General Guide to Puppy Health Care
Puppy care is a full time job, and your puppy's health care is specifically important part of that job. Especially in the first few weeks of bringing him home. He is still a little baby, but very excitable and very brave.
It's up to you to make sure he remains safe in your home and when you eventually venture out in the world for walks.
Your first responsibility is to take him to your vet for his initial checkup. This will flag up any ailments, and it gives you the opportunity to ask the vet a lot of questions:
Pay attention to the answers given to you at that stage. If you feel you might forget something, take your printed questions with you and write the answers down. Don't worry, no one will think your weird – they might think you care a lot for your puppy though.
Once you're don with the visit to the vet, and after you've booked the rest of your vaccinations, and have got the answers to your questions, time to get back into your everyday life with your puppy.
There are two sides to puppy health care – the mental and the physical.
Puppy's Mental Health Care
The mental well-being of your puppy is just as important as his physical health. You need to make sure he feels loved and happy. Take care not to let him feel bored too often, and avoid leaving him alone for too long at a time, as this can create all sorts of puppy behavior problems later on.
In fact, I advise people not to take on a puppy if they feel their lifestyle is already draining a lot of their time away from home. You wouldn't leave a baby alone for a whole day - why would you think it's OK to do it with a puppy. Also, consider the different dog breeds if you're unsure of which puppy will suit you most.
A winning formula for making sure your puppy is mentally cared for, is to remember these 3 points below, and to try and stick by them all the time:
- Be patient and consistent in your demands and teachings.
- Praise him and reward him with treats, his favorite toy, and love, every time he does something good, and every other time you can think of a good reason to do it.
- Remember that he's just a little puppy (and then a dog) – he doesn't do things to spite you. He may do naughty things out of boredom, because he doesn't know any better, or just because he doesn't understand the meaning of words (just what they associate to).
Puppy's Physical Health Care
No one likes to think of the possibility of their puppy falling ill, but you should at least educate yourself on how to spot if something goes wrong. Here are a few points to help you look after your puppy's health:
- DO dog proof your home and garden before you bring your puppy home.
- DO book your routine vaccinations upfront and keep to them 'till they are done.
- DO keep up with the grooming requirements:
- shampoo at least 2ice a month,
- clean ears,
- clean teeth at least 2-3 times a week,
- brush coat to avoid matting,
- DO get pet insurance to at least cover accidents and emergencies – this will give you peace of mind.
- Study and learn your puppy's normal behavior and the state of his little body. This is one of THE most important points – if you know how he is when he's healthy, you'll instantly spot when something's wrong.
- DO a full body health care check on him at least once a week. I mean – feel his body for unusual lumps or bumps, for fleas, skin disorders. Check his ears to see if they are clean. Check his gums, his paws, tail… Routine checkups will alert you to any puppy health care problems early enough to take care of them before they develop into something big.
- DO keep your vet's number handy. Your vet is your support in taking good care of your puppy and consequently – your dog. So don't be afraid to call him and ask him when you are at all unsure.
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