Preparing for new puppy arrival

When you bring your puppy home, be sure you have the following supplies: 

*Premium pet food to get your new puppy off to a good start (We provide enough for you to have a couple days to buy more.)  Organic Pumpkin Puree. Cottage cheese, and Plain Kefir are great to add to food at 1 tsp per 10 lb. body weight.

*Stainless steel or ceramic, non-slip food and water bowls  

*A leash and harness (as this cause less damage on their trachea than a collar does)

*A 48” plastic crate and bedding for when you leave, bedtime, or can’t keep a watch, and this size will accommodate your puppy's adult size - This crate will serve as your puppy's new "den" at home, when traveling or riding to the veterinarian's office.

*You may possibly want to invest in a metal solid playpen that is 40" to 48", or even gates for your young puppy, as these can make having a new puppy so much easier. For instance, if you need to walk into another room in your house having a safe place to keep your puppy is very helpful.

*Poop bags

*Stain remover for accidental soiling.   

*Brushes and combs suited to your puppy's coat; ask your veterinarian about an appropriate brush or comb for your dog    

All puppies require worming on a schedule. It is common in litters for some puppies to pick up the habit from Mom cleaning their puppies poop as it is instinct to keep a clean area to not leave their scent for other animals to find them. This is why they will need to continue treatment when they go to their new home. We give diatomaceous earth beginning at 1 week old and Pyrantel treatments as well. We never see live worms. Dead worm in poop means treatment is working and this is what you want.  

*High-quality, safe chew toys to ease teething – Nylabones and Kongs are great and washable 

*Flea, tick, and parasite controls – We use natural and pet safe   

*Nail clippers/Bathing Product - Castile soap is great for sensitive skin  

*Treats   

Helpful Hints 

-Use stainless steel, non-slip food bowls, which won't break or absorb odors   

-Toys with parts that squeak, or whistle can be dangerous if swallowed   

-For a comfortable collar fit, allow for two-fingers of space between the collar and your dog's neck; consider using an adjustable harness collar   

​-Dog Food storage container if using kibble to keep clean and fresh. Keep food in bag and stick in storage container is best practice as the bags are designed for storing the food.

HUMANE SOCIETY VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

http://www.hsvma.org

Got questions? Specialized vets answer your questions on this site. It's worth the peace of mind to get an expert opinion without leaving the home. There may be a fee involved depending on your question.

Making a Home Safe 

*To make your home safe for your new puppy, eliminate potential hazards around the house and *pay attention to the following items:   

*Keep breakable objects out of reach   

*Deny access to electrical cords by hiding or covering them; make outlets safe with plastic outlet plugs   

*Safely store household chemicals   

*Keep the following house and garden plants out of reach: poinsettias, azaleas, rhododendrons, dumb cane, Japanese yew, oleander, and English ivy among others   

*In the garage, be sure engine lubricants and other poisonous chemicals (especially antifreeze) are safely stored   

*If you own a pool or hot tub, check the cover or the surrounding fence to be sure they're in good condition   

*Keep clothing and shoes put away

Meeting Resident Pets 

Keep resident pets separated from your new puppy for a few days. After your new puppy is used to his new den area, put an expandable pet gate in the doorway or put your puppy in his crate. Give your resident pet access to the area. Let pets smell and touch each other through the crate or pet gate. Do this several times over the next few days. After that, give the resident pet access to the den area with your new puppy out of his crate. Supervise their meeting and go back to through-the-gate/crate meetings if trouble arises.

Don’t allow puppy to play rough with adult dogs as he/she is still growing and this can harm their bones.  

Feeding 

Keeping your puppy on the same food during their first few weeks will help with stress and gastrointestinal issues if you are sticking with kibble. Always add water to dry food and allow 30 to 60 minutes for it to soak and swell up. Should be about ¾ cups for every ½ cup of food. This help with hydration as straight kibble absorbs the moisture dog needs and dogs can’t drink enough water to help.

When feeding your pet, a new food, introduce it slowly. If you feed too much too soon, your pet could suffer from stomach upset, vomiting, excess gas, constipation, or diarrhea.  

Our puppies are currently on Purina Pro Plan for puppies because Purina is scientifically backed up for dogs. It is very important that your puppy remains on the brand of puppy food for the first month in their new home. This is to help prevent tummy upset as puppies are generally nervous when leaving their siblings and joining a new family. For a puppy it can be very stressful to join a new family. All their surroundings are completely different for them, they no longer have their mother and littermates there with them, and even the water tastes different. Puppies can often get stressed for all the sudden changes in their lives, and by feeding the same brand of food will make this transition easier for them.

​Our puppies are fed serving size according to the directions on the bag. All puppies are different so keep in mind over time you may need to change their diet if they develop allergies. 

Intestinal Bacteria Play an Important Role 

Normal bacteria in the intestine help your dog digest food. A sudden change in food can result in changes to the number and type of bacteria and their ability to help digest food. These changes can lead to intestinal upset. Therefore, your pet must be switched to a new food slowly.  

A Gradual Change is Best 

The puppy's diet should NEVER be changed rapidly. The puppy might not eat the strange new food, and if does eat, it will develop diarrhea leading to dehydration and other complications.  

If the puppy does not eat his food over 24 hours, you might try yummy, soft, canned food to encourage your puppy to eat. If you can still not get the puppy to eat, seek medical care.    

1. We recommend switching to a new food gradually over the course of 7-10 days. For example, make a mixture that contains 25% of the new food and 75% of the old food and feed that for three days. Then make it 50-50 for three more days, then 75% new food and 25% old food for three more days. If your pet seems comfortable with this progression, you can start feeding 100% new food.  

2. It is not unusual for a puppy not to eat immediately when they arrive at their new home.   It may take them a few hours to settle in, make sure they are eating within the first 24 hours.  It is very important that they are taking in fluids, so they do not become dehydrated. Hypoglycemia is a condition all new puppy owners must be aware of.    

3. The change of environment can cause other stress-related problems including Coccidiosis.    

Young puppies are frequently infected with coccidia and can develop active Coccidiosis -- even puppies obtained from diligent, professional breeders. Undeveloped immune systems make puppies more susceptible. Stress is the #1 Cause of Coccidia flare-ups.... such as new owners, travel, weather changes, and unsanitary conditions are believed to activate infections in susceptible animals. 

Symptoms in young dogs are persistently loose stools. This diarrhea proceeds to stool containing liquid, thick mucus, and light-colored fecal matter. As the infection progresses, spots of blood may become apparent in the stool, and sudden bowel movements may surprise both dog and owner alike. Coccidia infection is so common that any pup under 4 months old with these symptoms can almost surely be assumed to have coccidiosis.  

Fortunately, the treatment is inexpensive, extremely effective, and routine. A veterinarian can easily diagnose the disease through low-powered microscopic examination of an affected dog's feces, which usually will be replete with oocysts. One of many easily administered and inexpensive drugs will be prescribed, and, during just a few days, an infection will be eliminated or perhaps reduced to such a level that the dog's immune system can make its own progress against the infection. Even when an infection has progressed sufficiently that blood is present in feces, permanent damage to the gastrointestinal system is rare, and the dog will most likely make a complete recovery without long-lasting negative effects.  

We diligently work to prevent this from occurring.   

We ask that when you take your puppy for a well-check to have their stool looked at, so that in case the puppy does develop this from all the stress he/she is under when going to a new home, you may easily catch and treat this before it becomes a problem.    

We do not guarantee against coccidiosis. We do everything we can to prevent and feel if the puppy is checked out when purchased this should not become a major problem.  

Summary 

These physical problems are often brought on by unavoidable stress and are like problems you might have if you were moving to a new area. Just like you, the puppy may not sleep or eat as regularly as it would in surroundings that are more familiar.  

Some puppies ease through the transition to their new homes, while other may have a harder time. If stress-related problems are ignored, secondary problems can become serious, even life threatening.  

Every puppy is different.  

WATER IS VERY IMPORTANT IN THE PUPPY’S EXCITING FIRST FEW HOURS IN HIS/HER NEW HOME.  

Rest is very important to the puppy. Puppies generally sleep throughout the day, waking only to play for a short time, eat, and eliminate waste. Do not expect the puppy to run and play all day. A human baby does not play all day either. Treat your puppy just the same as if it was a newborn infant being brought home from the hospital, and you will not go wrong.    

Before your puppy arrives, I do strongly suggest you read up on bringing home a new puppy, and the joys, and the challenges of bringing home a new puppy to your family. Think of it like bringing home a newborn baby. This will be the most exciting time, as nothing is cuter than a sweet little puppy. As the puppy comes into your home, he/she has so much to learn very quickly. There are joys and challenges that come with training a puppy. You'll also want to learn some behaviors that your puppy may exhibit, both good and the bad, that way you can nip those naughty puppy behaviors in the bud rather quickly. 

I don't suggest giving a young puppy human food immediately, as they aren't mature enough to process and digest many human foods. Your puppy has only received milk from their momma, puppy food, and water. Also be aware of foods and items that are poisonous or harmful to a dog. Grapes and raisins can be toxic to a puppy, and many people are unaware of this.

Your puppy will also need to be seen by your vet within 3 days from picking up your new puppy. Avoid letting you puppy down at Vet. Each vet is a little different as far as their recommended vaccination schedule, deworming suggestions, and other medications such as for flea/heart worm prevention. We recommend Holistic Veterinarian, when possible, over conventional. Your puppy will arrive with a vaccination record, and you will want to take this with you to your first vet appt. Your puppy will arrive with their current DAPPv vaccine. You will need to give another at 12 and 16 weeks or as instructed by your vet or personal preference. The only other vaccine needed is rabies unless you have several pets which will be good to get Bordetella. We recommend only core shots and titer testing ever 2-3 years to see if they continue carrying antibodies to avoid over vaccinating them. If you have questions regarding their upcoming vaccinations, you're welcome to ask me. They have less side effects by avoiding multiple shots and the reason vaccines are repeated is only 52% of puppies develop antibodies from early vaccines due to their antibodies from their mother. It is up to you to approve when your Vet does the shots and if desired you can do titer testing before next dose and based on results you will know if it is needed. Make sure they don’t eat their own feces after vaccines as vaccines shed up to 4 weeks in feces and can make them get parvo virus.

I also caution families to keep their puppies away from areas with lots of other animals, such as dog parks and pet shopping stores until after your puppy has completed their full vaccination series, generally around 4-5 months old. Think of your puppy like a newborn, and you wouldn't want to introduce them to germs and possibly devastating diseases before their immune system was prepared for it. By keeping them secluded to your home for the first couple months, you are doing the best thing for them. Friends and family will understand your reasoning for keeping your puppy away from everyone else's dogs until they have completed their vaccination series. Posting pictures on your Facebook page of your adorable puppy will be the safest way to show off your new puppy to the world.

Worming Information

All puppies require worming on a schedule. It is common in litters for some puppies to pick up the habit from Mom cleaning their puppies poop as it is instinct to keep a clean area to not leave their scent for other animals to find them. This is why they will need to continue treatment when they go to their new home. We give diatomaceous earth beginning at 1 week old and Pyrantel treatments as well. We never see live worms. Dead worm in poop means treatment is working and this is what you want.