You and Your New Puppy

So you’ve decided to get a new puppy and add a wonderful four-legged member to your family, how exciting! Whether you are purchasing a puppy from a qualified breeder or adopting from a local shelter, this is a joyous decision that also bears a bit of consideration and responsibility. My hope is to provide you with all the information you need to make the best decisions for this new edition before and after they become a part of your home. 

Not all dogs, more specifically puppies, are the same. Some things you may want to consider are temperament, activity level, grooming requirements, cost of routine and non-routine care, social needs, and breed-specific predispositions. Some of these are known before taking the puppy home, and some can only be guessed but it is important to research appropriately before committing to a new puppy. Hill’s Science Diet is just one of the many resources to provide breed information to help your decision!

Typically, characteristics are more predictable in a purebred dog. A good place to start is with the type of dog you are interested in! Dogs come in all shapes and sizes ranging from toy breeds, our most petite dogs, to working and herding dogs who enjoy being challenged, to giant breed dogs that can be larger than a miniature horse when full grown! It can be hard to narrow down the choice when there are so many wonderful, different breeds out there but the important thing to remember is to not just go for looks alone! Some of the most striking and beautiful breeds of dog come with difficult personalities and additional challenges that do not fit the needs of every owner. One example is the Siberian Husky. This breed of dog is inarguably beautiful to look at and gained significant popularity after the HBO series Game of Thrones was released. Many viewers sought out a dog resembling the fantastical “dire wolf” but unfortunately, did not understand the demands of the type of dog. 

“The classic northern dogs, Siberian huskies are friendly and intelligent but somewhat independent and stubborn. They thrive on human company, but need firm, gentle training from puppyhood…Particularly in warm weather, Siberian huskies can be diggers because they like to create cool places to lie.”  -Hillspet.com 

Ultimately, our dog shelters became overpopulated with this breed as people found them overwhelming and not suited for their lifestyle. 

Though not every dog falls within the breed standard, there is a good general guideline for what to expect when you purchase a puppy through a reputable breeder. I would encourage you to choose a breeder that is AKC certified, particularly those who are part of the Breeder Merit program. The AKC (American Kennel Club) is an association that guides the dog breeder industry with breed standards, proper adherence to screening for congenital defects, such as hip dysplasia, and holds breeder’s to appropriate standards of care of their breeding animals and litters. Once you have found a breeder that is AKC certified, the next step is to meet them in person, ask questions about the health of their adult dogs, previous litters, vaccine practices and any other aspects involved with puppy rearing. It is very important to ensure that the breeder you chose takes care of their breeding dogs as you intend to care for your puppy. This includes staying current on vaccinations, parasite prevention, clean birthing and living environments and well-rounded nutrition.

If you are planning on adopting a puppy from a local shelter or rescue organization, some of these breed considerations are not necessarily applicable, and that is okay! You are doing a wonderful thing by adopting a young dog in need and giving them a loving home. You can still ask similar questions of the rescue organization or shelter as mentioned above about vaccination status, the health of the mother dog and other personality traits the rescue workers have been able to discern so far. Once they are a little older, things like DNA testing can give you insight to the breeds that have been blended together to create your new edition and perhaps shed some light on potential breed medical predispositions and personality traits. 

Your First Week

Now, you have made your choice and brought this wonderful new life into your home. Welcome to puppy parenthood! Most puppies will be between the ages of 8-12 weeks when you bring them home. It is recommended that puppies stay with their littermates and mother for a minimum of 8 weeks, and honestly, the longer the better! From 6-14 weeks of age, puppies undergo both canine and human socialization periods. It is important for their long term behavioral health to have interactions with other dogs at an earlier age to learn normal social cues. Once in your home, there are safe ways to continue this education for a puppy including play dates with fully vaccinated, healthy adult dogs in your home, puppy classes with other known healthy pets and exposure to other people in your home. It is important to limit contact with the general public and larger populations of dogs until you have visited the vet and discussed risks of exposure to disease prior to vaccines.

Within the first week, it is important to start to understand what is normal for your individual puppy. With all the change that comes with going to a new home, there will need to be some time for your puppy to adjust to the new surroundings. It may take a little time for them to feel comfortable around you. Things that can help with the transition are creating a safe space, such as a crate or playpen, for your puppy to have access to when they are feeling overwhelmed. This encourages them to become comfortable with these types of spaces which ultimately will keep them safe when you are sleeping or not home.

Another part of the transition is the diet decision. Continuing the diet the rescue/breeder has been offering is an easy way to reduce potential stomach upset that can be caused by a rapid food change. If you want to transition your puppy’s diet, it is recommended to do it slowly over the course of one week, mixing in the new food with the original to ensure no vomiting and diarrhea. The most trusted canine food brands from veterinarians are Purina, Hill’s Science Diet  and Royal Canin. Food such as home-cooked meals and raw/freeze-dried diets are generally not recommended as they lack important nutrients and are not always safe for human handling or animal consumption. In conjunction with food, make sure to have plenty of fresh water available at all times for your growing pup. They are still learning how to lap up water properly and will tend to drink more frequently than adult dogs!

The first week is also the best time to visit your veterinarian! If you have any previous records from the breeder/rescue/previous veterinarians, you can send them ahead of time or bring them with you to your appointment to help establish the best timeline and preventative care plan for your new edition. 

Your First Vet Visit

Your first visit with your new pup can definitely be a little overwhelming!  My hope is to highlight the key preventative medicine takeaways while knowing every veterinarian has variations to their puppy protocols. Luckily, you will see your primary care veterinarian a few times within the first few months of ownership, allowing for you to stockpile those questions as your puppy grows and matures!

Vaccinations

The first topic of course is vaccinations. It is recommended that every puppy receives at minimum the CORE vaccine series that has been standardized by the American Animal Hospital Association, known as AAHA (2022 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines). There are a variety of other vaccines that your veterinarian may recommend based on the region you live in, planned activities with your pet (hiking or camping perhaps?!) or if you plan to have your puppy go to daycare or boarding. Depending on the age of your pup, and previous vaccine history, you may or may not start with the vaccine series at your first visit. But first, let’s backtrack just a little to understand why we vaccinate the way we do!

Vaccinations are an important part of any puppy’s wellness journey as it is the way in which we help develop their immune system to protect against deadly disease. When puppies are born, they have an immature immune system and are initially only protected by their mother’s immunity. This is delivered to the babies in the form of colostrum, antibody rich milk that is produced within the first hours of delivery. These antibodies are the powerhouses of the immune system that help protect against viruses, bacteria, etc. but this protection lasts for a limited time of 6-14 weeks. The timing of vaccinations is a balancing act between the lingering passive immunity received from mom’s milk and the ability for the puppy to start generating their own disease fighting proteins. If a vaccine is administered and some maternal antibodies are still circulating in your puppy, the vaccine will neutralize/use up those that are existing, as opposed to encouraging the immune system to generate its own response. The best chance we have at creating responders in all of our patients is to give vaccine boosters every 2-4 weeks and cover the entire window of potential loss of maternal immunity. The bonus of the booster vaccines is the exponentially greater response in the puppy’s immune system each time it is administered, ensuring that they will be properly protected from the diseases we are vaccinating for. 

Now, knowing that we have a significant window of time to cover, most veterinarians recommend starting vaccines at 8 weeks of age with boosters every 3-4 weeks until past the age of 16 weeks. Here in the state of California, the Rabies vaccine in particular isn’t recommended until 16 weeks of age to ensure that every puppy will have immunity against this deadly disease. Other diseases that we routinely vaccinate against are those within the CORE series. These include canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus, canine hepatitis, canine parainfluenza virus, Bordetella bronchiseptica (upper respiratory disease) and Rabies virus. These diseases may be contained in one individual vaccine, e.g. Bordetella and Rabies, or can be administered in combination with multiple virus protection offered from one vaccine , e.g. DHPP (distemper-hepatitis-parvo-parainfuenza viruses). Other vaccines that are considered NON-CORE, but regionally important, include Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Leptospirosis and canine influenza virus. As you can see, it is invaluable to discuss lifestyle, potential travel plans, and other details of your life with your new edition to ensure that the best custom vaccine plan can be tailored for you and your puppy by your veterinarian!

When discussing vaccines, it is important to remember that there can be potential adverse effects to vaccinations. Veterinarians do all they can to mitigate the risk of a vaccine reaction, for example, administering only one vaccine at the first visit if the puppy is less than 10 pounds, but this a reality of vaccines. Commonly, like with people, we can see soreness at the injection site, lethargy, and a mild fever, though this is usually transient and self-resolving within 24 to 48 hrs. The benefits significantly outweigh the risks, particularly in these young patients but having an understanding of what a mild, moderate, or severe reaction entails will help you be prepared for what help to seek if needed. 

Mild Reaction: Generalized hives, swollen muzzle

Moderate Reaction: Severe lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea

Severe Reaction: Anaphylaxis – collapse, shock, possible GI signs, difficulty breathing

If any of these reactions are to occur, it is recommended to return to your veterinarian right away for assessment and treatment. If your primary care veterinarian is no longer open, then finding your nearest emergency veterinary clinic for evaluation is recommended. 

Parasites

The next topic of importance at your first puppy exam is parasites (ew!). There are a variety of both internal and external parasites, also known as endo and ectoparasites, that we are concerned about finding, treating and preventing in your puppy.  Starting with endoparasites, there are multiple places in the body that these can be found but most commonly screening is done through stool. Fecal samples are sent to the lab to screen for visible parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms as well as microscopic parasites such as Giardia spp. Your puppy may have no clinical signs of infestation with intestinal parasites or symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite, pot-bellied appearance may occur. Since there can be no signs of parasites, every puppy should have a fecal screening and should receive two separate rounds of broad spectrum antiparasitic treatments to ensure no parasites were missed in that fecal sample. Another internal parasite we are concerned with canine patients is the heartworm. This is a blood-borne parasite that is transmitted via mosquito bite or across the placenta in utero. You cannot screen a puppy for heartworm disease as it takes 6 months to manifest a positive response, but a heartworm preventative can be started early on in puppyhood. This is the best way to prevent contraction of this deadly parasite. 

Moving on to the ectoparasites, the most common being the tiny little flea. Flea infestations can cause itchiness, secondary skin infection, discomfort and even life-threatening anemia (they like to eat blood!). Fleas also harbor infectious diseases that can be transmitted to your puppy, so flea treatment and preventatives are very important to their overall health. Keeping your puppy on consistent prescription flea preventative is the only true way to keep fleas off your pup and out of your home. Though they are more lively in warmer climates, fleas can survive many harsh weather conditions, so “summer only” treatment is not the way to go! 

The other major external parasite of concern is the tick. There are a variety of species and depending on the legion you live in, and each different species carries different blood borne pathogens. For example, Lyme disease is carried by the deer tick which is very prominent in the Northeast region of the US. In California, we see tick-borne diseases such as Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, both of which can cause life-threatening anemia and illness. Luckily, veterinarians have access to a large selection of broad spectrum parasite preventatives, both topical and oral, that will help prevent all of these internal and external parasites alike. Work with your vet to find the right preventative for you, your family and your puppy!

Other things that are likely on the agenda for your first visit include socialization with your puppy, including touching toes, ears and teeth to allow them to be confident and comfortable with veterinary exams, the starting of a toothbrushing regime (even with those sharp puppy teeth!), a review of the places not to visit until fully vaccinated, timing of a spay or neuter as well as microchipping, heaven forbid your puppy ever got separated from you!

Planning for the Future

The last topic I will speak to about your new four-legged friend is the importance of pet insurance! Pet insurance is gaining popularity and it is something that can ultimately save you a lot of heartache by removing the financial burdens of emergency treatments for your new puppy. When your pup is young and healthy, this is the opportune time to apply for pet insurance as they will not likely have any “pre-existing conditions” that could be excluded from their lifelong coverage. There are a lot of new companies out there and each provides varying levels of coverage, ranging from emergencies only to covering all wellness/preventative care and everything in between! Do your research, find the plan that best suits your puppy’s needs as well as your budget. After having worked in emergency medicine, I have unfortunately seen many bills over $10,000 and having to grapple with that large of a financial burden as well as what is in the best interest of your beloved pet is heart wrenching. Even as a veterinarian myself, I have had pet insurance for my animals to ensure that I can provide for them all the care that they may need for whatever illness or accident may occur. 

Bringing a new puppy into your home is a wonderful adventure, and the start of an incredible bond that is unlike any other. I hope this can help you in your preparations for your future additions and make the transition into dog ownership that much easier! Below are some links to additional information for puppy rearing for you to continue your education!

Cheers, 

Dr. Gundy

Additional Helpful Resources:

Additional Puppy Socialization Information

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/puppy-socialization/

Puppy Nutrition Guidance

https://www.petfoodinstitute.org/blog/preparing-puppy-get-facts-puppy-nutrition/

More Information on Why We Vaccinate Puppies the Way We Do

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/vaccines-for-dogs

Pet Insurance Information

https://petinsuranceinfo.com/pet-health-insurance/compare-providers