1.         VACCINATIONS:      - first vaccination at 6-8 weeks of age.

2.         WORMING:              - from two weeks of age.

3.         DESEXING:              - at six months of age.

4.         FEEDING:                - a planned and balanced diet.

VACCINATIONS

PARVO, DISTEMPER and HEPATITIS.  These three viral diseases are "killers" so it is important to protect your pup by an injection.  The younger your pup is, the more likely it will die if it gets PARVO.  It is very important to give your pup its first vaccination at six to eight weeks of age, followed by booster vaccinations.

GET YOUR PUP VACCINATED AS SOON AS YOU GET IT!! 

NORMAL VACCINATION COURSE

First vaccination                          - 6-8 weeks of age.

Second vaccination                     - twelve weeks of age.

We recommend further vaccinations be given yearly to adult dogs.    

WORMING

Worms can cause poor health and even death in young pups.  No matter how well bred and hygienically they are reared, all pups get worms.  To control worms, you must start worm treatment early (at two weeks of age) and repeat it regularly.  

NORMAL WORMING GUIDELINE

Worm at two, four, six, eight and ten weeks of age.

Then at three, four, five, six, nine and twelve months of age.

Adult dogs require worming twice a year.

Make sure you use a good quality worm treatment and weigh your pup to ensure the correct dose.  

DESEXING

FEMALES

Your pup will have her first heat between six and eight months of age (smaller dogs mature earlier).  They can (and will) get pregnant at this stage.  The best way to avoid unwanted pregnancies is to have your pup speyed.  Speying removes the ovaries and uterus so she will not come into heat and breed again.  We recommend that she is speyed before her first heat (at around six months of age), as this minimizes the risk of mammary tumours developing in the future.

There is no proven advantage in allowing a bitch to complete her first heat cycle, or to breed.  

Desexed animals have a different metabolic rate to entire animals so it is a good idea to reduce the amount you feed your dog by about a quarter or one-third after her spey operation to maintain a good weight.

MALES

Your pup will start to wander in search of female dogs on heat from about six months of age.  (This is a major cause of road accident traumas.)  To prevent this, he should be castrated at six to eight months of age.  Older dogs can still be castrated but there may be less effect on wandering and aggressive behaviour than in those castrated at an earlier age.  Once again after surgery reduce the amount fed to your dog by about a quarter or one-third to maintain a healthy weight.

THE SURGERY

Both speying and castration are performed under general anaesthetic so we require your dog to stay with us for the day.  Dogs are admitted to the clinic between eight am and nine am in the morning and can go home that afternoon.  Do not feed your dog after 7.00am the night before surgery or give any fluids on the day of surgery.  They will have stitches which need to be removed in ten days.  Phone the clinic (858-9060) to book now.

FEEDING

Your pup will grow quickly between weaning and six months of age.  It is important to provide high quality food at this stage.  Canned and dry foods especially for puppies are available eg. Champ, Pal, Hills, Eukanuba tinned and dry puppy foods.  With these specially formulated diets extra Calcium (Bonegro) is not required.  Give your pup large shank or brisket bones with no loose or sharp pieces.  These are great for the teeth as well as for entertaining your pup.  Avoid chicken and fish bones or any small bones which could be swallowed or splintered.

Young puppies need four meals per day as their stomachs are so small.  Over the following months the amount you feed your pup will increase but you won't need to feed as often.  At six-eight months your pup will require only two feeds per day and adult foods can be started.  

Remember by law, any sheep or goat meat and all offal must be frozen for ten days or very thoroughly cooked, before you can feed it to your dog. This is to prevent the spread of sheep measles (a dog tapeworm).  

TRAINING

We strongly recommend that you enroll your pup into puppy school because pups between 8 and 12 weeks are at their peak within regards to learning new behaviours.

The aim of puppy school is to produce well mannered pets that are a joy to have in your family.