How will proper puppy care impact the life of my dog?
Yeah, so we at All Paws Animal Clinic really believe that if you start proper care with your animals early on, it will definitely go into the longevity for your pet and will definitely dictate how your pet does in their life as they age. So proper habits to behavior, training, medical care, assessments, all really are impacted really from the beginning at the very puppy stages of both your dog growing and as you work with them at home and us here at All Paws Animal Clinic as we get to see your pet for their puppy visits.
Dr. Teresa Strathman DVM
All Paws Animal Clinic
Why is it important to start good puppy care on day one?
Similar concept, and if you start these things early, both habit-wise for your pet and also for you, it also allows you to catch things early as well as for us. So we're constantly, when we're looking at your puppy, making sure they're happy and healthy. We're also making sure that they're not showing any telltale signs of sickness or disease and that all starts with that first step, including the first puppy visits as well.
How soon should I bring my puppy in to see a veterinarian for the first time?
Yeah, so typically most often when we see puppies are around five to six weeks of age. Typically that six week age mark is when you can most often start vaccination safely and effectively. Really before that period of time, mom's antibodies are still on board and so really effective vaccination and starting their booster series is something that we really wait at least for that six week mark. Otherwise, if you do it really earlier than that, that vaccine likely won't be as effective as it could be.
What are the most common health problems in puppies?
Yeah, so for puppies, we basically tend to see the most common things can be hypoglycemia, parasitism, so different types of intestinal parasites, vomiting, diarrhea, those can be our most common things and puppies just like human babies, they love to pick up things in the environment and so that includes intestinal parasites. So where they stick their nose, being around other dogs with fecal or slash intestinal parasites, those are things to really pay attention to. So those are the most common things we really see.
What are some of the signs and symptoms of illness in my puppy?
So similar to what we touched on earlier, vomiting, diarrhea, maybe lethargy, meaning they really don't feel good, they're not their normal bright cheery selves, they're not eating or drinking as much and then their stool consistency is not that normal stool where we don't want it to be too hard, but we don't also want it to be either liquidy, we don't also want it to be where it's more of like a soft serve ice cream. Very normal consistency is what we're looking for.
What are the signs of a healthy thriving puppy?
Yeah, so any happy, healthy puppy, really very bright and alert, eating well, drinking well, going to the bathroom normal, and you will have a puppy that loves to teeth just like in human babies as well, so be aware of that, but definitely more like any dumpy behavior, vomiting or diarrhea, probably the most common things that we would see that are negatively impacting your pet. So if you do see those things, please let us know.
When should I start training my puppy?
So training can start honestly the day that you get them. Now it doesn’t have to be super intense, but what kind of things do training involve? So certainly as your puppy gets used to you, you're also getting used to their habits, but bear in mind they're also still what we consider pediatrics or juveniles, so they do need to learn. So you being their pet parent have to teach them certain things as well. So dealing with them as far as potty breaks, so making sure they're going out as far as their training, that they're going out frequently, probably your typical puppy will want to go out at least eight to ten times a day when they're starting on their puppy period training as far as either on puppy pads or going outside, and other things that really would affect their care later on as far as veterinary care. So for example, whether it's nail trims or just a physical exam on your puppy as they age, you want to make sure that they're comfortable and not stressed about that. So touching their feet at home, touching their ears, playing with them, that they also get used to restraint, so whether firm hugs, things like that that really get them used to being restrained or even held by another veterinary professional so they're not, again, concerned about that, they're not stressed when that does come to happen during their annual visits as they age.
And what will happen, or what will my vet be looking for when first examining my puppy?
We do a head-to-tail exam, or nose-to-tail if you will, and so we’re looking at all the things that really we've touched on so far as far as making sure they're well hydrated, that they have a normal appetite, that their stools are normal, so we really could talk about a ton of different body systems, but certainly making sure that overall demeanor is good, temperature is normal, and that they're well hydrated are the really big things for puppies, and that their weight seems appropriate, and that their body condition seems appropriate as well. Those are our big things, but for sure a very thorough physical exam with many body systems entailed is what we typically will start with.
If you have any other questions, please give us a call at (561) 790 9225. You can also email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we are able. Don't forget to follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram