations" on your decision to adopt a new puppy! We will do everything possible to help acquaint you with information on rearing and health care to make your pet more enjoyable and insure the best health possible. Our clinic has developed wellness programs for all your pets’ important life stages to help provide affordable preventive health care plans that provide the best protection for your pet. Clients using this program also receive many other “Premier Pet” advantages. All the advantages of our Premier Pet Program are outlined HERE.
The exam is the most important part of the visit!
A veterinarian should give pups a thorough physical examination! A thorough physical examination will be done to help insure you have a healthy pup. The exam is essential to identify any health or growth concerns you pup may have. If any concerns are found we will discuss those concerns with you in detail. Some breed abnormalities are normal, and warrant you to be aware but not overly concerned.
Puppy's Vaccination Series.
Puppy Immunizations series should include DISTEMPER, HEPATITIS, LEPTOSPIROSIS, PARVOVIRUS, CORONAVIRUS, LEPTOSPIROSIS, RABIES, and BORDETELLA BRONCHITIS. A series of vaccinations is required to build the resistance to these viruses and bacteria. The pup must be a minimum of 8 weeks of age before the series of immunizations is started. After vaccination today, the pup maybe sore for the rest of the day and cry or whine some. Be sure to keep you pup in a warm room, offer food and water, and let it sleep. Do not give aspirin or Tylenol--they can be fatal in pups!
We will be Deworming your puppy.
Pups are DEWORMED on the first few visits for "roundworms" and "hookworms." Puppies and kittens are often naturally at risk for acquiring these parasites while growing in the uterus, through the mom's milk, and through the feces of their litter mates. You may see "roundworms" pass in the stool for a day or so after deworming. Hookworms are typical too small to be seen with the naked eye, although they are the most serious "worm" in pups. Your pup should not vomit or develop diarrhea from the medications--let us know if this should occur. TAPEWORMS require a special type medication. Watch the pup's stools for small, white segments, looking similar to rice. Notify the clinic if these segments are observed so the pup can be dewormed for tapeworms.
Learn more about Hook Worms Here.
Learn more about Round Worms Here.
Learn More about Tape Worms Here.
A complete three visit series is needed to full protect your puppy.
Puppies are not fully protected against to Distemper and Parvovirus until at least 2 weeks after the last injection in the puppy series. The puppy may get sick with these diseases anytime before the entire vaccination series is finished. Do not expose your new puppy to other dogs any more than is absolute necessary until we finish the immunization series. Another dog may not be showing any signs of illness, but may still be a "carrier" of many infectious diseases harmful to your new puppy. It is also wise to avoid taking your puppy to, boarding kennels, pet day care, dog parks, hiking trails, and even walks around the neighborhood until they a a few weeks past their final booster vaccination.
After exposure to a disease, it takes time for the puppy to show clinical signs of illness. Therefore it is impossible to be absolutely sure that your puppy is healthy and free of contagious disease FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS after you obtain the puppy. Please call us if any abnormal changes are seen--such as vomiting, diarrhea, listlessness, or loss of appetite.
See the full Puppy Series Plan Here.
We started heartworm protection today!
The deworming that your pup received today also will protect against heartworm infestation. We recommend monthly heartworm preventive to be started at 3 months of age. Parasite preventives should be given year-round, for the rest of your pets life to prevent the common deadly disease internal and external parasite cause.
At the 3rd puppy visit it is highly recommended you start oral heartworm prevention. At 6 months of age your puppy is old enough to get Pro Heart 6. This single injection protects your puppy for heart worms for 6 months. After 1 year of age we can then give Pro Heart 12, this injection last for a whole year. Learn More About Pro Heart Here.
Learn more about HeartWorms Here.
Its time to start planing for your pet's spay or neuter procedure.
Female dogs should be spayed at 3 - 6 months of age. It is much easier on the dog when spayed before she goes through the first "heat" cycle, and provides many health benefits. Male dogs should be neutered at 3-6 months of age.
Learn more about our Low Cost Spay and Neuter Program Here.
What is Next?
It is critical that your puppy receive the full series of vaccinations to be fully protected. So be sure to return in 4 weeks so we can be sure to keep your pup on schedule and protected. After the pups last puppy visit it is critical vaccines be boostered 12 months later. Then we recommend yearly check ups and vaccines, as well as continued protection for heart worms. Once your pup reaches 5 years old we may begin recommending senior wellness work-ups to catch age related conditions before they get out of hand.
If you did not set your pup's next appointment at the time of check out be sure to make your pup's next appointment on line here.
Nutrition.
- Feed HIGH Quality Puppy Foods. NO generic or cheap brands!! Cheap brands of dog food substitute low QUALITY protein sources, which often will not be utilized by the pup. We highly recommend the premium, high quality foods. These foods are much more concentrated than typical grocery store brands. Even though these foods cost a little more than commercial store brands--over a month’s time, it really will not cost you more to feed the pup, since you will be feeding less food if you follow the chart on the package. These foods greatly decrease stool volume, making house training easier.
- Feed puppies 2 times daily until 6 months of age. Some small breed pups are best to be feed three times a day until 6 months of age. Adult dogs can be fed either once or twice daily.
- Feed the puppy the volume of food as recommended on the label. Do NOT leave the food out continuously, this promotes grazing habits that make it difficult to measure your pets food intake and contributes to obesity.
- Once your puppy is spayed their food intake should be 3/4 of the package label. Once altered their daily energy requirements drop by 25%. By reducing the daily feeding to 3/4 of the label recommendations you will help avoid the weight gain often seen after spay or neuter, plus you can fit in a few extra treats a day.
- We prefer to feed NO table scraps. These often make the dog a “finicky eater” as well as cause vomiting or diarrhea.
- It is best to avoid milk. It is best to give no milk since high quality commercial puppy food is balanced to contain everything the puppy needs for optimum growth.
- The only real difference in canned and dry food is the amount of water it contains. Canned food is composed of 80% water. Therefore we recommend dry food because it is much more economical--the nutritional content is the same. A tablespoon of canned food can be mixed with the dry food to enhance the flavor if you wish. Simply warming dry food in the microwave or by adding hot water enhances the flavor. Dry food also is better for teeth care. Make any changes in brands of food gradually by mixing the old food with the new food to prevent diarrhea and digestive upsets.
- Avoid Grain Free Diets! Despite the marketing and hype grain free diets are a fad, not based in science or research. Grains are important part of your pet's diet and health, as they are the main source of carbohydrates that provide your pets cells with energy to work properly. Grains are not typically responsible for food allergies or sensitivities, proteins are. In recent years grain free diets have bee linked to the development of Dilated Cardiomyopathy, a heart condition, in dogs. It is unclear the exact reason, but many pets have died from being feed grain free diets. If you think you pet does develop food allergies please see us. Allergies are a complicated problem that can not be cured, only managed, we can help you do it right.