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Before You Bring Your Dog Home
Make sure everyone in
the household is prepared to care for your new pet. It will be your
obligation to care for this animal for years to come. You will need
items such as food, bowls for both food and water, leash, collar,
training crate, brush, comb, and chew toys.
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Cage/crate
or playpen |
Food-based
on age, health , species |
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Newspapers |
Toys-based
on age, health , species |
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Towels |
Leash (for
dogs) and collar |
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Food bowl |
Identification Tag(s) |
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Water bowl |
Sanitizer
(bleach and detergent) |
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Nail
clippers |
Pill cutter |
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Brush and
comb |
Litter box
(for cats) |
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Carrier (for
transport) |
13”x 9”x 2”
pan (kittens litter box) |
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Baby gates
(optional) |
Plastic
Grocery Bags (poop patrol) |
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Baby scale
(optional) |
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Patience |
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Feeding
Premium-quality dry good
provides a well balanced diet for your canine. It can be mixed with
broth, water, or canned food. Puppies should be feed two to four times
a day with High-quality brand-name puppy food. Feeding "People Food",
though your canine may love it can lead to health problems such as
vitamin and mineral imbalances, teeth and bone problems, obesity and
will most likely lead to some very picky eating habits. Always have
clean water available at all times for your pet and make sure to wash
food and water dishes frequently.
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8-12 Week Old
Puppies |
Need to be fed four meals a day.
|
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3-6 Month Old Puppies |
Need to be fed three
meals a day. |
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6 Months - 1 Year Old |
Need to be fed two
meals a day. |
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1 Year Old |
Can be fed one meal
a day. |
Exercise
Daily exercise will keep your dog mentally and
physically stimulated. The proper amount of exercise depends on the
age, breed, type, and current health of your dog. If you provide
enough exercise for your dog it will help prevent household
destruction, behavioral problems and improve your dogs overall health.
Grooming
With frequent brushing you can reduce shedding and
matting on your dog and this also help keep him/her cleaner between
baths. Before bathing make sure to brush/comb your dog and remove all
mats from the coat. If bathing a puppy make sure to use a shampoo
designed for them some shampoo's will be to harsh for your puppy, and
could cause irritation. After bathing make sure to rinse thoroughly,
being sure you have all soap out of the coat. On occasion, your pet
may need his or her nails trimmed.
Click Here for a guide on How To Trim Nails by ThePetCenter.com...
Fleas and Ticks
During warm weather check for fleas and ticks
daily. You could use a flea comb to remove fleas you have found on
your dog. Your veterinarian can inform you of various new ways to
control fleas and ticks on your pet.
Housing
OUTSIDE: If your pet will be living or spending a
lot of time outdoors make sure to provide him/her with a covered
shelter. This shelter should be able to protect from rain, and other
elements due to the the
cold/hot
weather. Make sure there is plenty of shade when it is hot where your
dog can cool off. When the weather is cold have a dog house
filled with cedar or some kind of bedding to help aide in keeping
him/her warm. Change this bedding often, making sure it has not become
wet or infested with fleas. And no matter what the weather always have
clean drinking water available for your dog.
INSIDE: Use a training crate inside away from
drafts, place a blanket or dog pillow inside. Make sure to wash the
bedding often You should also change this bedding often, making sure
it has not become wet or infested with fleas.
Identification
Get a lightweight, adjustable collar and attach
identification to collar. Some breeds grow rapidly, so
check the collar weekly to ensure that it
doesn't become too tight.
You should always be able to easily slip two fingers between the
collar and the puppy's neck.
To help insure your dogs safe return if he/she
becomes lost try some of these tips:
Be sure to attach your dogs identification
to his/her collar.
Have your vet Implant a Microchip on your pet Have your vet tattoo your pet
Heartworm
Heartworm Infections Can Be
FATAL!
This is a
parasite that lives in the heart and is passed from dog to dog (cats
are also susceptible) from infected mosquitoes. Have your pet tested
every year to detect any infections from the previous year. You can
protect your pet from heartworms by giving a pill or tablet once a
month. Because we have warm weather much of the year try to keep your
pet on the preventive year round. Discuss with your vet the best
alterative for your pet. Please note some breeds are highly
susceptible to Ivermectin, an ingredient found in some of the
Heartworm Preventatives.
Some of the breeds known to have sensitivity to
Ivermectin are:
(But not limited too)
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Australian Shepherds |
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Collies |
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Shelties |
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Border Collies |
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Old
English Sheepdogs |
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Jack
Russell Terriers |
Though some individual animals that are not members
of these sensitive breeds may also be prone to side effects.
Side Effects May Include:
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Dilated Pupils |
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Drunken Gait |
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Respiratory Paralysis |
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Death |
To be safe you may give your dog the monthly
Interceptor heartworm preventative instead.
Please Consult Your Veterinarian For More
Information
The information and
tips contained on this site should not be used for diagnosis or
treatment. Please consult your veterinarian for specific advice and
treatment of your pet.
Read More on Heartworms
Here
FDA officials concerned about adverse reactions of the
Pro He art 6
shot
View Report
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Care
Worms
There are several types of worms and parasites that
commonly affect dogs. No matter where you live your dog can be
susceptible to infestations. Microscopic eggs produced by intestinal
worms in infected dogs are shed through feces and then passed on to
other animals. Because only a few can be seen in feces an fecal
evaluation by your veterinarian is the only way to diagnose these
parasites. Most puppies, end up carrying roundworms or hookworms. All
puppies should be dewormed by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Tapeworms:
Unlike other intestinal
parasites of the dog or cat, tapeworms do not lay eggs inside the
pet. For that reason, when veterinarians perform fecal floatation's
looking for parasite eggs, tapeworms are often overlooked.
Here are some other ways to determine if your pet
has tapeworms:
Tapeworms CAN be seen by the naked
eye, they appear as
segments stuck
to the hairs around the anus, or in the feces or environment.
Check where your pet sleeps and eliminates. They somewhat resemble a
grain of rice when dry.
To control Tapeworm's you
will need to get rid of the fleas. Consult your veterinarian for more
information on how to effectively rid the flea infestations.
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Care
Ear Mites
These are tiny parasites that live in your pets
ears. They are transmitted from animal to animal. If your pet is
scratching at his/her ears and shaking it's head there may be a Ear
Mite infestation. Make an appointment with you veterinarian to get
his/her ears clean out and medication prescribed.
Spaying or Neutering
Males should be Neutered and Females should be
Spayed by six months of age. Spaying before maturity greatly reduces
the risk of breast cancer ,a fatal disease of older female dogs. It
can also eliminate the risk of an infected uterus (pyometra). By far
one of the best benefits of Spaying is that it protects your pet
from having unwanted litters. Neutering males prevents testicular and
prostate diseases and hernias. And Neutering also aides in the
reduction of unwanted litters.
Visit Here
for more information
Vaccinations
Begin vaccinating your puppy around 2-4 Months of
age. These vaccines will protect your puppy against distemper,
hepatitis, leptorspirosis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. Your
veterinarian will discuss how often the vaccines should be given.
Rabies:
All animals older than 3 months of age should be
vaccinated against Rabies. This should be done yearly according to the
laws of our state.
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