NEW PUPPY PEDIATRIC VISITS

 

 

At Maple Veterinary Hospital, our goal is to provide our clients with knowledge-based information and medical guidance that will help them make the best healthcare choices for their pets.  That is why Maple Veterinary Hospital veterinarians and staff spend a lot of time educating clients about the medical needs of their new puppy and about the care their new family member will need.

 

When should I bring my new puppy to see the veterinarian?

Puppies should be examined by a veterinarian as early as the day of their birth.  Medical examinations can detect congenital birth defects that are an early indication of the puppy's overall health and life expectancy. 

 

Since most puppies are not usually separated from their mother until at least six weeks of age, it is recommended that newly adopted puppies be brought to see their veterinarian for a thorough pediatric evaluation immediately following adoption.   Should the veterinarian discover a congenital defect, such as a heart murmur, the news is less devastating when the adopted family has not had several days or weeks to bond with the new puppy.  Reputable breeders and pet stores usually have a return clause within the first 24 to 48 hours should a medical problem be diagnosed by the adopted family's veterinarian.

 

How frequently will my puppy need to be seen by the veterinarian?

Just like children, puppies have a poor immunity system that needs to be boosted by a series of vaccinations that are given every 3 to 4 weeks until the puppy is 16 weeks of age.  Distemper vaccinations are started as young as 6 weeks of age.  Some breeds, such as Rottweilers, require additional puppy vaccinations to boost their immunity to a protective level. 

 

What vaccinations will by puppy need?

Maple Veterinary Hospital veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians will perform a vaccination risk assessment for each pediatric patient.  Based on the puppy's new lifestyle, an appropriate vaccination protocol will be established. 

 

RECOMMENDED PUPPY VACCINATIONS

Vaccinations recommended for all puppies include a series of 4 Canine Distemper, Parainfluenza, Parvo Virus, Corona Virus, and Hepatitis which are given between the ages of 6 and 16 weeks of age.  Specific breeds, such as Rottweilers, require a fifth booster vaccine to complete their puppy series.  Following completion of the distemper series, puppies receive their first Rabies vaccination which provides protection for one year.

 

OPTIONAL PUPPY VACCINATIONS

Based on a puppy's vaccination risk assessment, optional vaccines include Bordetella, Lyme, and Leptospirosis.

 

What can I expect at my puppy's first visit?

First puppy visits are scheduled as extended 40 minute appointments so that you and your puppy can get to know our staff who will provide you with educational information about how to keep your puppy healthy.  Second puppy visits are scheduled for 30 minutes to provide additional time to review the information presented at the first puppy visit and to answer any new questions that you may have now that your puppy has been with you for a few weeks.

 

LIFESTYLE ASSESSMENT

During the first puppy visit extended appointment, a licensed veterinary technician will review with you the contents of a puppy care kit that contains valuable information about what you can expect during your puppy's first year of life.  Additionally, the technician will perform a vaccination risk assessment for your puppy by asking you questions about the environments to which your puppy will be exposed.

  • Will your puppy be attending puppy classes?

  • Will your puppy be exercised at "dog parks". 

  • Will your puppy be staying at a boarding kennel or will your puppy be accompanying you on family vacations? 

  • Will your puppy be trained for hunting, allowed to run in the woods, or taken on family camping trips? 

  • Will your puppy have access to standing water in streams or ponds?

  • Do you plan on breeding your puppy?

PEDIATRIC EXAMINATION

A Maple Veterinary Hospital veterinarian will give your puppy a thorough examination each time it is seen for vaccinations.  Your puppy's veterinarian will provide you with information regarding the health of your puppy as well as additional information that will help you care for your puppy during its first year of life.

 

LABORATORY TESTING

It is common for puppies to have intestinal parasites.  Roundworms are frequently passed from the mother to her puppies.  This does not mean that the mother was sick.  Rather, it is the etiology of the roundworm to lay dormant in the mother until it can become active in the puppies.  Following the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), our veterinarians advise that all puppies be tested for intestinal parasites and be put on deworming medication.  Puppies should be retested for intestinal parasites at specified intervals that will be determined by your puppy's veterinarian.

 

PREVENTION OF HEARTWORM DISEASE

Heartworm disease is life threatening but preventable.  It takes 6 to 9 months to develop heartworms after an infectious exposure.  Your puppy needs to be started on once-a-month oral heartworm preventative as early as 6 weeks of age to reduce the risk of heartworm disease.  Heartworm preventative dosage is based on your puppy's weight.  As your puppy grows, the amount of heartworm preventative will be adjusted to correspond with your puppy's weight to maintain adequate coverage.

 

COMPLIMENTARY NAIL TRIM

Our licensed veterinary technicians will provide complimentary nail trims at each puppy vaccine visit. It is important to start desensitizing your puppy to feet touching and nail trimming at an early age so that proper nail care can be maintained throughout your pet's lifetime.

 

Should I have my puppy spayed or neutered?

Our veterinarians recommend spaying a female or neutering a male at 6 months of age for all dogs that are not part of a breeding program.  We feel that 6 months of age is the most appropriate time based on physical development.  Therefore, it is in the best interests of our patients that we recommend scheduling spays and neuters at the developmentally appropriate age of 6 months.

 

BENEFITS OF SPAYING AND NEUTERING

Male Dogs

  • Reduces the instinct to roam.

  • Reduces dog aggression.

  • Greatly reduces urine marking in the house.

  • Eliminates the risk of testicular cancer.

  • Reduces the risk of perianal tumors, perineal hernias, and prostatic disease.

  • Prevents accidental or careless breeding of unwanted litters.

 

Female Dogs

  • Correlations with mammary gland tumors when older.  Every heat cycle increases the risk of breast cancer.

  • Eliminates heat cycles and prevents accidental or careless breeding of unwanted litters.

  • Will not attract male dogs and will not encourage roaming to find male dogs.

  • Eliminates the risk of ovarian/uterine cancer.

  • Eliminates the risk of pyometra (uterine infection).

RECOMMENDED TIME-FRAME FOR STERILIZATION IS 6 MONTHS OF AGE

The following are several reasons why veterinarians at Maple Veterinary Hospital recommend that spays and neuters be done at 6 months of age:

  • Completion of the vaccination schedule prior to major surgery.

  • Pet is allowed to mature both physically and emotionally.

  • Safer anesthetic and surgical procedure for small, sick or weak pets.

  • Minimal research and long-term studies available on post-surgical effects of early sterilization at ages less than 6 months.

  • Traditionally the accepted and appropriate age.

Maple Veterinary Hospital veterinarians may authorize individual exceptions to these recommendations.  It may be appropriate in large or giant breed dogs or in pets that exhibit early behavior problems (aggression or urinary marking) to spay or neuter earlier than 6 months of age.

 

HUMANE SOCIETY PROMOTION OF EARLY STERILIZATION

The Michigan Humane Society promotes early sterilization to control careless or accidental breeding resulting in overpopulation.  It is estimated that 15 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in shelters.  While we support the importance of responsible spaying and neutering to prevent overpopulation, we feel the benefits of surgical sterilization at 6 months of age outweigh the population control benefits of doing this procedure at a younger age.

 

The Michigan Human Society will extend the terms of the sterilization contract to 6 months in accordance with the recommendations of a veterinarian.  As your pet's primary care veterinarians, we will be happy to contact the Humane Society to obtain a surgical extension for any of our patients.