Love is a four-legged word

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - A loveable face, soft fur, warm kisses, puppy breath, and sharp teeth are all part of raising a puppy. Puppies can be a handful at times, but then they grow into loving companions who can make everyday a little bit brighter. So what do you need to know about raising a healthy puppy? Here are a few tips from the VCA Woodlands Animal Hospital to help your puppy raising experience be a successful endeavor!

1) Shots begin when your puppy reaches six to eight weeks old. From then on, puppies need vaccinations every 2 to 4 weeks until they are at least 14 weeks old.

2) VCA recommends Science Diet puppy or Royal Canin puppy foods.

Holly Pappas, DVM, Associate Veterinarian at VCA Woodlands Hospital, says this is because “they are the ones that have done and continue to do the most research to make sure that their diets contain exactly what the pet in that life cycle stage needs”.

Pappas also says that there is a lot of misinformation out there in regards to certain pet foods.

“When grains are ground into a flour and cooked, they can be very highly digestible and they can provide essential fatty acids and carbohydrates, and can be very good for skin and hair coat. There are a lot of pet food companies that have very attractive marketing, but no actual research with live animals that proves their food is good for puppies. Hills, the company that makes Science Diet, and Royal Canin have this research”.

3) A common health problem puppies tend to experience is hypoglycemia. You need to make sure to feed your pup four times per day in order to prevent this condition. This is especially true for small breed puppies.

“Puppies can go from a little sick to very seriously sick quickly so if seeing those signs, I don’t recommend any home treatment, just get to the vet,” said Pappas.

4) Starting at about 6 weeks of age, a puppy should be seeing a veterinarian every 3 to 4 weeks. It is recommended that they are spayed/neutered at about 6 months of age. After they reach 6 months old, they need to have vet visits every 6 months for regular checkups.

5) Puppy teething can be difficult. They will chew on anything they can get their little paws on! Make sure to keep several chew toys around that your pup can play with. If they start biting on the wrong thing, take it away and give them a toy. Puppies are teething as their deciduous (baby) teeth are coming in from about 5 to 12 weeks old. Deciduous teeth should be all in by the time they are 12 weeks old. They will begin to teeth again starting at about 13 to 16 weeks. At about 6 to 8 months of age, they should have their full set of adult teeth.

6) We all are aware that summertime in The Woodlands can be quite unpleasant. As the summer heats up, make sure puppies have adequate shade and access to plenty of fresh water. Don’t leave them outside too long without a chance to cool down. On days where the temperature is 85+, puppies should only be outside long enough to use the restroom and get some play time in.

“Owners need to pay attention to what type of puppy they have," said Pappas. "Bull Dogs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Pugs, etc. have bigger issues with the heat than longer nosed dogs like Dobermans and Labrador Retrievers. Also, long haired dogs tend to have more issues with the heat than short haired dogs because the additional fur creates insulation.”

7) Mosquitoes are nasty little bugs, make sure you have a topical medication that repel the critters. Just be sure your puppy is old enough before using those medication to prevent mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks.

8) Most all puppies get intestinal parasites from their mother, so deworming medication is essential for puppies. These intestinal parasites can cause weight loss, anemia, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. Once they are at least seven weeks old, they need to be dewormed and put on a heartworm preventative.

These tips should keep you on the right track in helping you raise a puppy that grows into a loving and healthy companion.