 If you have been given a playful, pouncing, pup, do you know how to care for it? Do you know about its vaccinations, worming and other health care needs? The information below goes through the basic care of puppies. |
Vaccinations Top
Dogs can be, and should be, vaccinated against the diseases commonly called Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Canine Cough.
Some variation in vaccination schedules exists, but a useful guide is that your pup should be given its first vaccination at six to eight weeks of age and boosters are given at approximately 4 to 6 week intervals until the puppy is 18 to 20 weeks of age. Your vet will most likely use a three-in-one vaccine at the first vaccination, containing distemper, measles and parvovirus strain. The measles component is added to give better protection against distemper. This is necessary because the pup may have immunity from its mother (maternal immunity) which may inactivate the distemper vaccine.
Your vet will usually give the next vaccination at 12 to 14 weeks of age. This is usually a four-in-one vaccination. However, a fifth component can be added too. The four components are to give protection against the diseases distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus and against parainfluenza infections. The fifth component is to give protection against the Bordetella bacterium. The parainfluenza virus and the Bordetella bacterium are the two bugs that cause canine cough.
Typically, your vet will advise that a third vaccination be given at approximately 16 weeks of age, especially if you want to guarantee your pup’s protection against canine cough and parvovirus.
Two new vaccines are also available - leptospirosis and coronavirus. Your vet will advise you of the most suitable vaccination program for your pup.
Heartworm Top
Heartworm disease has been around for years. Thankfully, due to modern heartworm preventive medications, the disease is a lot less common than it used to be.
You should start your pup on heartworm preventive from eight weeks of age. You can choose between the daily medication containing Diethylcarbamazine Citrate (DEC for short) or one of several varieties of monthly heartworm preventatives. Nowadays, most pet owners use the monthly heartworm medications. Many of the monthy preventatives also help to control intestinal worms too.
To make it easier to remember, give your pup its monthly heartworm medication at the beginning or end of each month. Write the month the medication is due onto the foil packaging of the tablet. If you see that the foil is torn, you know you have given your pup its monthly heartwormer.
Even more convenient is the new once-a-year heartworm preventative available from your veterinarian that gives your dog 12 months protection from heartworm disease in one dose. The new Once-A-Year injection is administered by your vet and can be used in all dogs from 3 months of age. Ask your vet which product is most suitable for you and your dog.
Intestinal worms Top
Hookworms and roundworms are the commonest worms found in pups, but they can also become infected with tapeworms and whipworms.
Worms commonly kill puppies, so don’t take the matter too lightly.
Worm your pup when you get it and then every two weeks until it is three months old. From then to six months of age, worm it every month and from six months of age onwards, worm it every three months.
If your pup is on the monthly heartworm preventive that includes an intestinal wormer, then it will help control worm infections. However, the monthly heartworm medications do not kill all the intestinal worms that your pet can suffer from. Therefore, worming every three to six months is still important.
Flea control Top
They’re a hopping nuisance but thankfully flea control is easier nowadays than it used to be. You can use monthly flea control preparations, such as Advantage, Frontline, Sentinel or Revolution and others. Alternatively preparations such as Permoxin Insecticidal Rinse are popular, although they need to be used more regularly.
Ask your veterinarian for more advice.
Diet Top
Feeding your dog a balanced diet is a basic, but important matter. Puppies under three months of age should be fed three to four times per day. This can be reduced to two to three times per day at three months and gradually reduced to twice daily feeding until six months of age.
To ensure you are giving a proper balanced and quality diet, you may want to feed your pup on the ‘super-premium’ pet foods that are available from veterinarians and pet shops.
These foods are highly digestible and balanced for each stage of the animal’s life. Specific diets exist for puppies. The high digestibility means that the volume of faeces produced is small and the faeces are well formed and easy to pick up from the garden.
Training Top
Don’t forget that your puppy will need training to be a well-behaved pooch. You should start training as early as possible. One of the best things you can do with your pup is to take it to a puppy preschool at your local vets or dog training centre.
Puppies are a great joy so be sure this joy lasts by taking good care of your new charge.
Dr Cam Day BVSc BSc MACVSc is a veterinary surgeon, an animal behaviour consultant and media presenter. In 1995 he qualified as a Member of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in the discipline of Animal Behaviour and is one of only 15 veterinarians with this qualification in Australia. He works full time in animal behaviour management in Queensland, consulting with dog, cat and bird owners on a daily basis as well as appearing on air as Brisbane’s radio Pet Vet, and writing for various magazines.
Related Products
- Revolution for Dogs
- Permoxin Insecticidal Spray and Rinse
- Advantage
- Canex Dog and Puppy Wormer
- Eukanuba Puppy Medium Breed Dry Food
- Science Diet Puppy Original Dry Food
- Advance Growth Puppy Dry Food
- Drontal Worming Suspension for Puppies
- Bay-o-Pet Drontal Allwormer for Dogs
- SENTINEL Spectrum
- FRONTLINE* Plus for Dogs
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