Puppy Care
New puppy? Congratulations!
We are looking forward to meeting your new puppy! And we thank you for considering us to be your puppy’s trusted veterinarians.
Please bring your puppy in for his or her first puppy visit as soon as possible. That way we can make sure your puppy is healthy and start your puppy on the appropriate vaccines and wellness schedule.
What to Expect During Your Puppy’s First Wellness Exam
During your puppy’s first visit, we will examine your puppy to be sure he or she is in good health. We will answer all your questions about caring for your puppy, including the proper food to feed your puppy, behavior and house training issues, or other health topics concerning you. Be sure to ask your breeder or shelter about the food your puppy was eating and keep your puppy on the same food until the first visit with us.
On your first visit, please bring any health records, vaccination records or other paperwork given to you when you received your puppy and a stool (poop!) sample.
Your puppy’s first wellness exam will include:
- A complete physical exam
- A visual dental exam
- Heartworm preventative
- Fecal examination for intestinal parasites and deworming as needed
- Puppy vaccinations. We will discuss with you the recommended vaccination schedule for your puppy
- Parasite prevention, flea/tick control as needed.
- Nutritional counseling
- Microchipping discussion
- Spay/neuter discussion and recommendations
- Answers to your behavioral questions!
Puppies are fun and exciting balls of fur! But they do have a tendency to eat lots of things they shouldn’t or run around and get injured. No matter how much you “puppy proof” your home is, injuries do occur.
Here are some signs that your puppy needs medical care:
- Persistent vomiting
- Persistent diarrhea
- Vomiting and diarrhea at the same time
- Any respiratory problem: coughing, trouble breathing
- Any signs of pain: panting, labored breathing
- Lethargy and/or fever
- Any wound or laceration that’s open and bleeding
- Any animal bite
- Allergic reactions, such as swelling around the face, or hives
- Any eye injury, no matter how mild you may think it is
- Any suspected poisoning, including ingestion of antifreeze, rodent or snail bait, or human medication
- Seizure, fainting, or collapse
- Thermal Stress, either too cold or too hot, even if the dog seems to have recovered
- Trauma, such as being hit by a car, even if the dog seems fine
- Near drowning
Please call us immediately if your puppy is exhibiting any of these symptoms.