Somerset Animal Hospital |
It can be a daunting task to take care of a little creature who can't tell you how they feel or what they want from you. This page is aimed to give you some basic information on how to look after your new friend.
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Puppies need a balanced diet. This can be given in several ways, one of the easiest is by feeding your puppy a canned or dried (or mixture of both) puppy food available from supermarkets, pet shops, animal feed outlets or from us. The good thing about balanced commercial foods is that you know that your puppy is getting exactly the right balance of calcium and phosphorus, vitamins and minerals. This is particularly important while they are growing and their bones are changing size so rapidly. Dogs and cats have completely different nutritional requirements so don't get your puppy into the habit of eating cat or kitten food. Many dogs love the taste of cat food, but it is not a good diet for a dog due to the high fat content, and can be quite detrimental to their health.Top of PageThere is also the option of feeding a home-made diet. To do this, you need to make sure it is properly balanced. Seek advice from us if you're unsure how to make a home-made balanced diet. Table scraps, as part of a balanced diet, are okay to a degree -
Table scraps do not supply the proper amounts and proportions of vitamins and minerals; so if a puppy receives more than 25% of his food as scraps, then he stands a chance of not getting the proper nutrition. All pups should get a multiple vitamin daily. For healthy teeth and gums, consider using high quality dry foods - talk this over with your vet. For optimum results we suggest feeding a premium dry dog food such as Bil-Jac or Eukanuba.
It's important in the first few days that you have your puppy, that you feed him/her what they were fed on before you got them. Any change to their diet should be done gradually.
Most puppies need to be fed three times a day initially as their tummies are simply too small to cope with less frequent, larger meals. The first meal of the day often consists of a breakfast cereal and milk. It is fine to give your puppy milk as long as it doesn't give them diarrhea. Some dogs (and cats) can't tolerate lactose so if this is the case, they should not be fed normal milk. They can either be given lactose-free milk or avoid giving them any milk at all. The other two meals can be puppy kibbles or canned food.
Remember not to feed your pup too much. A rule of thumb is that a puppy should be fed as much as he will clean up without getting sick.Your puppy is growing as fast as it will ever grow and he needs all available nutrition in order to grow properly. This is especially important in large and giant breeds where growing fast puts enormous stress on their bones and means that the bones may not develop properly and they are susceptible to lameness problems. It is esprcially important that the larger breed of dogs be put on a special regimen of Petabs and Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid). See us for the recommendation!
If you have more than one puppy, it's best to feed them separately from separate bowls. Remember that dogs are pack animals and, as such, may argue over their food. We've had to stitch up dogs from the same family who have eaten together for years and suddenly had an argument over food, so be careful if you feed them in the same area.
Worming and Vaccination Regimen -Puppies
Worming and Vaccination Regimen -Kittens
Feeding Kittens
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Kittens need to be fed a balanced diet, and tinned food or commercial biscuits are a convenient way of doing this. Cats have specific requirements for various amino acids and so on, so it is important that they are fed a balanced diet which is specifically designed for kittens/cats.
Make sure that you feed your new kitten exactly what he/she has been used to eating for the first few days. Then gradually introduce the new food by mixing it in with the previous diet, increasing the amount of new food, while decreasing the amount of the old diet over several days.
Kittens need to be fed three times a day while they are small as their tummies can't handle bigger, less frequent meals. You can drop down to two meals a day as soon as your kitten seems to be leaving some of his/her lunch.
Many people ask us whether they can give their kitten milk. Milk is fine as long as it doesn't cause diarrhea. Some cats, like dogs, are lactose intolerant and shouldn't be given normal milk. There is lactose-free milk available.
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Puppies
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Kittens
House training
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House training can be a difficult time for new pet owners but most kittens and puppies are fast learners so take heart! The main thing to remember is that, as with any training, there's no point punishing your pet. This is because, unless you can directly catch them "red-handed", they won't understand why you're punishing them. The old wives' tale of rubbing their nose in whatever they may have left on the carpet doesn't help to train them at all.
Instead, it is better to use newspaper in the house to protect the carpet and take your puppy/kitten outside as often as possible. When they perform where they should then congratulate them - give them a treat and lots of praise. This is known as "positive reinforcement" and is the basis to all good training methods. As they learn to use the newspaper if they can't make it to the outdoors, reduce the amount of paper you leave down and move it closer to the back door. Eventually, you can move it outside and keep it there for a few days until your pet is house trained.
Kittens are generally faster learners than puppies. Keep in mind though that cats can sometimes start having behavioral problems later in life where they start spraying inside the house. This occurs more commonly in houses where there's more than one cat. It is can be territorial and may sometimes be prevented or alleviated by providing a litter tray for each cat, plus an extra tray. If you intend for your cat to have a litter tray indoors, it is best to make sure it is kept as clean as possible and that it is in a 'private' area, away from the feeding area, where the cat won't be disturbed.
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Puppies
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Kittens
Training Your Puppy
It is never too early to start training your new puppy. At six weeks of age, you can start to teach them to sit, putting gentle pressure on their rump as you say "sit". If they obey, make a huge fuss of them and even consider using edible treats to positively reinforce their behavior. If they don't sit when you tell them too, ignore it. It will take time, you need to be patient with them to get results.Top of Page
Other commands like 'stay' and 'drop' can be taught in this way. Remember to use the correct word for each action you want your pup to learn. It is best to keep to the official commands as then you have the option of going along to puppy training classes after your pup has reached about four months of age. Single syllable words are best anyway as they are easier for your dog to understand as a command.
The other part of training is getting your pup used to things that will happen as they get older. Your pup needs time to get used to wearing a collar and walking on the lead, as well as things like clipping their nails, looking in their ears, between their toes and so on. These are simple actions but some dogs we see need to be sedated to look at their paws or clip their nails because they won't let ANYBODY touch their paws. This sometimes may have been prevented by getting them used to having their paws touched when they were puppies.
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Puppies
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Kittens
Socialization
Top of PageWhen your puppy or kitten is young, it is a very important time for them to
become "socialized" or able to relate to society. It is also the time when their immune system is still very susceptible. See the next sections for details on vaccinations. In summary, it is not safe to take your pup or kitten out and about until 2 weeks after their twelve week vaccination. And yet, when they are below twelve weeks old, they need to be socialized - how can this be done safely?
One thing you can do is take them for car rides - some cats travel well in the car due to the fact that they got used to it when they were little. Often, puppies will get a little car sick but this can be minimized by taking them for short rides when the weather is mild - never take them on a hot day. They are also free to play with other dogs/pups or cats that have been vaccinated in a safe area where other unvaccinated dogs/cats haven't had access - like your backyard. Borrow your friends/relatives dogs ( as long as they are friendly!) and let them have a play. You can also take them out if you can carry them in your arms safely, or put them in a basket to carry them. They just can't go for walks on the ground, except in your backyard, as then they are at risk of sniffing/licking the ground and picking up infections. Some of these infections can even be fatal so it's well worth being very careful for those weeks until it is completely safe.
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Puppies
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Kittens
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Worming and Vaccinations - Puppies
WORMING
Worming your puppy should be done for roundworms every two weeks until they are twelve weeks old. This can be done using syrup or tablets. At twelve weeks, you should start your pup on heartworm prevention. Heartworm is transferred by mosquitoes and the worm then grows in the blood stream and heart of the dog and it can be fatal. It is risky to treat heartworm infestation but it is often successful, and also expensive! It is easy to prevent this from happening so it should be a part of your dogs health program. There are daily tablets and monthly tablets or chewables. Your puppy will be checked for intestinal worms and treated with the appropriate medicine and will be put on a monthly Heartworm Prevention medicine that will also prevent three other kinds of intestinal worms
VACCINATION
Your puppy may have been vaccinated once already as the first vaccination is due at between six and eight weeks old. Never rely on peoples word about this, if there's no vaccination certificate assume it hasn't been done and make sure your pup is vaccinated a few days after you get him/her home if they are at this age. It doesn't hurt to 'double-up' on vaccinations.
The first vaccination is usually for Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus and Corona. Distemper is a neurological disease which is almost always fatal when contracted. Hepatitis is a viral disease that attacks the liver and again can be fatal. Parvovirus and Coronavirus attacks the lining of the stomach and intestines and causes severe diarrhea and vomiting and is sometimes fatal, even after keeping a puppy in the hospital on an intravenous drip and other supportive treatment for several days. If you have ever seen a puppy with any of these diseases, you would never question the value of vaccinations.
The second vaccination is due at twelve weeks of age. This is when you can talk to us about heartworm prevention for your puppy. This vaccination includes Distemper, Hepatitis, Corona and Parvovirus as well as Parainfluenza which is one of the components of a disease in dogs known as "kennel cough". If your dog is at particular risk of kennel cough, a Bordetella component can be added to your dogs vaccination program - ask our staff. If you ever plan to board your dog you need to have a Bordetella Vaccination. Most Boarding Kennels require them. Kennel cough is a highly contagious cough that dogs may pick up from other dogs, either in kennels or at the park. It is caused by bacteria as well as viruses and often needs treatment with antibiotics to prevent it from becoming more serious. At sixteen weeks, a final vaccination is given for Parvovirus and Parainfluenza and Distemper. You should isolate your pup from other dogs until all of the Vaccination series is complete. i.e. don't take them to any public grounds where other dogs frequent. You don't know what sick dog was there an hour ago.
Due to the heavy tick concentration that exists on the shore most dogs that go outside will also be given a Lymes Vaccine.
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Kittens
Worming and Vaccinations - Kittens
Top of PageWORMING
Kittens should be wormed for roundworm 2-3 times from two weeks of age until twelve weeks old. All kittens have worms even though the worms are not always evident. Yearly fecal exams will be done to insure your pet will not be harboring these parasites unknowingly. The feline Monthly Heartworm Preventative also has intestinal worm preventative medicine in it too..
Heartworm in cats has been demonstrated to occur wherever heartworm in dogs occurs and it is especially severe here on the eastern shore even in Inside cats, which is surprising. Your kitten will also be started on a monthly Heartworm prevention medicine.
VACCINATION
Kittens are first vaccinated between eight and Nine weeks of age. This first vaccination is for Feline Respiratory Complex, Feline Distemper and for Feline Leukemia. Feline Respiratory diseases are caused by a variety of viruses and once contracted can keep coming back intermittently throughout the cats life. It is a horrible disease and very contagious to other cats. Distemper is a virus that causes severe diarrhea and vomiting and often is fatal.
The second vaccination is due at 12-15weeks of age, again for Respiratory and Distemper and Feline Leukemia and Rabies.
Worming and Vaccination Regimes -Puppies
Please e-mail Di Miller with any technical problems or queries.
