Your New Dog

It will take a few days for your new dog (puppy) to adjust to a new home. Be very encouraging and supportive while your pet makes this transition and develops a relationship with you and other household members. Set up a routine and try to keep changes to a minimum while the dog adjusts to help develop a sense of security.

VACCINATIONS - Your dog has been vaccinated with DA2PPv. This vaccine begins the protection process against distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. Follow the recommendations for a vaccination schedule in order to provide your pet with the chance to build up an immunity to these diseases.

One of the most important preventative medicine programs for your dog is periodic vaccination for serious, highly contagious, infectious diseases. Vaccinations are given to a dog to prepare his or her body for battling these diseases. However, one vaccination does not give lifelong protection. With puppies, an immunity (resistance to disease) must be built up, thus a series of three vaccination boosters is necessary at an early age (see the recommended vaccination schedules below).

RABIES - Rabies is a fatal viral disease. Suffering from this disease is a painful, prolonged, horrible way for an animal to die. That alone should be enough to make sure all animals are vaccinated against rabies. However, the fact that brings rabies to the height of public concern is that it can be transmitted to humans.

The rabies vaccine must be administered by a veterinarian and we recommend that you have it done at 1-6 weeks for a puppy (along with the 16 week booster of the other vaccines) or immediately if you have an adult dog. As with other vaccines, rabies vaccinations must be restrengthened with annual boosters (speak to your veterinarian about the type of vaccine used and length of protection).

VACCINATION SCHEDULES:

PUPPY VACCINATION SCHEDULE:
6-8 weeks - first vaccination of DA2PPv (your puppy has received this)
10-12 weeks - second booster of DA2PPv
16 weeks - third booster plus rabies vaccination.

ADULT DOG VACCINATION SCHEDULE:
During post-purchase check up with veterinarian - rabies vaccination
One month after first vaccination - booster of DA2PPv
After the above vaccination schedules have been completed, yearly vaccination boosters are necessary for all dogs in order to keep the body prepared to do battle with the infectious diseases.

NUTRITION - Proper nutrition is the basis of your dog's good health and well being. During the growth stage the aim is to feed a. diet that provides the proper nutrients needed for optimal growth of a healthy pet. Start your puppy out on a complete balanced diet to avoid the need for supplementation. Do not feed your new puppy milk. Many puppies cannot tolerate cows milk. The result is diarrhea, therefore eliminate milk from their diet.

DEWORMING - Your new dog has received one dose of Drontal Plus deworming medicine. To be sure that your dog does not have any parasitic worms left in his or her system, we advise that you have a stool sample tested at your veterinarian's office.

NEUTERING (castration or spaying) - The main reason for neutering your puppy or dog is to help control the ever-increasing problem of pet overpopulation. Neutering can also prevent or reduce the risk of several behavioral and health problems seen as dogs mature.

MALES - When your pet is neutered at 6-8 months of age, many behavioral traits that are seen as problems in the adult dog do not develop (ie: intermale fighting, roaming, and urinating to mark their territory). Pet population control and behavior control are only part of the reason for neutering your male dog. There are also health benefits to neutering. It will prevent or reduce the risk of some common problems seen in older unneutered dogs; testicular tumors and prostatic cancer. If you neuter a dog at a later age the health risks are still reduced and some problem traits may diminish.

FEMALES - If you have adopted a female dog or puppy, have her spayed at 6-8 months if a puppy or right away if she is an adult. If you have any doubts about having her spayed, research all that is involved in properly caring for a pregnant animal and in raising a litter. Also, consider all the unwanted puppies that are already struggling to find homes. Female dogs usually come into season (heat) twice a year. When they are in heat they bleed for several days and can be quite messy. They are also extremely attractive to any male dog for miles around! Even if you keep your female puppy indoors she may still attract local mile dogs to your property. Apart from preventing pregnancy, there are many important health benefits in spaying your female dog. It can prevent uterine infections, ovarian, and uterine cancer and reduce the risk of mammary tumours.

We do not guarantee an animal's health and recommend that you take your new dog to your veterinarian as soon as possible for a check up, advise on basic health care and fecal examination (test for intestinal parasites). Do not forget to take your Humane Society Certificate with you for your dogs first check up at the veterinarian's.