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Pre-Surgical Information
Spaying or neutering your pet is a big step! There is a lot to consider
when we are planning your pet’s surgery. Here is some information to help
you make wise decisions.
Click here . . .
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Special LibraryOur Special Library
is a collection of informative articles on a variety of health topics.
Click here . . .
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Discharge InstructionsClick here for
information on how to care for your pet at home.
Click here . . .
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Puppy Visit Two
Welcome back! This is your second visit to our clinic. Last time we
talked about infectious disease control, the importance
of parasite control, and we even discussed behavior a
little. This month we will continue by discussing some
other very important health concerns.
Diet and Nutrition
In the month that has passed since your last visit,
your puppy has grown like a weed. Some puppies come close to doubling their
weight during this month. They are so busy growing that
it is a wonder they can find time to chew on things.
That kind of growth is amazing. It takes a lot of
groceries to sustain such rapid growth. Puppies have a
very high protein requirement to enable them to
successfully build new muscle. Puppies need at least 25%
protein in their diet in order to develop normally. That
is a lot more than is found in adult dog food. Puppies
also need a well-balanced vitamin and mineral source to
grow a healthy skeleton to hang all that new muscle on.
The best vitamin and mineral source is a well-researched
puppy food, rather than a pill. Puppies also need
a lot of calories to provide energy to bounce around and
play. Fats and carbohydrates, both important calorie
sources, are an important part of Puppy feeds.
Rapidly-growing puppies, especially large-breed
puppies, are prone to acquiring what we call
"Developmental Orthopedic Diseases," or DOD. There are
several manifestations of DOD, and they all involve the
bones or joints, and none of them are very fun. The best
way to avoid them is to feed a well-balanced puppy food
with no supplementation.
So which puppy food is best? There is no
one ultimate absolute best puppy food. Most puppies will
do well on a famous-name
puppy food, such as Science Diet, Iam's, Royal Canine,
or Purina. At Sunnyside Veterinary Clinic, we carry the
Science Diet product line, and so we are most familiar
with those feeds. We find them to be an excellent source
of nutrition for all puppies. No matter which
puppy food you end up using, it is important to keep
your puppy on it for at least the first year. After
that, your puppy needs to be switched to an adult dog
food.
As your puppy grows up, his or her nutritional
requirements will change. From one year of age
until seven or eight years or even older in samll dogs,
their nutritional needs can best be met by feeding the
right amount of a well-known brand of commercial dog
food. Science Diet, Iams, Royal Canine, Eukanuba,
and Purina are all good choices. Avoid inexpensive
brands. There is convincing and credible research
that shows that dogs live longer when fed these premium
diets.
 Like many people in America, obesity is quite common in
our dog population too. And as in people, more is
not better. Obesity, and even being just plain
overweight, can lead to problems with heart disease,
arthritis, and other conditions in dogs as well.
It is very important to make sure that your dog does not
gain excess weight. How do you tell if your dog is
overweight? Ask the veterinarian! There is a
fun feature on the Slentrol website that is worth
looking at as well.
Click here to go to a visual sliding scale that will
show you if your dog is overweight.
Dental Care
In some breeds of dogs, dental care will be a major
issue throughout the dog's entire life. In
general, the smaller the dog, the more likely there are
to be serious dental disease develop. The very
best thing you can do is to begin brushing your dog's
teeth. Especially in the case of the toy breeds,
regular tooth brushing can increase both the length and
quality of their life as well as sparing you the expense
of repeated dental treatments. It's not as hard as
you might think.
Click here to go to a page that discusses in depth
how to brush your dog's teeth.
Click here for some links to other dental care
topics.
Sit, Ubu, Sit
Behavior problems are the leading cause of premature
demise in dogs. Begin now to teach your puppy how to
behave appropriately. Housebreaking is an immediate
concern, but there are other things that it is desirable
to have your puppy learn now that will make your
interactions with him pleasant and enjoyable throughout
his life. Remember that a puppy's attention span is very
short, so patience and consistency are very important in
training.
A Disclaimer: I Am Not a Good Dog Trainer
My dog is not a shining example of good canine behavior.
My dog receives excellent health care, because I am a
professional veterinarian and know all about such
things, but unfortunately, my dog was trained by an
amateur (me). So I am not personally a good source
for dog training tips. However, I know people who
are expert dog trainers, and I would be happy to
introduce you to my people. They are listed below
under Puppy Kindergarten.
Potty Training is the first behavior problem you are
likely to come up against. I have found a few
websites out there that I believa are pretty good.
Try these links: www.littleshelter.com/library/housebreaking.htm,
and
www.peteducation.com/article.cfm, are all
good places to start.
Puppy Kindergarten is an excellent idea. There are
various classes and programs available, and we highly
encourage you to enroll in one of them. It will not only
teach your puppy how to behave, you and the whole family
will have an opportunity to learn how to teach your
puppy the things he will need to learn. There are
several puppy kindergartens in the area. Contact
information for them is listed below.
High Country Shepherds, Ann Christensen is
the instructor, 357-7973.
http://highcountryshepherds.com/
All Breed Dog Training, Melanie Montgomery
is the instructor, 346-1070.
www.allbreedhomedogtraining.com
And don't forget about Vaccine Reactions. Although
a reaction is less likely the second vaccination,
reactions are still possible.
Click here for more
information.
This concludes your Second Puppy wellness Visit
e-handout. We look forward to seeing you again in
three to four weeks for your next visit.
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