ALL

SO YOU HAVE A NEW PUPPY!
You have just purchased a new puppy. Now you have a new “baby” and of course you
want that baby to grow up to be a healthy playful little bundle of joy. BUT there are
certain things that you need to know and do to make this happen. In the following
paragraphs, I have tried to cover the basics of how to care for a new puppy and some
information that may save your baby’s life in an emergency situation. I will also try to
educate you too be observant so you may meet the need of even the tiniest of our little
puppies.
One of the biggest mistakes I have observed when some people purchase a new
puppy, is they immediately have to take it visiting to show it off. NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!
Take your puppy straight home and try your very best to keep it there until it has
adjusted to it’s new surroundings and it’s new “parents”. Don’t do anything that
stresses the puppy out. Don't leave it alone to cry either, if it is put into some sort of
pen and allowed to “cry itself to sleep” , you may awake to a dead puppy. This can
cause great stress. Keep the pen near you, maybe by your bed, so your puppy won't
feel alone and maybe you can at least hang your arm over the bed into its pen. Your
puppy has never been alone before!
If you take your puppy to the Vet keep your puppy in a crate or in your lap. Do not let it
play on the floor or furniture and most certainly do not allow it to socialize with other
animals that may be in the office at the same time. Where do all people take sick
dogs? To the Vet!! Where is the best place to pick up germs or contract disease?
Naturally, it is where everyone takes sick dogs. TO THE VET!!!.
Now I love my Vet. But then he knows what is best for my animals. But please note:
ALL VETS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!!! All of them do not have the welfare of our
animals as their number one priority. If they are pushing too much a once, find a new
vet! Remember, the dog is yours and the Vet is supposed to be working for you. You
ALWAYS should have the right to say “NO” if you think anything they suggest doing is
unreasonable. Some of them are more interested in how high they can run that bill
instead of what is the best thing for your animal. More than one shot should never be
given within a 3 week period. Nor should there be multiple shots given on any one
visit. Your little puppy’s immune system just can not stand it. Remember, you can
always make another trip later. Find out what shots your puppy has been given before
you picked it up and what shots will be due to come later, make sure you take your
shot record with you to the vet. If the Vet you choose says your puppy will have to be
started on it’s shots all over again even after you show him the shot record and that
they were already given, walk out that door. There are many other Vets out there that
puts the welfare of your animal before the lining of their pockets with your money. If in
doubt, ask around until you find someone that your feel comfortable with taking on
your new baby.

It is a very good idea to confine a small puppy in a pen (like a baby playpen) when you
are not able to keep your eye on it. That way, the puppy stays safe and can't get lost.
Others will not step on it, or let it out the door, and it will not lose track of where it is in
the big house and get lost! A tiny puppy can very easily forget where to go potty or
where its food and water is in your house or apartment. At night you can leave the pen
on the floor beside your bed, you should set it up so there is a bed at one end and
potty pads at the other. Along with food and water at all times. Make sure you chose a
water dish that can not tip over if the puppy walks in it. They also have to go potty
during the night. Do not put very small puppies in bed with yourself or your small
children. They will attempt to move as far away from where they have to sleep to
relieve themselves and could fall off the bed and break bones.
Puppies have no concept of heights. They will walk right off the edge of any furniture if
they are left unattended. So please warn children not to play with them on the sofa or
the bed. Play with them on the floor for their own safety. Do not let them jump off of
any high place such as couches, or beds, or other furniture. If your children hold the
puppy, please make sure they are sitting down, puppies can be very wiggly.
If you would like to give your puppy a bath, use baby soap or if you suspect fleas, use
Dawn dish soap. Be very careful not to get water or soap in the eyes or nose. Do not
use any fleas preparations on a young puppy without consulting your vet.
Feeding
If you were caring for a human baby your would be feeding it every few hours and
constantly changing it’s diaper and keeping the environment clean. Same thing for a
new puppy. Whatever food was recommended to you by the breeder at the time of
purchase should be fed for at least the first few weeks so as not to “stress” the puppy
any more than necessary. Mix a little of the canned with the dry (after the dry has
been soaked in water to make it soft) and a bowl of fresh water, all 24 hours. In a few
weeks, you can stop the moistening of the food, when you are sure your puppy can
eat the dry by itself . It is very important that your puppy eat at least every 5-6 hours,
day AND NIGHT! You need to watch and make sure it is eating. Don’t just assume it is
eating. Depending on the age and size of the puppy, it is wise to keep food and clean
water for it 24 hours a day until it shows sign of being capable of going longer lengths
of time without being fed. I leave the food down 24 hours for all my puppies. It may be
necessary to wet the food and add baby food (choose a meat) for added flavor to
encourage the puppy to eat better. If your puppy will not eat, you need to call me
immediately. The main subject here is DON’T change the puppy’s diet or eating
routine too abruptly. The smaller the puppy, the more times a day it has to be fed. You
have to remember that because of the small stomachs, they have to eat much more
often just to sustain themselves. NEVER confine a small puppy for any length of time
with no food or water. Puppies also have to eat and drink during the night time hours
just to sustain themselves. Make sure you get up at least once during the middle of the
night to check on your puppy and make sure it gets up to eat. NEVER FEED YOUR
PUPPY TABLE FOOD! Except: if you puppy is not eating good enough, you can give it
some boiled chicken, cut up very very small, or cooked ground beef, also chopped up
very small. This will entice it to eat more, but your puppy can also be easily spoiled
and not want to go back to puppy food, so be careful!

Coccidia
This is an “opportunist protozoa” that lives in the bowels of all dogs. ALL DOGS carry
Coccidia. But something has got to weaken the immune system of an animal for the
protozoa to have an opportunity to take hold and start multiplying. That “something” is
usually stress of one kind or another. Coccidia is usually accompanied by a loose,
stinky stool that can even have streaks of bloody mucus in it. Some Vets will explain
Coccidia to their clients by saying the animal is loaded with parasites. This is
sometimes interpreted by that client that the animal has worms. Coccidia is not exactly
a parasite but can be just as hard to get rid of. A daily supply of yogurt prevents
Coccidia from getting a foot hold as it keeps a good balance of bacteria in the G.I.
tract. So long as good bacteria exists in an ample supply in the gut, Coccidia can not
grow. Coccidia is shed in the stool like a virus. If the animal is not shedding it when a
stool sample is taken, the animal can be misdiagnosed as being free of the protozoa. If
your puppy is put on antibiotic of any sort, feed yogurt to replenish the good bacteria
that is killed off by the antibiotic. It will in not way affect the antibiotic form completing it’
s job but may save your animal from secondary infections caused by the imbalance of
good bacteria.
When Coccidia does exist in the GI Tract of your puppy, it can easily spread through
the system and into the lungs and if unchecked, it can cause pneumonia and
eventually death. The first sign of Coccidia is usually a lack of eating properly
accompanied by a loose stinky stool and sometimes escalating into bouts of
hypoglycemia. Coccidia should never be allowed to progress to a point that the puppy’
s life is threatened. If your puppy shows signs of this disease, immediately seek
professional advice and treatment.
If you notice your puppy having diarrhea you should get it to the vet immediately, not
tomorrow, but today. A tiny puppy can die from diarrhea, due to dehydration, very
quickly. You should get it to the vet immediately for any behavior changes.

YOUR NEW PUPPY!!!