Puppy Archives - Good Hope Animal Hospital

New Puppy Essentials

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

You brought home a new puppy! Now what?

Congratulations to you and your family! Welcome to the world of pet ownership. If this is your first dog, you will soon come to know the special bond that forms between human and animal. Studies have been done about the many health benefits of the human-animal bond. As long as you carefully foster the relationship, no one will love and respect you as much as a dog.

Many people joke that they’ll try raising a dog before having children. But owning a dog is like having a child that remains in childhood for its entire life. Puppies need constant observation, just like toddlers. As adult dogs, they may need less intense observation. Nevertheless, they still can be quite destructive or suffer dangerous problems if left unsupervised.

We recommend that you schedule a puppy check-up with a veterinarian as soon as possible. Most shelters, breeders, and pet stores require a post-purchase exam within 72 hours of taking home your new puppy. Take any records of your puppy’s deworming and vaccinations. It is also a good idea to write down a list of questions that you may have for your veterinarian.

The veterinarian will examine the puppy to determine if it seems healthy and free of disease. After reviewing past records, a schedule for deworming and future vaccinations will be determined. Puppies need to receive multiple vaccinations until they reach the age of 19 to 20 weeks. You should limit your puppy’s exposure to unknown dogs as well as canine excrement until the pet has completed its vaccination series.

As a newcomer to a human household, your puppy probably is going through many changes that can be very scary and stressful. It is helpful for you to plan for your new companion’s homecoming ahead of time.

A list some of things you will need are:

Food that the puppy has been eating. You can switch the diet over to a brand that you prefer, but you should do this slowly, over a two week period, to prevent stomach upset and diarrhea.
A crate or carrier to be used as a sleeping area and for housetraining, once the puppy is used to it.
Blankets or a lambswool pad for the crate.
A baby gate or multiple gates.
Newspaper or piddle pads.
Food and water bowls, preferably metal.
Anti-chew agents that can be applied to furniture, houseplants, and other household objects.
Appropriate chew toys.
A wide, flat collar that is fitted properly. You will go through a number of these as the puppy grows.
A four-foot leash.
Appropriate grooming tools – a slicker brush, a comb, cotton balls for ear cleaning, and other essentials.

We hope that this is information will help you get started. Keep learning all that you can about your puppy so that you will be prepared to care for it throughout its life.

Why Regular Vaccinations Are Vital To Your Dog’s Health

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

So, your dog was vaccinated as a puppy. Does he really need ongoing vaccinations?

Every puppy that was properly vaccinated needs a yearly vaccine booster for DHLP-P, and, depending on the state laws, a rabies vaccine either yearly or every two to three years. DHLP-P is a multi vaccine that combines protection from several viruses into one.

Most vaccines need to be repeated on a yearly basis because the immunity that the vaccine stimulates declines over time. A vaccine usually contains altered viral antigen that stimulates the dog’s immune system to produce antibodies against the virus. The viral antigen is altered in the vaccine so that it does not cause the actual disease, but it stimulates the immune system to develop defenses against the virus in case of exposure to the disease at a later time.

Some typical ongoing vaccinations for dogs include the following:

DA2LP-P vaccine – contains a combination of Distemper, Adenovirus- type 2 that causes Infectious Canine Hepatitis (liver disease), Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus.
Rabies vaccine – every year to three years depending on the state laws.
Lyme vaccine – usually given yearly, this vaccine is recommended for dogs at high risk of tick exposure. Deer ticks or “hard ticks” can transmit bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, which cause Lyme disease. There is some controversy as to the use and effectiveness of this vaccine. Consult with your veterinarian about vaccinating your dog for Lyme disease.
Coronavirus vaccine- is given to dogs at risk of developing coronavirus and is used when owners want all possible protection against viral diarrhea.
Bordetella vaccine – This vaccine is either given intranasally (drops into the nose) or as an injection under the skin. The intranasal form has been found to provide better immunity. The vaccine helps protect against infectious tracheobronchitis, or kennel cough.

Consult with your veterinarian about your dog’s risk and need for vaccines such as the Lyme, coronavirus, and Bordetella vaccines. The DA2LP-P and Rabies vaccines need to be repeated in all dogs and usually are not optional.

Although some breeders opt to give vaccines themselves, veterinarians do not advocate unlicensed individuals vaccinating animals. Nevertheless, if you are giving vaccines, please be sure that you know how to do so properly. If vaccines are given accidentally into a blood vessel, there can be a severe shock reaction and the dog can die. Also, if vaccines are left out on the shipping dock, not properly refrigerated, or not given correctly, the dog will be inadequately protected from potentially life threatening diseases.

Remember that vaccines are not the entire reason that an animal needs to go the veterinarian annually. A physical exam is critical, because this allows the veterinarian to detect any problems or diseases before it is too late to do anything about them.

Is Your Puppy Still Waking Up At Night?

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

How long will your puppy continue waking up at night?

Owners commonly ask this question during the first two weeks after bringing a puppy into their home. At first, a puppy’s crying or whining is largely due to loneliness, as well as the drastic change in its environment. Remember that the puppy is used to being with its mother and other siblings. It needs about two weeks to bond with you and the family and to establish a routine, so sleeping through the night may not come easily to them.

In addition, young puppies are not physically able to hold their urine for long periods of time. Until the size of its bladder increases and its muscle tone improves, you will need to let your puppy outside to eliminate at least once in the middle of the night. A puppy four months of age or older should be able to hold its urine overnight.

When trying to quiet a whining puppy, a common mistake that new owners make is trying to comfort the animal by talking sweetly or petting it for a few minutes before returning the pet to its crate. This practice teaches the puppy that every time it cries, it will get the attention that it loves. Most puppies will stop whining in 10 to 15 minutes if you give them no response. A few difficult nights of this “tough love” will teach your puppy that bedtime is sleep time.

If the puppy wakes in the middle of the night and becomes fussy, it is probably indicating a need to go to the bathroom. This should be an all-business-and-no-play trip, in order to avoid the puppy waking you up in the future solely for attention. Calmly praise your puppy for doing its bathroom duties in the right place, but do not let it think that this is a time for play, or for lots of attention from you.

Some things that may help your puppy adjust to its new environment include a comfortable crate with padding, a warm water bottle wrapped in a towel or blanket, and a ticking clock or music near its crate. Some people choose to set up the crate next to their own bed, so that the puppy feels more secure.

The Best Way To Clean Up Puppy Pee

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

Does your puppy urinate in the house? Then you may be wondering to best clean up the mess.

Most puppies have at least a few accidents during the housebreaking stage. These need to be thoroughly cleaned up so that the puppy does not return to the same spot in the future. I f your puppy is having many accidents, you should readjust your housebreaking techniques.

The best way to clean up a spot of urine is to soak up as much of it as possible. If the spot is on linoleum or another hard surface, paper towels and disinfectant can be used. If the urine spot is on a rug, cover the spot with a paper towel and some layers of newspaper. You can stand on the spot to draw out as much urine as possible.

Once the urine is soaked up, it is necessary to use an odor neutralizer to eliminate the lingering odor of ammonia. If a dog smells any residual urine odor, it is likely to urinate in the same area again. Many pet stores and veterinarians carry effective urine odor neutralizers.

Remember that your puppy is just like a baby and needs to be monitored at all times. Most puppies will show subtle signs that they need to go to the bathroom prior to having an accident. If you can’t be right there beside your puppy at all times, it should be left in a crate. A dog views a crate as a private den that it will not want to soil with urine or feces.

It is also important to establish a set routine and stick to it every day. Most puppies need to eliminate frequently when they are young, especially after heavy eating or playing. Paper training is used by some owner, but this method should be viewed as a temporary approach to training. Crate training is a much more efficient means of housebreaking a dog.