Everything that we want you to know when you get a puppy!
We are here to help you learn everything you need about your new addition. Below is a basic overview of puppy care, from vaccines to socialization to spay and neuter. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us.
→ Learn more about our Puppy Care Services HERE
Vaccines
Just like children, dogs get vaccines frequently when they are puppies. Starting at 6 weeks puppies get a series of vaccines every 3 weeks.
- 6 weeks: DHPP
- 9 weeks: DHPP and Bordetella
- 12 weeks: DHLPP and Rabies (The L stands for leptospirosis)
- 15 weeks: Final DHLPP booster.
The DHPP shot protects from Distemper Virus, Parvovirus, Adenovirus, and Parainfluenza virus. Bordetella is a bacteria found in the “kennel cough” disease process. Rabies is an incurable and fatal disease and vaccination is required by law. Leptospirosis is a bacteria found in the soil which causes liver and kidney failure. It is spread in the urine of small mammals (rodents) so we are seeing a rise of cases in cities as well as the traditional environment of rural areas. Both rabies and leptospirosis can be passed to humans.
Any new vaccine can cause a vaccine reaction. Most commonly, we see pain at the injection site, mild fever, or lethargy. Occasionally, patients will have a hypersensitivity reaction, resulting in facial swelling and hives. This needs to be addressed with Benadryl (and can be prevented in the future with the same medication given orally prior to vaccines.) Very rarely, dogs can have an anaphylactic reaction to vaccines, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and collapse. This is an emergency and should be treated immediately.
→ Learn more about Dog Vaccinations HERE
Heartworm Disease and Prevention
Heartworm disease is a disease caused by a parasite which grows to maturity in the vessels of the lungs and heart. The parasite is spread from animal to animal via mosquitoes. The worm causes inflammation in the lungs, increased pressure in the vessels, eventually leading to heart failure. Dogs who have heartworms often seem to be acting normally, however the heart and lungs are still being damaged by these parasites the longer they stay in the vessels.
The good news is that heartworm disease is easily prevented with a monthly pill (Sentinel) or a 6 month injection (Proheart.) Your puppy will need to be on regular prevention for life. It is much better (and less expensive) to keep your dog on preventative versus treating for heartworm.
→ Learn more about Dog Heartworm HERE
Flea and Tick Prevention
Fleas and ticks are a fact of life in the south and both need to be treated year round. Fleas spread a parasite called Dipylidium Caninum (commonly known as flea tapeworms) and in high enough numbers can cause anemia (low red blood cells) in small patients. Ticks also can spread blood parasites which cause immune-mediated disease. Often these diseases are not noticed until the dog is very sick. Because of this, your puppy needs to be on year-round flea and tick prevention. We recommend Bravecto, a three month flea and tick product, or Credelio, for month to month protection.
Fecals and Deworming
We test for intestinal parasites at each puppy visit until we have two negative fecals, and we will retest at each yearly visit. If we find intestinal parasites, we will usually deworm again 3 weeks later. This is because intestinal parasites will hide out in the intestinal walls where the deworming medication can’t reach.
The heartworm preventative often has a deworming agent which will get roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms. Proheart (the injectable heartworm preventative) has less of a protective effect, and we occasionally need to deworm on this medication. Neither medication will cover some of the more unusual intestinal parasites, such as tapeworms, coccidia, or giardia, all of which need special medications.
Crate and Potty Training
Most dogs won’t eliminate where they sleep and eat, so crate training can be a big help with housetraining. A crate also provides a dog with a safe place to go when scared or nervous. Plus, crates can be a great way to keep a dog out of trouble when you are not at home or are unable to provide proper supervision. Staying in a crate can prevent your dog from finding his way into your closet and eating your favorite shoes; having a feast in your garbage can; or urinating in a less than ideal place in the house.
We recommend positive reinforcement for housetraining. To help make timing bathroom trips easier, feed your dog on a consistent schedule, ideally two to three times a day. This way, 15 to 30 minutes after eating or drinking, you know it is time for a trip to the elimination area. Dogs, especially puppies, also tend to go right after playing or sleeping. A good rule of thumb during the beginning of housetraining is to take your dog out every two hours for the first couple weeks, plus after sleeping, eating, drinking, or playing. Be sure to take your dog out right before bed time too.
Use a cue word such as “bathroom” or “potty” every time you take your dog to the bathroom area, so the dog will learn to associate the word with what you want achieved. Try to take your dog to the same area each time. In the beginning, you will need to go with your dog and make sure she actually poops or pees. If successful, immediately reward your dog with treats and praise. It may be helpful to lead your dog with a leash instead of carrying her to the elimination area so that going straight to the appropriate spot becomes a habit.
Constant supervision is important when you begin house training your dog. You need to catch your dog in the act of going in the wrong place in order to correctly redirect your dog. If you find pee or poop on the floor, the dog will not understand and make the connection with why you are actually upset. Catching your pet in the act of a mistake will help them correct it in the future. Rubbing your dog’s nose in hours-old pee, however, just makes them learn to hide their accident better in the future. If your dog does eliminate in the house while you are watching, interrupt immediately (such as with a squeaker sound or a sharp clap noise), and take him to the elimination area. Use your cue word. If your dog finishes going in the right area, give treats and/or praise.
Housetraining and crate training can be tough but rewarding. If you are ever in doubt as to whether you or your pet are on the right track, call your veterinarian for advice. Otherwise, be consistent and persistent, and your pet will love you for it.
Dental Care
Dental care is important to start young! We will check your puppies teeth each time we see them for any cracks or abnormal growth. Any baby teeth that are retained at the time of their spay or neuter should be removed, as it can create a pocket of tartar and bacteria that will affect the adult tooth.
Puppies should have their teeth brushed daily. This will extend the amount of time necessary between dental cleanings (which is generally yearly in small breed dogs.) Dental chews, rinses, and water additives may help to prolong the time between cleaning, however they will not help with caked on tartar or dental calculus (and its much better to prevent that from building up in the first place!)
Handling/Gentling to Desensitize
It is important to introduce your puppy to lots of new and different sensations so that they become used to it. It is especially important to play with their ears, feet, and mouth so that they do not become head shy and aggressive when trimming nails or having their ears looked at in the future.
At the same time, do not let your puppy “mouth” your hands. Say no, yelp, or gently remove your hand and replace it with a more appropriate toy.
Insurance
Pet insurance is a good idea to start early (alternatively you can start a pet savings account for any emergencies that may crop up.) Most insurances won’t cover pre-existing conditions or any medical conditions that a puppy was born with. Almost all of them work by having you pay out-of-pocket and submit a claim for reimbursement.
Insurance is best for emergency situations, like when your puppy eats a corn cob or gets into the Christmas chocolate at 3AM and requires a visit to the ER clinic. Sometimes they will also cover yearly well visits (to some extent.) It is best to do your research and commit to insurance early.
Visit Pawlicy.com to compare pet insurances that best suit you and your new pet!
In the event of an emergency there is also an interest free credit-card called Care Credit. This credit card is deferred interest so you must pay it off in the time allotted or you will get hit with a high interest rate. However, for large expenses it is an excellent option.
Chewing and Toys
Chewing is a natural behavior, as puppies (like babies) explore the world with their mouth. Unfortunately this destructive behavior can cause much grief while training your puppy. Here are some tips to help with this behavior.
- Keep your dog busy. Exercise, fun, reward-based training sessions, playtime, feeding from food dispensing toys rather than bowls, etc., allow your dog to use her brain and muscles.
- Dog proof your house. In other words, keeping things (clothes, children’s toys, small objects, etc.) that can be destroyed off the floor and out of the dog's reach. Keep closets, drawers, and toy boxes closed. Take objects off of any surface the dog can reach.
- Supervise your dog. If there are times you cannot watch the dog while she’s running loose in the house, put her in a secure area (dog kennel, crate, enclosed room, etc.) or leash her to your belt. If you decide to use a kennel or crate, you’ll have to acclimatize her to it or she may develop other behavior problems.
- If there are items that you cannot prevent your dog from having access to, you may decide to try deterrents, such as making the area around the object unpleasant (plastic rug runners or motion/vibration detectors).
- If you catch your dog chewing an inappropriate object, tell her "uh uh," gently take it away from her (don't scare her or try to "punish" her), and give her an appropriate item to chew. It's always better to reinforce positive behavior than to punish your pet because punishment can cause anxiety and other undesirable behaviors to develop.
- Provide plenty of acceptable chew toys. What is acceptable depends on the size of your dog, what she finds appealing, etc. Many items have been commonly used (large bones, rawhide chews, plastic bones, hooves, Kong toys, rubber toys, puzzle/foraging toys, dental treats, and so on). However, some are no longer as acceptable as they once were. Cattle hooves, sterilized large bones, plastic bones, etc. can damage teeth. Rawhide chews may become choking hazards if the dog isn’t supervised and the rawhide taken away when it becomes small enough to be swallowed. Ask your veterinarian or veterinary dentist for professional preferences on what are safe, acceptable chew toys. Always raise/reward your dog for chewing appropriate things. Remember that toys will be destroyed; that's how you know it's a toy your dog likes.
- Do not give your dog old shoes, clothes, or children's toys for her to chew on. Dogs really can’t tell the difference between those items and your “good” shoes, clothes, etc.
- If these things don't help, or if the destructiveness gets worse, consult your veterinarian for help.
Diet
When your dog is a puppy he or she will need to be on a Puppy specific diet for most of their first year. Small breed dogs (i.e yorkies, maltese, shih tzus, etc) will need a small breed specific puppy diet. This is due to their higher metabolism and tendency to get low blood sugar. Large breed dogs (esp giant dogs such as great danes, great pyrenees, bernese mountain dogs, etc.) also need a large breed puppy diet which is lower in calcium than other diets.
As obesity is common in spayed and neutered dogs, it is important to feed them correctly. Dogs should have a visible waist, a defined tuck to the stomach when viewed from the side, and a thin layer of fat over the ribs through which they are easily felt. The side of the bag has a general recommendation based on an ideal weight, but just like people individual dogs may need more or less than what is recommended. Weight should be maintained in conjunction with exercise.
Table food is not recommended for any dog. Bones, corn cobs, and fruit pits often end up having to be surgically removed from the stomach or intestines. High fat foods (like steak and bacon) can trigger pancreatitis. Certain human food are toxic; you should never give your dog grapes, raisins, garlic, onions, or chocolate.
Spay and Neuter
We recommend that all healthy puppies undergo a castration surgery. For girls, this is a spay, medically known as an ovariohysterectomy (removal of the ovaries and uterus.) Spaying prevents unwanted litters, mammary cancer, and an emergency condition called a pyometra. We encourage all owners wanting to breed to think long and hard about doing so.
For boys, neutering removes the testicles. This prevents some behaviors (i.e. aggression, wandering, etc.) and will help prevent the overpopulation of unwanted puppies in this area. It will also prevent a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia that develops when they are older.
Timing of a spay or neuter depends on the size of the dog. Larger dogs should be castrated after one year of age or after their first heat. Small breed dogs should be castrated at 6 months of age to allow the adult teeth to develop. If there are any retained baby teeth we will remove them at this time.
Socialization
Prime socialization time is when they are puppies. They should be socialized to both people, dogs, cats, or other household pets early (between 7 and 12 weeks of age) as well as when they are older. Due to their unvaccinated state at this time, we recommend that they are only around other healthy, vaccinated pets (no dog parks, pet stores, or other public areas.) This is how puppies learn to interact with other dogs. However, all puppy and adult dog interactions should be carefully monitored so that it doesn’t escalate to true aggression.
Puppies should also be socialized with a variety of people; i.e. men, women, of all races and ages. It is a good time to start training away from undesirable behaviors such as barking, jumping up, growling, etc.
Grooming
Dogs which need to be groomed should be exposed as soon as they are finished with their childhood vaccines. It is a good idea to get them used to the bath, brushing and having their ears and nails handled as much as possible in the home environment. Groomed dogs need to be groomed every 4-6 weeks, depending on breed. Often dogs who go longer between grooms need more intense home care.
When choosing a shampoo make sure that it is made for dogs and does not include detergent agents. We like the Dermalyte and Douxo Calm shampoos as they have special ingredients which are good for the skin. Dogs should be bathed as needed for hygiene.
Dogs and Children
Dog bites can happen with any dog of any breed. Often, they occur with the family dog when left unattended with children, but can occur “out of the blue '' if warning signs are not recognized. It is important to teach young children to be gentle and to never leave a dog with a child. Allow the dog to approach the child. Children should never be allowed to interfere with a dog who is eating, playing with toys, or sleeping. Warning signs to watch for include: guarded shoulders, “half moon” eyes, attempts to move away, and growling or attempts to bite.
Children can have positive interactions with dogs by giving treats, playing fetch, or going on walks. Gentle scratching or petting, and teaching tricks, are all good ways for dogs and children to interact.
Book an Appointment for your New Puppy
If you would like to book an appointment for your new puppy, give us a call at (256) 216-4780 or request an appointment using the button below!
Prior to your appointment, please complete the New Patient Information Form and email any relevant pet records to [email protected].