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A Healthy Start for your New Puppy Welcome to White Bear Animal Hospital and Otter Lake Animal Care Center and thank you for entrusting us with the care of your new puppy. Our goal is to make sure that your new pet gets off to a healthy start in life. Below are summarized the primary issues in our preventative medicine program for puppies.
VaccinesCore Vaccines Distemper, Adenovirus Type 2, Coronavirus, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, and Leptospira – given by injection usually at 8, 12, and 16 weeks followed by an annual booster. Rabies – given by injection anytime after 16 weeks of age, boostered 1 year later and then every other year. Optional VaccinesLyme disease – given as 2 injections 2-4 weeks apart anytime after 12 weeks of age followed by an annual booster. Bordetella – given either as intranasal drops or an injection anytime after 8 weeks of age and then boostered every 6-12 months as needed.
Internal Parasite Control – Unfortunately many puppies are either born with internal parasites (primarily roundworms and hookworms) or contract them early in life. These parasites generally cause vomiting, diarrhea, poor weight gain, a distended abdomen and sometimes coughing. We recommend checking a stool sample (fresh, unfrozen) at least twice during your puppy’s initial visits. One negative stool sample does not guarantee that your pet is parasite free due to the possibility of immature parasites or low parasite numbers. We also recommend deworming your puppy at least twice with a broad-spectrum dewormer. Roundworms and hookworms can be transmitted to other pets as well as people. Stools should be removed from the environment frequently and good hygiene practiced by all individuals in contact with the puppy.
Heartworm Prevention – Canine heartworm disease is a disease of the heart and lungs and is caused by the parasite Dirofilaria immitis. Immature forms of the worm are transmitted by mosquitoes from one infected dog to another. Dogs are generally tested for heartworm disease after approximately eight months of age depending on the time of year when they were born. The test can only determine if a dog was exposed six months or longer ago. Prevention of canine heartworm disease is strongly recommended for every dog due to the likely exposure to mosquitoes even for indoor dogs. Canine heartworm disease can be a very serious disease and is much less expensive to prevent than it is to treat. Prevention comes in the form of a monthly chewable given May 1 through December 1 or an injection given twice yearly after six months of age.
Spay / Neuter –
Unless you are strongly considering breeding
or showing your pet we strongly recommend that you have her spayed or him
neutered by six months of age. You can refer to the handout “Spaying /
Neutering of Pet Dogs and Cats” for an in depth discussion of the procedure and
its benefits. You can view step-by-step photographs of actual spay and neuter
procedures by visiting the Virtual Surgery Suite on our website. OtherFlea / Tick Control – If you are concerned that your pet may be exposed to fleas or ticks you should consider using some form of external parasite control usually in the form of topically applied products or collars. Please refer to the “Fleas and Your Pet” handout for further information.Training – An obedient, well-behaved dog makes for a much better pet. We strongly recommend that you enroll your pet and yourself in a good quality dog training program. Remember the training program is as much for you to learn how to train your pet at home as it is for your pet to learn to obey your commands. There are a variety of training techniques available today and you should make sure that you use a reputable organization that employs only positive reinforcement techniques.Dental Care – Brushing your dog’s teeth daily or every other day will go a long way towards preventing the development of significant dental disease that may require treatment later in life. Good quality pet dental care kits are available at both clinics. If brushing is not possible, other dental care products are available. If you have any questions regarding the care of your pet’s teeth be sure to ask. Please refer to the “Dental Care for Your Pet” handout for more information. Nail Trimming – Teaching your dog to accept having its nails trimmed is an important part of early puppy training. A free nail trim demonstration is a part of all initial puppy appointments. If you’re not sure how to trim your puppy’s nails, be sure to ask. HomeAgainâ – The HomeAgainâ microchip is a permanent identification system that allows positive identification of your pet if it is lost or stolen and recovered. A microchip the size of a grain of rice is implanted under your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades and can be read with a handheld scanner available at veterinary clinics, shelters, and humane societies. The microchip is generally implanted while the pet is anesthetized during its spay or neuter. However, dog’s can have the microchip implanted while awake.
Below is a visit-by-visit summary of what you can expect during your puppy’s first several months.
8 Weeks 12 Weeks 16 Weeks * history * history * history * physical exam * physical exam * physical exam * Distemper vaccine (1 of 3) * Distemper (2 of 3) * Distemper (3 of 3) * fecal exam * +/- Lyme vaccine (1 of 2) * Rabies vaccine * deworm * +/- Bordetella vaccine * +/- Lyme (2 of 2) * +/- heartworm prevention * fecal exam * +/- heartworm prevent. * free nail trim * deworm * discuss spay/neuter * free puppy pack * +/- heartworm prevention
If you ever have questions regarding any of the above information please do not hesitate to contact us. Visit us online at www.WhiteBearAnimalHospital.com.
WHITE BEAR ANIMAL HOSPITAL OTTER LAKE ANIMAL CARE CENTER1909 East County Road E 6848 Otter Lake RoadWhite Bear Lake, MN 55110 Hugo, MN 55038 (651) 777-1393 (651) 426-88871 |