The essential guide for a New puppy

Author: Aussie Vet Products   Date Posted:25 February 2014 

There is no better feeling than the day you pick up the newest member of your family, a puppy! Dogs make wonderful loyal companions and simply having a dog around has been proven to make you feel happier and healthier.

However the decision to own a dog also comes with the responsibility to provide the love and care that they require. If you have made decision to bring a puppy into your family be sure to follow our check list below of the essentials you will need to raise a happy and healthy dog.

Parasite control:

Keeping your pup in the best of health is dependent on keeping a regular parasite control routine. 

Worming: Did you know that all puppies need to be intestinal wormed every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age? After 12 months, monthly worming intervals are recommended until at least 12 months of age.

Drontal worming suspension is an easy way to protect your new pup against all common worms including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworm.

Flea & or tick control:  Fleas are the most common parasite affecting dogs at all stages of their life. Establishing a regular monthly flea treatment is the best way to ensure your dog stays protected. We recommend Advantage flea control which is safe to use on puppies from 2 days old.

Alternatively if your puppy’s new home is the habitat of paralysis ticks, your puppy will also needs to be protected. We recommend combining your flea and tick control into an easy monthly spot on. Products such as frontline plus & Advantix are safe to use on puppies from 8 weeks old.

Heartworm protection:

Heartworm protection does not need to begin until your puppy is at least 12 weeks old.

You may choose to either obtain a proheart injection from your local vet once a year or dose your dog monthly with a heartworm preventative such as valuheart, proheart or heartgard plus.

A simple alternative is to combine your heartworm control in with the intestinal worm treatment. We recommend products such as interceptor spectrum or milbemax.

Alternatively there are many 3 in 1 products on the market that will protect your puppy against all the major parasites including flea, heartworm and intestinal worms such as Advocate, Sentinel Spectrum or Panoramis.

Food:

Giving your puppy the best nutrients is essential for their growth and development. If you are not sure which food to feed your puppy we recommend starting with something similar to what the breeder has been feeding.  If you want to transition your pup onto a food of your choice we recommend mixing a small amount of their previous food in with their new food for a few days to reduce the chance of any tummy upsets.

It is also important to make sure your puppy is being fed a specific ‘puppy’ diet. Puppy diets are formulated with a higher calorie count that growing puppies need, as naturally they burn more energy than an adult dog. We recommend Advance puppy plus growth, Hills puppy healthy development, Black hawk puppy lamb & Rice, Nutro puppy chicken & Rice or Iams Puppy.

Dogs of different breeds and sizes can benefit from being fed a diet that is tailored to their breed and size. For example Royal Canin has a range of breed specific diets for both junior (puppy) and adult dogs. These junior foods are specifically developed to provide the essential level of nutrients for a pup until they are at the required age to transition to an adult formula. For example a large or giant breed dog should be fed a puppy or growth formula until they are 2 years of age.

Brands such as Eukanuba, Advance and Royal Canin all cater for breed specific and size specific nutrition.

Food and water bowls:

Setting up your puppy’s food and drink area is essential so your dog understands where he/she goes to eat and drink. You may decide to place a feeding mat under the bowls to make sure they don’t move around while your dog is eating.

We have heaps of great designs available from Gummi pet that will let you customise your dog’s bowls to suits their personality or your home design.  We also stock slow feed bowls for large breed dogs that are prone to gulping their food, and specially shaped bowls for long eared dogs like spaniels.

Bed: When choosing a bed for your new puppy you need to consider where your dog is going to be sleeping at night. If your dog is lucky enough to be snuggled up inside then a plush bed like the Molly mutt duvets are a great alternative.

If your dog prefers to snooze outside a raised pet bed is a great idea to help keep them clean and out of the dirt. Alternatively crate training your dog is a great way to always let your dog know where their ‘home base’ is. We stock a great range of crates, raised beds and plush pet beds to choose from.

Toys and Dental Treats:

An essential part of raising a well-rounded dog is teaching them about the world around them. This can be done through regular play, teaching tricks and treating them with dental treats that will help develop strong healthy teeth. In order to prevent your puppy from chewing your favourite shoes, make sure you have plenty of toys around to keep them active. The kong Tug toy, Kong dental rope or dental stick, Kong puppy and buster food cube are many puppies favourites.

Dental treats such as greenies, pigs ears or puppy teether sticks are also a great way to help develop strong healthy teeth.

Adaptil collar: The journey your puppy makes from their mother to your home can be a stressful one. They are faced with so many new experiences, sounds, objects and people. Research has shown that in order to make this transition period positive it’s important to provide the reassurance its mother would have provided. The Adaptil collar is a synthetic copy of the canine appeasing pheromone that a female dog secretes to calm her puppies.

Adaptil collars are highly recommended for use in the first 2 months of a puppies life in their new home. Each collar last for 4 weeks and studies have proven that puppies who wear an Adaptil collar are more relaxed, easier to control, more likely to engage in play and react better to new experiences.

Dry tech training pads:

The first thing you notice when bringing home a new puppy is how many little accidents there are on your floors. While you are teaching your puppy to be toilet trained, having some dry tech training pads on hand is an absolute must! The dry tech training pads are the most absorbent pads you can buy (20 times more absorbent than newspaper!) and they have an inbuilt natural attractant that will encourage your puppy to go to the toilet on the pads rather than on your new rug.

Collar, lead & I.D tag

By now you have fallen in love with your new puppy and the last thing you want is for them to go missing. Fitting your dog with a new collar and identification tag is critical to maintaining their safety at all times. Red dingo has a huge range of i.d tags that can be engraved with all your dog’s important details. Alternatively the my valuable pet quick response i.d tags are fantastic new technology that allows you to receive a text message if your dog was to go missing.

Making sure your dog is microchipped by your vet is also an important procedure for keeping them safe.

Grooming:

Grooming your dog once a week is not only important to keep them healthy and happy but to check for any changes in their skin, ears, eyes and mouth. We recommend giving your puppy a bath at least once a week with a gentle shampoo such as fido’s puppy and kitten shampoo or aloveen oatmeal shampoo.  Make bath time a positive experience by incorporating your dog’s favourite treats, keeping the water lukewarm and bathing regularly.

Grooming your puppy after their bath with a Kong pro groom or grip soft brush can be a great bonding experience for you and your dog. Be sure to check the length of their nails, clean around their eyes and ears with a grooming wipe and clean their teeth with the petosan toothbrush and toothpaste.