Do all puppies have worms?
Intestinal parasites are very common in puppies. Puppies can become infected with parasites before they are born or later through their mother’s milk. The microscopic examination of a stool sample will usually help us to determine the presence of intestinal parasites. We recommend this exam for all puppies. Even if we do not get a stool sample, we recommend the use of a deworming product that is safe and effective against several of the common worms of the dog. We do this because our deworming medication has no side-effects and because your puppy does not pass worm eggs every day so the stool sample may not detect worms that are present.
Additionally, some of these internal parasites can be transmitted to humans. De-worming is done now and repeated in about three weeks. It is important that it be repeated because the deworming medication only kills the adult worms. Within three to four weeks, the larval stages will become adults and need to be treated. Dogs remain susceptible to re-infection with hookworms and roundworms. Periodic deworming throughout the dog’s life may be recommended for outdoor dogs.
Tapeworms are one of the most common intestinal parasites of dogs. Puppies become infected with them when they swallow fleas; the eggs of the tapeworm live inside the flea. When the dog chews or licks its skin as a flea bite, the flea may be swallowed. The flea is digested within the dog’s intestine; the tapeworm hatches and then anchors itself to the intestinal lining. Therefore, exposure to fleas may result in a new infection. Tapeworm infections can occur in as little as two weeks.
Dogs infected with tapeworms will pass small segments of the worms in their stool. The segments are white in color and look like grains of rice. They are about 1/8 inch (3 mm) long and may be seen crawling on the surface of the stool. They will dry out, shrink to about half their size, and become golden in color.
Tapeworm segments do not pass every day or in every stool sample; therefore, an inspection of the several consecutive bowel movements may be needed to find them. We may examine a stool sample in our office and not find them, and then you may find them the next day, if you find them at any time please notify us so we may provide the appropriate drug treatment.
What should I feed my puppy?
There are lots of choices of dog foods. Diet is extremely important during the growing months of a dog’s life. We recommend a VETERINARY RECOMMENDED NAME-BRAND FOOD made by a national dog food company (not a generic or local brand) and a diet MADE FOR PUPPIES. This should be fed until your puppy is about twelve to eighteen months of age, depending on its breed and size. We recommend that you only buy food that has been certified by an independent organization as complete and balanced. In the United States, you should look for food that has been certified by AAFCO, an independent organization that oversees the entire pet food industry. It does not endorse any particular food, but it will certify that the food has met the minimum requirements for nutrition. In Canada, look for foods approved by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).
Feeding dry dog chows are preferred. The label should state that the food is intended for growth (or is a puppy food) and is “complete and balanced”. This means that the food is nutritionally complete and meets the needs of growth and development. Each of the types of food has advantages and disadvantages. Dry food is definitely the most inexpensive. It can be left in the dog’s bowl without drying.
Table foods are usually not recommended. Because they are generally very tasty, dogs will often begin to hold out for these and not eat their well-balanced dog food. If you choose to give your puppy table food, be sure that at least 90% of its diet is good quality commercial puppy food.
We enjoy a variety of things to eat in our diet. However, most dogs actually prefer not to change from one food to another unless they are trained to do so by the way you feed them. Do not feel guilty if your dog is happy eating the same food day after day, week after week.
Commercials for dog food can be very misleading. If you watch carefully you will notice that commercials often promote dog food on the basis of TASTE. Nutrition is rarely mentioned. Most of the “gourmet” foods are marketed to appeal to owners who want the best for their dogs; however, they do not offer the dog any nutritional advantage over a good quality dry food, and they are far more expensive. If you read the labels of many of the gourmet foods, you will notice that they do not claim to be “complete and balanced”. If your dog eats gourmet food very long, it will probably not be happy with other foods. If it needs a special diet due to health problems later in life, it is very unlikely to accept it. Avoid gourmet and other foods, which contain dyes. Dyes can be irritating to the GI tract and cause diarrhea or vomiting.
How often should I feed my puppy?
There are several “right” ways to feed puppies. The most popular method is commonly called “meal feedings”. This means that the puppy is fed at specific times of the day. A measured amount of food should be offered four times per day for five to 12-week old puppies. What is not eaten within thirty minutes is taken up. If the food is eaten within three to four minutes, the quantity is not sufficient. Puppies fed in this manner generally begin to cut back on one of those meals by three to four months of age and perhaps another one later. If a certain feeding is ignored for several days it should be discontinued.
“Free choice feeding,” means that food is available at all times. This works well with dry foods and for some dogs. However, other dogs tend to overeat and become obese. If there is weight gain after the optimal size is reached, this method of feeding should be discontinued.
How do I housebreak my new puppy?
Housebreaking should begin as soon as your puppy enters his new home. How long the training must continue depends on both the puppy and you. Some pups learn sooner than others. Your dog wants to please you. But a puppy’s memory is short, so your patience is important. A home with a poorly trained puppy is not a happy home for you or the puppy.
The puppy’s bed may be a box, open at one end and slightly larger than the puppy’s. If the bed is too large, the puppy may defecate or urinate in a corner rather than go outside. If the bed is smaller, the puppy will do its “business” outside rather than soil its bed.
Enclose the bed in a smaller area, such as a laundry room. Cover this area with newspapers to be used at night, or when your pup is left unsupervised.
A common housebreaking technique is creating a “scent post”. A scent post is created when your puppy has an “accident.” The problem becomes one of locating the scent post in the place you want it.
To create a scent post, leave a smear of stool from the last “accident” or wet paper, on the clean paper in the place you want it, and coax or scoot the puppy to that area. The same is true of an outside scent post, but without the paper, in an out-of-the-way place in the yard. This will solve the “mine-field” problem.
The first thing in the morning, the puppy should be scooted to the scent post. This is so he can learn his way to the door and the scent post. Let him sniff about. The moment he has relieved himself, pat him on the head and immediately bring him into the house. Do not let him play about. The toilet period and play period should be separate from the puppy’s routine.
The puppy should then be fed. In a short while, the puppy will become uneasy and walk in circles sniffing at the floor. The puppy should then be scooted and coaxed to the scent post as quickly as possible.
This routine should be repeated every hour or two throughout the day, especially after meals and naps.
When the puppy is taken out to play, it is wise to leave the house by another door and avoid taking him near his scent post. Never play with your pup until after he has been taken out and has eliminated.
There will of course be some “accidents” in the house. Never let one of these slip by unnoticed; punishment five minutes after the offence is too late. Scold (not whip) the puppy and rush him to the scent post. Then scrub the area of mishap thoroughly until all odor is gone. Your veterinarian will recommend cleaning products that will help neutralize any scent from urination or defecation.
Positive reinforcement of proper urine and bowel habits is just as important as a properly applied discipline. When your puppy urinates and defecates in the correct place, spend several minutes stroking and praising him.
Can I trim my puppy’s sharp toenails?
Puppies have very sharp toenails. They can be trimmed with your regular toe or fingernail clippers or with nail trimmers made for dogs and cats. If you take too much off the nail, you will cut into the “quick” and bleeding and pain will occur. If this happens, neither you nor your dog will want to do this again. Therefore, a few points are helpful.
If your dog has clear or white nails, you can see the pink of the quick through the nail. Avoid the pink area, and you should be out of the quick.
If your dog has black nails, you will not be able to see the quick so only cut 1/32” (1 mm) of the nail at a time until the dog begins to get sensitive. Then sensitivity will usually occur before you are into the blood vessel. With black nails, it is likely that you will get too close to at least one nail.
If your dog has some clear and some black nails, use the average clear nail as a guide for cutting the black ones.
When cutting nails; use sharp trimmers. Dull trimmers tend to crush the nail and cause pain even if you are not in the quick.
You should always have styptic powder available. This is sold in a pet store under several trade names, but it will be labelled for use in trimming nails.
The latest in pet identification and retrieval is a microchip. This tiny device is implanted with a needle so the process is much like getting an injection. Veterinary hospitals, human societies and animal shelters across the country have microchip scanners used to detect the presence of a microchip and you cat’s unique identification. A national registry assists in the return of pets that have a microchip throughout the United States and Canada. We strongly recommend that all pets receive a microchip as a permanent form of identification.
My puppy seems to be constantly chewing. Why does this occur?
Chewing is a normal puppy behavior. Almost all of a puppy’s 28 baby teeth are present by about four weeks of age. They begin to fall out at four months of age and are replaced by the 42 adult (permanent) teeth by about six months of age. Therefore, chewing is a puppy characteristic that you can expect until about six to seven months of age. It is important that you do what you can to direct your puppy’s chewing toward acceptable objects. You should provide puppy-safe items such as nylon chew bones and other chew toys so other objects are spared.
My puppy has episodes of hiccupping and a strange odor to its breath. Are these normal?
Yes. Many puppies experience episodes of hiccupping that may last several minutes. This is normal and will not last but a few weeks or months. All puppies have a characteristic odor on their breath that is commonly called “puppy breath”. It is also normal and will last only until the puppy matures.
These care standards help us provide a safe, organized, and respectful veterinary experience for every pet and family we serve. By setting clear expectations for appointments, safety, vaccinations, and payment, we can focus on what matters most — delivering exceptional care and support for your companion.