Owning a puppy can be a very rewarding experience. Watching it grow and develop a unique personality will bring lots of joy to your home.

Along with teaching it how to behave and interact with others it is also your responsibility to ensure your pet has a healthy start in life. Throughout every stage of life from puppy to geriatric dog, it is important that your pet is treated to preventative treatment which will protect it from disease. These preventative measures are explained in this care sheet.

First steps to training:

There are a few basic tips which can be used to begin the training process your puppy will need to be a well balanced dog.

·         In order to be happy your dog needs to have a well established routine every day. It is important to remember that your young puppy needs fed and walked little and often: as it grows, the frequency can decrease and the volumes increase.

·         Use praise when your puppy is good, rather than punishing it when it is bad. For example accidents on the floor are common at first, as a puppy does not know the difference between inside and outside. A little bit of patience and encouragement to your puppy will make a big difference.

·         Although your puppy is very cute and it can be difficult to say no, it is important to remember that it is a pack animal and it seeks a leader to look up to. It may sound very daunting for you at first to take on the role of leader, but it only takes a few simple steps.

·         Teach your puppy to "sit" before giving it things it loves most, such as food. They will then associate you with good things, and learn that they have to listen to you before these good things happen.

·         The leader should be physically first and higher up at all times. This means that when going through doors you should go first with your dog to follow. You should discourage your puppy from jumping up on your bed as this means that they are at the same height as you and gives out mixed signals about leadership.

 

These points may seem very harsh or unfair however they are there to let your pet understand its place in the family. Once it is happy with its place in your family, the rules can be relaxed slightly.

 

Vaccinations:

Why vaccinate your dog?  Dogs are susceptible to many harmful viruses and bacterial diseases; these can be fatal putting your pet's life at risk. Vaccinations work by stimulating natural defence mechanisms. These defences are remembered and triggered when the pet comes into contact with the disease, but will wane if your dog does not have yearly boosters. This yearly visit is also a good chance for the vet to check the general health of your pet.  
 Diseases which the vaccinations cover include

Canine Distemper Virus: Also called "Hard pad," in the early stages of the disease, the dog shows general signs such as lack of energy and appetite. As the illness progresses, the signs include high temperature and discharge from the eyes and nose. The dog often has diarrhoea, vomiting, fits and painful and thickened foot pads (hence the nickname "Hard pad")

Canine Parvovirus: This is a viral disease. Young non-vaccinated dogs are the most vulnerable. The disease begins with lack of energy and appetite, but then progresses to vomiting and unpleasant bloody diarrhoea. 

Infectious Canine Hepatitis: This is a viral disease which is spread through infected urine, saliva and faeces. The virus causes liver inflammation (hepatitis) and signs include high temperature, lack of appetite and painful abdomen.

Leptospirosis: Two different types of bacteria cause this disease. It is spread through infected urine, so is it also called "lamp post disease." It shows vague symptoms similar to the other infectious diseases such as lack of energy, vomiting and abdominal pain. It carries a zoonotic risk, so owners of affected dogs should consult their doctors.

 

Flea Treatment:

Fleas are the most common parasite of domestic animals. The "Cat flea," despite the name, can infest dogs just as much as they can in cats. Fleas breed in huge numbers, with females laying around 200 eggs. The eggs fall off your dog and onto your home. The eggs can then live deep in your carpet, soft furnishings and pet bedding where they will wait to hatch.
Fleas can bite the skin of your pet causing irritation and allergies; they can also bite people in the environment. 
The practice can supply some spot-on treatments which can easily be applied to the skin on the back of the neck and the ingredients spread across the whole body of the animal, where it will kill fleas for many weeks. Beware of look-alikes in pet shops or older methods of prevention as these do not always work as effectively.
If your pup was to get fleas then it is a good idea to treat your home with a household spray. Fleas can be killed through a hot wash cycle. Fleas are intermediate hosts to a certain species of Tape worm, which means that as well as using flea treatments, your pet may also need to be treated with a wormer.

 

Worming:

There are two common types of worms, tape worms and round worms.

Round worm:  Most dogs can be infected with round worms without any signs. When they are heavily infected they can show signs of poor coat condition, vomiting and diarrhoea. In young puppies, round worms can cause a blockage of the intestines.

"Toxocara canis" is a type of round worm that is potentially dangerous to humans. Adult worms excrete a large numbers if eggs (as many as several thousand eggs per gram of faeces in a three week old puppy.) Following ingestion of eggs by humans, larvae migrate through body tissues, causing damage along the way. In rare cases they migrate to the eyes and cause blindness. Children are most susceptible to infection due to their lowered awareness of hygiene habits.
Puppies can be infected before birth if their mothers have not been wormed. They can also be infected through their mother's milk. Stunted growth, distended bellies, vomiting and diarrhoea are all things to look out for. Puppies may begin to expel worms at 7 weeks and most are gone by the age of 6-7 months if they have been wormed.

Tape worms: "Diplidium caninum" is the most common tapeworm in the UK for dogs and cats. Intermediate hosts are the flea, and biting louse in the dog. Your dog may have an irritated bottom and the tapeworm segments (which look like grains of rice) may be seen moving around the tail area and in the faeces.
Tape worm in dogs may not cause any signs but a heavy infestation can cause anaemia, indigestion and constipation.

"Echinococcus granulosus granulosis" is another form of tape worm, although it is rare in the UK. Following ingestion of eggs, cysts can develop in body tissue, particularly and the liver and lungs. The adult worm is very small (6mm long) and thousands can be seen in the intestines of one dog. This worm also poses a threat to people.

Treatment of worms:

As a preventative measure you should treat your dog with a broad spectrum wormer tablet. Unfortunately tape worms have to be treated separately.

Puppies and kittens should be wormed from 2 weeks of age, every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old, then, once a month until 6 months old. Dogs and cats, and puppies and kittens over 6 months old should be wormed every 3 months for life.

At Girling and Fraser we offer a program which covers preventative treatment such as wormers, flea treatment and much more at a discounted price using monthly payments. This is not an insurance policy but it is designed to work along side your insurance to give your pet the best treatment available.  If you are interested please feel free to speak to a member of staff at our practice.

 

Insurance:

 It would be wise to think about insurance to cover your pet. Although we do not like to think about it, sometimes our pets will need veterinary attention for something other than routine treatments. This can prove costly if your pet needs intensive treatment or medication for a life long condition. There are different companies which offer a wide range of policies.

 

Neutering:

At 6 months of age we offer a free health check where we discuss the possibility of neutering your puppy. Neutering your pet prevents unwanted puppies and can offer some important health benefits.
 Neutering young dogs can help to curb aggressive behaviour, straying and territory marking. Castrating your dog will also prevent testicular tumours and reduce the likelihood of hormonally influenced tumours such as anal adenomas later in life.                                    Spaying your bitch will obviously prevent unwanted pregnancies as accidents do happen! Older entire bitches can develop an infection in the womb (pyometra), which can be fatal if left untreated. Spaying also decreases the likelihood of mammary tumours.
  If you are thinking about breeding your dog please feel free to ask the vet any questions you may have.

 

Caring for Teeth:

Although it is sometimes easy to forget, puppies and dogs have teeth just like ours. If teeth are not taken care of they can build up a layer of tartar which eventually rots the tooth root and can cause bacteria infections of the gums.  
 In the long run, reoccurring dental disease can damage heart and kidney functions. It is very easy to prevent dental problems and your dog will thank you for it later in life.

·         It may sound funny at first but you can teach your puppy to stand to get its teeth brushed. At first you can gently move your finger along the side of the teeth. From then you can introduce a small piece of special paste to your finger. It may be messy at first so we can provide small thimbles brushes to put on the tip of your finger. Eventually you may use a brush if your dog allows it.
 Human toothpaste tastes unpleasant for dogs and becomes uncontrollably soapy. There are special dog toothpastes at the practice which come in a variety of doggy flavours.

·         Brushing does not have to be carried out every day; however often you manage it will be helpful.

 

Microchips:

Sadly, thousands of pets go missing every year and many are never reunited with their owners. It is always a good idea to have some identification on your pet should they go missing. The traditional way is for a collar with an identity tag attached. However what would happen if the tag was to get lost. A great way to ensure your pet can be traced back to you is by getting your pet microchipped. A microchip is a small chip (about 1cm long) that is implanted under your dog's skin between the shoulder blades. This chip contains a unique number which relates to your pet's name, your name and home address after you have registered your details. The database is nationwide and most animal organisations from vet practices to animal shelters have compatible scanners which would notice the microchip number. They would then be able to reunite you with your dog!!

Benefits of Microchips:

·         A permanent form of identification.

·         Cannot be lost or removed.

·         It is a quick procedure

·         Internationally recognised.

·         It gives you peace of mind.   

 

Diet:

 It is important to feed your puppy a balanced diet on order for healthy growth of bones and tissues to develop. There are a variety of products on the market that offer a complete diet for every dog out there. When considering different diet options it is important to consider the age and breed of your dog. Each breed has their own dietary requirements. This is especially important in large breeds that grow quickly.

Water is important in the diet in order to maintain general health and is essential for their muscle tissue, blood, kidneys and bladder to function correctly. Often owners prefer to feed a mix of wet and dry food to give dogs a variety. Other options would be to soak dry food in water before giving it to them, or feeding wet food only.

If you have any questions regarding the information on this care sheet please do not hesitate to contact the practice.