Congratulations on your new puppy!

We would love to help you keep your puppy happy and healthy so we have prepared this information sheet that has all the necessary things you need to know.

VACCINATIONS

Vaccinating your puppy is extremely important. There are common diseases that are entirely preventable by vaccination. Puppies require 3 vaccinations during their puppyhood to protect them from parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis/adenovirus, and the contagious kennel cough. When visiting your veterinary clinic, which vaccinations are required, and when, will be determined by your veterinarian. Generally speaking, these vaccinations occur as below:

• 6-8 weeks of age – Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis/Adenovirus, Parainfluenza
• 10-12 weeks of age – Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis/Adenovirus, Bordetella Bronchiseptica and Parainfluenza (Kennel Cough)
• 14-16 weeks of age – Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis/Adenovirus, Parainfluenza

WORMING

Your puppy requires regular de-worming to keep them healthy and free of gastro-intestinal parasites.
Recommended worming:

• 2-12 weeks of age – Every 2 weeks
• 3-6 months of age – Once monthly
• 6 months of age – Every 3 months

It is important to use good quality worming products to ensure effective worming.

DE-SEXING

If you have no plans to breed from your pet, de-sexing them has many health benefits, most important of which is the reduction of pyometra, mammary tumours, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and of course, unwanted puppies. Your dog can be de-sexed from 6 months of age. If you have questions about this, please talk to your veterinarian. They will be happy to expel any myths about de-sexing your pets.

DENTAL CARE

Dogs, just like us, require regular tooth care. There are many options for helping to clean your dog’s teeth, and these include, dental sticks, greenies, raw bones, frozen chicken necks (small dogs), and specialised diets such as Hill’s Prescription T/D. You can also brush your dog’s teeth, and to start this, begin training them while they are young with a finger brush and some doggy toothpaste available in beef and chicken flavours.

DIET

There are many products available, but to help your puppy grow healthily, we recommend high quality diets such as Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin, Advance or Eukanubra. Many supermarket diets are nutritionally inferior and are not ‘complete and balanced’ nutritionally, although they may claim to be. It is important while your puppy is growing to feed him or her a puppy food specifically for their breed type. For example, large breed dogs such as Great Danes will require a large breed puppy food, and small breeds such as Chihuahuas will require a small breed puppy food. This is to help them grow at the correct rates for their size, and prevent musculoskeletal problems in the future. Ask your veterinarian if you are unsure. Although these premium diets are more expensive, your puppy will require less of the food due to its superior quality. As the old age saying goes, “you get what you pay for”.

FEEDING

Puppies require feeding multiple times a day. When they are young, begin with 3x a day feeding in set portions, and as they get older, change this to 2x a day feeding with set portions. Smaller ‘toy’ breeds will require smaller portions, but more frequently, up to 4 or 5 times a day if able. As a puppy transitions into adulthood, we recommend keeping feed times to morning and night with set portions for their weight, to prevent overeating and potential weight problems.

TOXIC FOODS AND FOODS TO AVOID

Most dogs love to eat what their owners eat, however it is important to realise that what is good or nice for us to eat can cause serious health issues to your pet.

PUPPY PROOFING YOUR HOME

Puppies, like all babies, love to explore things and get into things around the house that they shouldn’t. Keep electrical cords, houseplants and household chemicals out of reach of your puppy. Human medications, vitamins, tobacco, household cleaning products, car products and toxic houseplants are common things we see sick puppies for in the vet clinic.

BEHAVIOUR, SOCIALISATION AND TRAINING

It is a sad truth that the leading cause of dogs being surrendered to the pound or RSPCA, or being dumped is because of bad behaviour. You can begin training your puppy immediately. There are many different ways to train your dog but we prefer a positive approach with a reward based training program. Sophia Yin has a book we recommend, called “The Perfect Puppy in 7 Days”. It has detailed instructions on crate training, working for your food, leash training, toilet training and many more.

Puppies have a window of opportunity called the ‘golden period’ for socialisation. This is 6-12 weeks for puppies. During this time it is important that you socialise your dog in a safe and controlled environment with other pets. To do this safely, we recommend puppy preschools and dog obedience clubs, rather than dog parks or friend’s dogs, remembering that your dog is not fully protected from deadly Parvovirus at this time.

 

“Happiness is a warm puppy.”