A guide to help make puppy ownership a little bit easier - Family Friends Veterinary Hospital

Puppy Packet
A guide to help make puppy ownership
           a little bit easier

Health Care Schedule
 Puppies need to have vaccinations every 3-4 weeks until they are fully vaccinated.
 There are a few core vaccinations that every puppy should get, and have boostered
throughout it's life. Those vaccinations are Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, and
     Parvovirus (DAPP), Leptospirosis vaccine, and Rabies vaccination. There are
"lifestyle" vaccines that are not required to have, but are good to have if your puppy
  will play with other dogs, go to grooming facilities, go to daycare or dog parks, or
  boarding facilities. Those vaccinations are the Bordetella vaccine and the Canine
  Influenza vaccine. A health care schedule is listed on this page as an approximate
                guide for when your puppy should get it's vaccinations.

6-8 weeks: Physical exam
1st DAPP vaccination
Fecal sample to check for intestinal parasites
Start monthly heartworm and flea & tick prevention
10-12 weeks: Physical exam
2nd DAPP vaccination
Bordetella vaccination
Recheck fecal sample if needed
Continue monthly heartworm and flea & tick prevention
13-15 weeks: Physical exam
3rd DAPP vaccination (introduce Leptospirosis if needed)
First Lyme Disease vaccination if needed
Continue monthly heartworm and flea & tick prevention
5-6 months: Spay/neuter
Microchip
Rabies vaccination
Continue monthly heartworm and flea & tick prevention

1 year of age: Physical Exam
Annual heartworm and tick transmitted disease test
Fecal sample check
1 year DALPP
3 year rabies
Annual Bordetella, Lyme, and Influenza vaccinations if needed
Continue monthly heartworm and flea & tick prevention

Spaying and Neutering
We recommend spaying and neutering dogs between 5 and 6 months of age not only to
     help with overpopulation but also to ensure they will live a long, happy life.
   Spaying a female dog will help prevent breast cancer, unwanted pregnancies, and
 pyometra, a life threatening uterine infection. Neutering a male dog will help prevent
    prostate and testicular diseases and reduce some hormone related aggression.
 At Family Friends, we admit our surgery patients on the morning of surgery and will
 most likely be able to go home later that day. Our patients recover very well and heal
      fast, in fact they do so well sometimes it can be a challenge to enforce rest.
 We recommend all patients have basic bloodwork performed the day of their surgical
procedure. In addition to our patient's pre-surgical physical exam, their bloodwork will
 allow us to accurately determine your dog's overall health, anesthetic risk, and tailor
            their medications to decrease the chances of an adverse reaction.

                   Microchipping
  One in three pets will become lost in its lifetime. Having your puppy microchipped
        increases the likelihood of being reunited you if he or she does get lost.
Microchipping is a simple procedure. The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice
  and is injected with a needle beneath the surface of your puppy's skin between the
 shoulder blades. The process is similar to giving a vaccination. Each microchip has a
 unique ID code that is read by passing a microchip scanner over the area where it is
located. Puppies can be microchipped any time, but a great time to have it done is the
                             day they get spayed/neutered.
                 Family Friends recommends all pets be microchipped!

Nutrition
Providing proper nutrition for your puppy will allow a
  healthy immune system to develop, bones to grow
    properly. and muscles to strengthen. All puppies
 should be fed a high quality name brand puppy food.
     The best food for your puppy is a nutritionally
 complete food that your puppy likes to eat, produces
  two to three solid stools per day, maintains proper
    body condition, and has a healthy skin and coat.
  Puppies should be fed 2-3 times per day. A routine
  should be established by feeding your puppy in the
  same place and same time each day. The amount of
food to feed your puppy will vary depending on breed,
       activity, metabolism, and rate of growth.
   Puppies should not be fed human foods because it
  could cause gastrointestinal upset, it creates picky
           eaters, and it encourages begging.

      Socialization
 Socialization is the process by which puppies learn to
       interact with people, other animals, and the
environment. The process of socialization begins when
  a puppy is born and continues throughout their life,
however, is most important between 2-4 months of age.
 It is important to remember that when introducing a
puppy to people or other animals, only the appropriate
      responses should be rewarded or reinforced.
 Puppies that are not properly socialized, will become
    fearful and possibly aggressive. If a puppy begins
  growling at a new person, do not reinforce this bad
   behavior by trying to comfort them. Instead, they
                   should be told "no."
   Proper socialization requires a lot of work but will
     allow you and your puppy to live a happier life
                        together.

Internal and External
                 Parasites
Heartworm Disease- Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition for cats
and dogs. Thankfully, it is preventable.

-Transmission: Heartworms are transmitted to dogs and cats by infected mosquitoes that
inject larvae under the skin that could develop into adult worms that live in the heart.
-Prevention: Preventing a heartworm infection is safe, effective, and inexpensive.
Heartworm preventatives interrupt heartworm development before adult worms reach the
heart and lungs. Heartworm prevention should be given each month all year round.
-Testing: All dogs need a heartworm blood test each year. We will help you decide on an
appropriate time to first test your puppy. Our heartworm tests also test for three tick
transmitted diseases. (Lyme, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis).
-Clinical Signs: Some dogs with heartworm may not show any signs of illness in the early
stages of disease. In the later stages, which may be 2-3 years after infection, coughing,
exercise intolerance, loss of appetite, and weight loss are common.
-Treatment: It is possible to treat a dog with heartworm disease, however, some damage to
the heart and lungs may be irreversible. It is expensive to treat a dog with heartworms
because of the intensive care required. In fact, the cost of treatment is equivalent to the cost
of purchasing 10 years of prevention.

Intestinal Parasites- Almost all puppies have intestinal parasites, some of which may be a
concern for you and your family. This is why we deworm all puppies, check regular fecal
samples, and recommend year round monthly parasite control. To keep your puppy and
family safe, be sure to clean up animal waste and dispose of it properly. It is very important
to have a fecal sample checked every year to screen for intestinal parasites.
Fleas- Adult fleas are not only a nuisance to humans and animals, they also can cause medical
problems for our pets including flea allergy dermatitis, tapeworm infections, secondary skin
irritations, and in extreme cases, anemia. Although fleas are mostly a problem during the
warmer months, we see infections even during winter months. It is much easier to prevent a
flea infestation than to treat one, so we recommend year round monthly prevention.
Ticks- Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grasses and shrubs
where they wait to attach a passing host. They are not only a nuisance to humans and
pets, but ticks also have the ability to transmit many diseases to dogs, including Lyme
Disease. Seasonal tick prevention is important to keeping your dog and family healthy.

House and Crate Training
The Basics- House training is a lot of work and can be very frustrating. Remember that most accidents are
not your puppy's fault and their schedule or training should be adjusted to eliminate the possibility of
them having accidents in the house.
Timing- Puppies will need to eliminate after sleeping, eating, and playing. In the beginning, your puppy will
need to eliminate every 30-90 minutes during the day and every 3-4 hours during the night. As your puppy
gets older, it will have better bladder control and the time between each elimination will increase. Each
individual puppy will vary as far as how long it will take them to be able to sleep though the night.
Consistency- Puppies should be brought outside following the same routine each time. This means you
should take your puppy through the same door every time. This door should be the door you want your
puppy to go to when they ask to go outside. Puppies should also be brought to the same area of the yard
each time they are brought outside.
Leadership- You should always accompany your puppy and take them outside on a leash. Puppies are
looking for leadership and guidance and want to be told what to do. Each time you are outside, you should
give your puppy a command such as "go potty." If your puppy is very distracted and does not seem
interested in eliminating, they should be brought inside and brought back out 10-15 minutes later to the
designated area of the yard. It is also important that other dogs do not go outside with you and your puppy
because they can be a big distraction.
Positive reinforcement- Your puppy should be rewarded every time they eliminate in their designated area
(praised verbally and given a small treat). A fairly common mistake is to reward a puppy after they come
inside, which is not rewarding them for eliminating outdoors, but instead rewarding them for coming
inside. Punishing your puppy for eliminating inside may make them become afraid to eliminate in front of
you so they are more likely to wander into another room to eliminate. If your puppy is caught in the act of
eliminating, a loud noise (hang clap) can be used to get your puppy's attention to stop the elimination
process. Your puppy should then be taken immediately outside and rewarded for eliminating in the
appropriate area.
Do not allow free roaming in the house- When you are not able to be with your puppy, they should be
confined to their crate. If you will be wandering around the house, your puppy can be kept on a leash. This
way you will be more likely to pick up on small signals your puppy may be giving you when he or she needs
to eliminate.
When house training is complete- How long it takes will depend on the individual dog. Some breeds of dogs
are harder to train than others. They key is to not trust them too early as they may revert to eliminating in
the house again.
Litter training and paper training- In some instances, litter or paper training may be the only option,
however, litter and paper training are just as much work (if not more) than training a puppy to eliminate
outside.
All of the above rules apply to litter and paper training. Your puppy must not be given free roam of the
house. You must accompany the puppy to the litter or paper so that it can be given a command and then
praised.
If you plan for your puppy to eventually eliminate outside, then litter or paper training may only be
confusing for the puppy.

Dental Health
     Dental disease is a common disease in our
     canine companions. It not only affects the
mouth, but can lead to problems with the heart,
 kidneys, liver, and other organs. Dental disease
 is a preventable disease that begins with daily
      tooth brushing. Veterinary toothpaste is
       required to brush your puppy's teeth.
To train your puppy to allow you to brush their
   teeth, pick a convenient time and be sure to
follow each teeth brushing session with a praise
     and a treat. First, let your puppy taste the
 toothpaste. Then put some on your finger and
   run it along their gums. When your puppy is
      used to your finger, you can introduce a
 toothbrush. Get the bristles of the brush along
  the gum line and angle slightly so the bristles
    are just under the gum line. Don't forget to
                     brush daily.
    Family Friends recommends regular dental
checks to detect dental disease early. Even with
  the best teeth brushing, some dogs may need
     professional dental cleanings. There is no
   question that brushing your dog's teeth will
 reduce the amount of periodontal disease and
      reduce the frequency, involvement, and
            expense of dental cleanings.

Congrats on your new puppy! There is a
 lot that goes into raising a new puppy.
 We hope this packet helps, but we are
           here if you need us!

                                                     HOURS
Family Friends Veterinary Hospital     Monday-Thursday: 7:00am-7:00pm
 6555 28th St SE, Grand Rapids, MI           Friday: 7:00am-5:00pm
               49546                  Friday Urgent Care: 4:00pm-10:00pm
           616-575-6520                    Saturday: 7:00am-2:00pm
    www.familyfriendsvet.com         Saturday Urgent Care: 2:00pm-10:00pm
                                      Sunday Urgent Care: 10:00am-6:00pm