Congratulations on your new puppy! Happiness is a warm puppy, right? There is nothing so cute and adorable as a frisky, snuggly new puppy, but as with all babies, you wish they came with a handbook so that you would know what to do and what not to do for your youngster.
Below are a few topics that we receive the most questions about that may be helpful for you as you welcome a new puppy into your family.
Vaccinations
Because their immune systems are not fully developed, young puppies are susceptible to common diseases and viruses. Until your puppy is completely vaccinated (about 20 weeks of age), it is best to limit exposure to other dogs and places where dogs frequent such as parks, pet stores, and playgrounds.
At Ross Bridge Animal Hospital, we typically start vaccinations around 6 weeks of age and vaccinate every 3-4 weeks until 20 weeks of age. Here is our recommended vaccination schedule:
6 Week Puppy Visit
-DHPP Vaccine
-Intestinal Parasite Screen
-Dewormer
-Physical Exam
9 Week Puppy Visit
-DHPP Vaccine
-Canine Influenza Vaccine
-Intestinal Parasite Screen
-Dewormer
-Physical Exam
12 Week Puppy Visit
-DHPP Vaccine
-Canine Influenza Vaccine
-Bordetella Vaccine
-Physical Exam
16 Week Puppy Visit
-DHPP Vaccine
-Leptospirosis Vaccine
-Physical Exam
20 Week Puppy Visit
-Rabies Vaccine
-Leptospirosis Vaccine
-Physical Exam
Annual Wellness Visit
-Rabies (3-year) Vaccine
-DHPP Vaccine
-Bordetella Vaccine
-Intestinal Parasite Screen
-Heartworm Test
-Packed Cell Volume
-Physical Exam
Semi-Annual Wellness Visit
-Canine Influenza Vaccine
-Leptospirosis Vaccine
-Bordetella Vaccine
-Intestinal Parasite Screen
-Physical Exam
Heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention is one of the most important things that pet parents can do for their pets. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, and can eventually lead to heart failure and respiratory distress. Intestinal parasites are contracted by ingesting the parasite eggs due to eating or drinking things from the ground outside. The American Heartworm Society recommends that all pets, whether they live indoors or outside, receive year round prevention.
Once a dog is infected, the treatment for heartworms is expensive, and for some pets, it can be dangerous. Taking preventive measures against heartworm infection is a much better and more cost effective option than treating heartworm disease.
For canine pet owners we recommend one of two options: Heartgard or Proheart 6. Heartgard is a monthly preventative that is given orally; it prevents heartworms and prevents or treats most intestinal parasites. The second option is Proheart 6, a semi annual injection given in our office, that prevents heartworms and prevents/treats most intestinal parasites.
Another key factor in starting your puppy on the road to a happy and healthy life is to make sure that he or she is free of intestinal parasites. It is very important that puppies have multiple intestinal parasite screenings during their juvenile checkups to ensure that they are parasite free. The diagnosis of intestinal parasites is confirmed by finding parasite eggs in the stool. Just like other living things, parasites do not constantly make eggs, therefore, one negative test does not guarantee that your pet is parasite free. It is essential that pets have two negative stool samples spaced at least three weeks apart.
Flea and tick prevention is just as important to your health as it is to your pet’s. Fleas can lead to anemia and blood-born infections in our pets, but they can also lead to bacterial infections in people. Ticks can cause several types of bacterial infections in our pets and in people as well.
In Hoover, Alabama, it does not get cold enough during the winter months to kill off flea and tick populations. That’s why year round prevention is a critical part of controlling flea and tick infestations in our homes and yards.
We recommend Nexgard for our canine friends. This oral treatment is given once a month to kill and prevent fleas and ticks. If you prefer to administer treatment less often, we recommend Bravecto; it is an oral preventative given quarterly to kill and prevent fleas and ticks.
Ovariohysterectomy (OHE) or spay is the surgery to “fix” a female dog.
Orchidectomy or neuter is the surgery to “fix” a male dog.
At Ross Bridge Animal Hospital, we generally recommend spaying female puppies by 5 months of age, before she goes through the first heat cycle. We recommend neutering male dogs at 5 months, however this recommendation may change depending on the size and breed of your puppy.
One of our top discussions with new puppy parents is the subject of potty training. At Ross Bridge Animal Hospital, we suggest kennel based potty training. We advise our pet parents to get a kennel that is the appropriate size, just big enough for your pet to stand up and turn around. If it is larger than this, then the puppy will not effectively learn not to potty in his or her environment. When you are not home, or when you are sleeping, your pet should be in the kennel.
When you are at home, take your puppy outside as often as every 30 minutes. Be consistent; take your pet out on a leash, go to the same spot outside every time, and stand there until your pet goes potty. Once your puppy has pottied, make sure you offer lots of praise and a small amount of food to reinforce the good behavior.
For other types of training, including behavioral training, we recommend Rick Clark’s The Barking Zone, a local trainer.
Our mission is to promote and facilitate pet health, wellness and comfort. We believe it is our responsibility to use the gifts given to us by God to ensure that the pets in our care achieve the highest quality of life possible. We will achieve this by providing up to date, and proven, medical and surgical procedures, putting in place a compassionate and knowledgeable support staff, and going above and beyond to ensure the pet, as well as the owner, is fully satisfied with the care we provide.
