Health Care for Your New Puppy
To maximize your puppy’s health and well-being, there are a number of things you can do. I want to start by discussing the health risk of developing behavior problems that will doom a dog to an early death even more quickly than catching a deadly disease. Having an undereducated puppy is a serious health risk for that dog, as he becomes older.
The first advice for getting a new puppy is to buy from a reputable and educated source. A good breeder, for example, will NEVER let a puppy go to a new home prior to 7 ½ or 8 weeks of age. Most breeders let puppies go to their new homes at about 8 weeks of age. The puppies’ early socialization depends on being left with the mother and littermates until vital “pre-school” information has been learned. Up until 8 weeks of age, the puppy is still learning valuable life lessons from his littermates and mother. The very important lesson of learning to inhibit your bite takes place between 6 and 7 weeks of age. We would see less lawsuits if people would make sure puppies stayed in “pre-school” until this necessary information has been learned. Dogs that do not learn this, often end up being sentenced to death because they bit someone and it required stitches or worse. Being improperly educated can be a serious health risk!
Puppies can eat solid food at three weeks of age. This is when the weaning process begins. Just because they CAN eat solid food, is no reason to abruptly wean them away from their mother at this point. There are very valuable lessons that a pup must learn by staying with the mother. When the puppies’ teeth start coming in, and the mother knows that they are getting nutritional food from the breeder to supplement the mother’s milk, she will start refusing to feed them. There is an extremely important lesson to be learned by the pups, here. This is the first time that they have had to accept the fact that something is not always readily available to them. The mother might refuse to feed them one time, and let them nurse another time. She’s teaching them to accept that “you can’t always get what you want.” If the puppies go from being fed by their mother whenever they want, to having the breeder supply a constant flow of food whenever they want, they never learn that there’s something called, “this is not available to you right now.” Puppies that do not learn this will grow up to become demanding, spoiled dogs. They may whine at the first sign that their every need is not being met. They do this because they never learned to be patient and “go without” as young puppies.
When I hear of puppies being let go from the breeder prior to 7 weeks, and as early as 3 weeks, I just cringe. To do this is to doom the dog to a life where she does not even know how to speak her own language. Dogs that are removed from the litter too early as puppies do not learn the subtle social signals that all dogs use to communicate with each other. Dogs who speak “dog” know what it means when another dog looks sideways, licks its lips, stares, wrinkles its nose, walks stiff legged, or holds its tail at a certain position. The unfortunate ones that never learn this, because they were removed from the litter too soon, often find themselves getting into dog fights because they’re constantly doing things that are socially unacceptable to other dogs. The other dog may give a “back off” signal to the uneducated dog, which goes right over her head, unheeded. The other dog will amplify the warning “shots,” until there is an all out “war,” because the one that didn’t speak “dog” didn’t listen.
A lot of the aggression and behavior problems we see are a direct result of what happened (or more specifically, what DIDN’T happen) to the dog when it was in “pre-school” at the breeder’s home. Many more problems can develop by bungling the all-important critical socialization period from 8 to 16 weeks of the puppy’s life. There is a lot more information about that elsewhere on this web site, so I’ll move on to the vaccination schedule.
Vaccinations
Before your puppy leaves the breeder’s home at 8 weeks of age, she should have gotten one or two puppy shots based on the following recommendations:
5 weeks Parvovirus: For puppies at high risk.
6 & 9 weeks: A 5-way combination puppy shot without Leptospirosis. This shot should contain Adenovirus cough and Hepatitis, Distemper, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus Coronavirus vaccination can be given where Coronavirus is a concern.
12 & 15 weeks: A 7-way combination puppy shot with leptospirosis. This shot should contain Adenovirus cough and hepatitis, Distemper, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus Cornoavirus vaccination can be given where it is a concern. If your vet is willing and able, it helps to give these vaccines separately a few days apart so the dog's system isn't "flooded" by forcing it to create anti-bodies to 7 different diseases all at once.
12 to 16 weeks or older: Rabies vaccination given by your local veterinarian. The actual age your puppy can receive a Rabies shot may vary according to your local laws.
Adult Dogs: A 7-way combination shot with Leptospirosis. This shot should contain Adenovirus cough and Hepatitis, Distemper, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus. Coronavirus vaccination can be given where Coronavirus is a concern (this disease is dangerous mostly for weak puppies or older dogs). If your vet is willing and able, it helps to give these vaccines separately a few days apart so the dog's system isn't "flooded" by forcing it to create anti-bodies to 7 different diseases all at once.
Previously, we believed that we should vaccinate for these diseases on an annual basis, but more current information tells us that we are over-vaccinating our dogs and causing serious immunodifficiency problems, diseases and even death! Some veterinarians are recommending every three years for the vaccines. Others support titer testing. Your vet can check for antibody titer levels in your dog as an alternative to vaccinating. The titer test is a blood test that checks the level of anti-bodies the dog has to the various diseases. Studies are showing that once a dog has gotten it's first set of adult vaccinations, those last the LIFETIME of the dog! More and more places (bording kennels, therapy asociations, dog scout camp, etc.) are excpting titer testing in lieu of annual or tri-annual vacinations. For adult dogs, a Rabies shot is given every one to three years depending on local laws. However, the vaccine given in "3-year" states is the same one given in "1 year" states. There is a study being done that is evaluating the need for Rabies vaccines when titer levels are shown to be sufficient to provide immunity from the disease.
De-Worming
Roundworm larvae lie dormant in adult dogs. When a bitch becomes pregnant, the worms activate and work their way through the mother’s body, into her puppies. Basically, all puppies have worms. They can’t help it. Regular de-worming is important from an early age at the breeder’s. Roundworms are a parasite that weaken and debilitate puppies. Their bellies may look distended and full of worms. With the mother dog eating the puppies’ feces and the puppies pooping everywhere, it is hard to maintain good hygene in the kennel, and reinfestation is likely without a solid de-worming program.
Starting at 2 weeks of age, puppies should be de-wormed every 2 weeks until 3 months of age, with a worm medication, such as Nemex. The liquid form is palatable and can be placed in a puppy’s cheek pocket with a plastic syringe (see below).
Once the puppies are eating some “puppy pablum” from a bowl, they will have stools that are more solid and substantial. After a feeding (isolate the pups from the mother for feeding), the puppies usually have a bowel movement. Be ready to clean up after them and remove the feces before putting them back with the mother dog, to prevent her from eating the worm-infested stool, if possible.
Puppies should be wormed again at 4 and 6 months of age.
Other Preventative Care
In parts of the country where heartworm is prevalent, you will want to protect your puppy against this killing parasite. Some people prefer to keep their dogs on the medication year-around, though mosquitoes which transmit the parasite as intermediate hosts, are only biting during the warmer months. This is because the heartworm medication also kills other types of worms and parasites that can affect the dog in any weather. See your veterinarian for a program of heartworm prevention. There are all sorts of treatments from mostly in a chewable pill form, which will keep this parasite in check.
Your veterinarian should be your primary source for information on the health and well-being of your dog. I strongly advocate regular veterinary care and yearly check-ups with your vet to discuss your dog’s health. However, if your vet is still advocating yearly vaccinations and/or is not educated about titers and why they should be used, he or she may not be up-to-date on the latest in vet medicine and you might want to look for another vet.
I also realize that there are people out there that may be neglecting matters of their dog’s health because of the expense involved. I am the first one to say that if you can’t afford a dog’s health care, you should not be getting a dog. However, there are some ways to get assistance with things such as low cost spay and neuter clinics, low cost vaccination clinics, and other things that will make these aspects of health care more affordable. Some organizations even offer grants to individuals for serious medical care when the owner shows they cannot afford the care.
Heartworm, for example, can be controlled with an over-the-counter wormer that is sold in feed and grain stores, like Tractor Supply Centers. At over $30.00 per bottle, this is only less expensive if you have multiple dogs. Consult your veterinarian for the inside scoop on this one. Your downtown vet probably won’t help you—try asking a farm vet, who is more used to people self-dosing their animals. They can tell you the safe way to use this wormer on your dogs, if you absolutely can’t afford the commercial medicines, which are safer and more easy to use. You really must protect your dog from this killing parasite.
Some counties have low-cost spay and neuter clinics. Contact your county animal control to see if they know of any in your area. Sometimes the local Humane Society subsidizes the cost of this surgery for low-income families. There are many health benefits to spaying and neutering your dog. It is far more economical to pay for the surgery now, than to treat the illnesses that can affect your dog’s health down the road, if you leave the dog intact.
Animal control may also know of low-cost rabies vaccination clinics. I just have a wonderful veterinarian who does his own low-cost vaccinations. My husband takes all of the sled dogs that are due for shots in, and the vet comes right out to the dog trailer and vaccinates each one for five bucks a pop. He also sells us the heartworm test kits at a low cost, so that we can do our own heartworm checks. With over 40 dogs, it helps cut costs to draw our own blood and do the test. I realize that not everyone may be comfortable (or competent) enough to do this though.
You can order vaccines from a catalog for a few dollars each, and give them yourself, if you know how to administer injections. Postage and handling or minimum orders might make it not too much of a savings over what your vet charges. But if you have a vet that charges $25.00 or more just to walk into the office, and you can’t go in for a booster shot and come out for under $50.00, you could save money by doing your own boosters (if you choose to vacinate instead of having the titer test done.) A vet is not required to give these shots. Lately, I’ve been seeing shot clinics, where they don’t have a veterinarian on staff—just someone who can give shots, like a Registered Veterinary Technician. This could be a less expensive alternative. You are not allowed to give the shots to someone else’s dog without the proper training, by the way. You can only dose your own dogs.
I just want people to know that they can find lower-cost alternatives to the cost of veterinary care. No one should ever make their dog go without needed medical procedures because of the costs involved. There’s a pet medical insurance that you can purchase, also. The ad is very effective. It shows an adorable puppy, and he’s thinking, “Wait a minute… I don’t understand the part about you can’t afford the surgery I need to save my life…”
Don’t get a dog if you can’t afford to pay the expenses of routine care and emergency conditions.
External Parasites
Fleas and ticks are external parasites that can rob your dog of her health. These blood-sucking “insects” (ticks are actually eight-legged and belong to the arachnid family with crabs and spiders) can make your dog’s life miserable. Some areas have greater infestation than others. I live in the woods in
By repelling ticks, your dog avoids the risk of catching tick-borne diseases, like Lyme Disease, or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Fleas are a source of tapeworm infestation, acting as an intermediary host. Mosquitoes, of course, spread heartworm disease and the West Nile Virus.
There are flea collars and flea sprays and powders, but I really think the liquid topical prevention and treatment for ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes is best. You just place drops of the preventative between your dog’s shoulders (on their back where they can't lick it off) once per month.
Feeding
Your puppy needs fresh water daily, and her food should be given to her in about three meals per day at first. She was used to eating several times a day up until now, and should continue to have her meals spread out (puppies have tiny tummies). From about 3 to 6 months, you can go to a twice a day feeding. Some people continue to feed their adult dogs morning and evening, for the rest of their lives. Dogs can actually do well with one meal per day, as long as it is at about the same time each day. You can always supplement with healthy snacks and treats, but don't over do it! Be sure to use a complete and balanced dog food that is formulated for puppies, until your dog is one year old. Instead of going by the recommended feeding amounts on the dog food bag (which are often more than the dog needs), watch your dog's weight and let that be your guide. You should be able to easily feel your dog's ribs just under a thin layer of fat and see where the last rib ends just by looking at the dog. If the dog is putting on weight (most house pet dogs are over weight to severely obese), cut back on her intake of food and treats and increase her exercise level. Dogs shouldn't be getting into the dog food and treats on their own. This means that if the dog is getting fat, it's the HUMANS fault! And it's another form of animal abuse if the dog is obese. Most dogs will eat as much as you put in front of them until they are visibly distended from the amount of food they just ate and many learn to be professional beggars. Just because the dog is "asking" for food doesn't mean he NEEDS food! The dog is not starving, don't give in! Because dogs are omnivores, you can use fruits and veggetables as low calorie treats if you feel you MUST give in to the dog. But if that's the case, the dog has YOU well trained! And if you let the dog continue to be overweight, you shorten his or her lifespan considerably. You can kill your dog with kindness.
If you are following some of the other recommendations on this web site, you will also be training your puppy daily. You can use as treats a portion of the food she would normally get during a meal. So you would be putting less food in her bowl, and giving more of it out as a reward for appropriate behavior. Ian Dunbar has an interesting philosophy which says that you should not give a puppy any food from a bowl for the first month or two. Instead, you fill a Kong toy with the puppy’s food, plus cheese, peanut butter, yogurt or other yummy things to keep the kibble inside the Kong, and give that to the puppy several times per day. This teaches the puppy to be “addicted” to Kong toys, and the pup will never get the urge to destroy furniture or gnaw on your shoes. Read more about this in his book, “After you get your Puppy.”
Grooming
Daily grooming is important for the health of your puppy, also. Regular brushing or combing will remove excess dead fur (which will end up matted if you don’t comb it out), as well as removing any burrs or other debris that gets tangled in the hair. Use of a flea comb will remove fleas and flea dirt from your dog (be ready to KILL the flea, before it jumps right back onto your dog!). While grooming your dog, you will also be able to detect any problems that might be brewing, like a hot-spot (prevalent in Golden Retrievers), where early detection can make a big difference. A hot spot starts as a small “greasy spot” in the fur, and then suddenly it is this huge, bald, angry, red mess that looks like raw hamburger. While grooming your puppy, you are also getting her used to being handled by you, which is important. So, if you have a puppy without much coat, which will have a thicker coat when she grows older, start getting her used to being groomed now!
Grooming should include a look at the eyes (wipe out the goobers), ears (sniff, to make sure they’re not funky), nails (keep them trimmed or grind them down with a dremel), anal sacs (empty these periodically during a bath), and teeth (brush with a doggie dental tool or soft cloth).
Occasionally, you will need to bathe your puppy. Regular grooming with a brush and comb, and care to clean the ears out with alcohol or ear cleaning solution will eliminate the need for too much bathing. If you bathe the dog too often, you will dry out her coat. I bathe my dogs about once per month, when we’re going someplace, like a therapy dog visit or to do a school program. Between baths, they get brushed and “spot cleaned”. Don’t forget to regularly wash the dog’s collar, bedding, or other “clothes,” as they pick up the dog’s body odors, too, and you don’t want to put a funky collar back onto a clean dog.
When you examine your puppy’s ears, there should not be a foul smell. If there is, she may have ear mites or an ear infection. Consult your veterinarian, because untreated, this could lead to a more serious health concern.
As mentioned elsewhere on this web site, it is good to know what your dog’s normal behavior is, so that if she starts acting differently, you will know that there is something wrong that bears investigating. Dogs tend to get sick on Friday evening at about 6:00, when the vet’s office is closing, so there’s always an emergency visit. If you are not prepared to pay for emergency visits in the wee hours, then you should not get a dog. You would do the same for your child if they were sick and in need of medical attention.
By keeping tabs on your dog on a daily basis you will notice such things as:
I can’t emphasize strongly enough the need to examine your dog daily. When my Border Collie, Karli, was less than 6 months old, one day I happened to notice that her foot looked wrong. I picked it up, and the whole large pad was almost cut OFF! She must have sliced it open on a piece of sharp clay tile at the excavation site in the yard. She wasn’t limping, licking it, complaining, or in any other way letting on that she was injured. She had to go for emergency surgery.
Another time, my dogs were out playing in the yard with my new dog, Ariel, a Whippet. They came in and I put them up in their cages, and later a friend was over, and I wanted to show them my new dog. She came out of her cage, and they were oohing and ahhing about how cute she was. Then, my friend said, “Lonnie, your dog has a big gash in her side.” I looked, and sure enough, somehow she had ripped half the skin off the side of her ribcage, and had to be rushed to the vet! She didn’t act like anything was wrong, and it was on the side that was away from me as we walked through the house to the dog’s room. There was no blood (you would have thought it would be everywhere!).
One time, I was examining my dog when I found a HUGE splinter about 3 inches long, jammed into my dog’s backside, from when she must have been trying to back out from under the deck or something. She never turned around to lick it, or whimpered, or anything, and I would have never seen it under her fur, unless I made a habit of routinely going over my dogs. When I pulled it out, and saw how much of it was actually imbedded into her body, right at her spine, I about had a heart attack! (they almost had to rush ME to the emergency room!)
Giving medication to your puppy
Liquid- Use a syringe (without the needle) to give measured liquid medication. Be careful not to stab the back of your dog's throat. It is best to insert the syringe into the puppy’s mouth while her mouth is closed, using the cheek pocket to let the liquid run down the back of the throat slowly, as the puppy swallows it.
Pills- Position your dog upright and sitting down, tilt her head back, lift the lips away from her teeth and hold her upper jaw by the gums directly behind her canine teeth and push down on her lower jaw with your other hand to open her mouth. Place the pill in the very back of her throat, close her mouth and keep the head tilted back with mouth shut. Stoke her throat softly until the pill is swallowed. I try to follow a pill with a cookie, if possible, to help wash down the medicine, take away any bad taste, and make the dog more willing to take medicine. If your puppy is giving you a hard time about taking her medicine in pill form, try crushing the pill or opening the capsules and mixing them with peanut butter, squirt cheese, or dog food. Or hide the pill in peanut butter or a "pill pocket."
Consult with your veterinarian to determine an appropriate vaccination, worming and health care schedule for your puppy.
The rest of this site contains a multitude of helpful information to keep adopted puppies healthy and happy in their new homes for their entire lives.
