Puppy Care Guide

If you want to change your puppy's food, from the food that they were weaned on to, as he gets older. Do it gradually, adding a small amount of the new food in with the existing food, and giving less of the original food over a period of a week to ten days. This will prevent your pup getting an upset tummy when he already has a lot of changes to cope with.

This also applies when giving treats and biscuits. Just give a small piece to start with, gradually working up to a whole biscuit.

FOOD WARNINGS

Please do not give your puppy any bones other than beef shin or marrow bones. They are extremely dangerous and could splinter in the mouth or guts.

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs as it contains a chemical called Theobromine which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and liver damage and can even be fatal. So never give your dog any chocolate, or leave any lying around for it to find and eat, especially at Christmas/Easter time. Dark chocolate is worst as it contains higher cocoa values than milk chocolate. We always feel that if the dog has never tried chocolate, it won’t miss it. Doggy chocolates are safer but they encourage the dog to seek out the taste of human chocolates and as there are so many healthier treats to choose from, why risk it? Grapes, raisins, sultanas, apples, peaches, apricots, tomatoes and citrus fruits should also be avoided as they produce excess acid in the gut which can lead to discomfort, vomiting and diarrhoea. E.g. when your puppy is older (6months +), one or two grapes occasionally are ok but if your dog has eaten a larger quantity medical advice should be sort. Most dogs love vegetables, the odd piece of carrot or broccoli is a welcomed treat. Raw potatoes are another a cause of poisoning in dogs and so care should be taken with bags of potatoes and peelings etc. Cooked potatoes, mashed or boiled etc are fine. Onions are also poisonous to dogs causing anemia and breathlessness and needs urgent treatment from your vet. The effects are reversible if caught in time, so if your pup has managed to digest some onion it is best to get them check out as soon as possible to be sure of a quick recovery.These warnings are not meant to scare, just to inform you of everyday foods from around the home which you will need to ensure are kept away from your dog for their safety and well being.Sometimes on going to a new home, your puppy may refuse his food, don’t worry, providing he is lively and well, he is just trying a battle of wills with you. Do not give him anything except for his correct diet, put his ration down for ten minutes and whatever is left remove. Do not give any titbits or food until his next meal-time, just access to fresh water. Keep repeating this exercise, he will eventually realise he is getting very hungry and should resume eating properly. If you give in to your puppy over this minor battle, he will have won battle number one and your problems will have begun. Don’t be fooled into thinking he does not like it and will no longer eat it, he has eaten this diet since being weaned, if he is hungry he will eat it, this is the best diet for a young puppy. Children prefer to eat sweets, crisps, biscuits, etc. Sensible parents would not allow them to eat what they prefer – puppies are just like children! ENSURE CLEAN WATER IS AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES.

SOME TIPS FOR YOUR NEW PUPPY

·         Do not let your Puppy run up and down the stairs – he will damage his back legs while he is still growing.
·         Do not walk him for longer than ten minutes a day until he is at least sixteen weeks old and then gradually working up to longer periods as it will put undue pressure on growing bones and joints.
·        Do leave a radio on at night when you leave him to go to bed or if you go out and leave him alone, until he is settled down in his new home – he will feel less lonely.
·         Do take your Puppy to training classes once he has been inoculated, it can save a lot of bother if he learns to socialise with people and other dogs at an early age.

WORMING

Your puppy will need to be wormed 2 weekly until they are 3 months of age and then in accordance with your vets recommendation, as different products require different intervals. We suggest three monthly intervals with Drontal Plus, given according to the current weight of your dog.

Your puppy will require his first inoculation at 8 – 10 weeks and then a booster 2 weeks after the first. Please do not put your puppy on the ground outside (except in your garden) until after he has had these. IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK OF INFECTION.

IDENTIFICATION

Please be advised that it is a finable offence of up to £5000 to exercise your dog without a tag and collar. The only exceptions are: dogs used for sporting purposes, and packs of hounds, dogs used for the capture or destruction of vermin, dogs used for driving or tending cattle or sheep, dogs under test (agility, breed, working trials or obdience), Guide dogs for the Blind or dogs used for emergency rescue work. This applies even if you have your dog micro-chipped. We recommend that you have your dog micro-chipped in addition to your collar and tag as it can hep your dog to be returned home to you quickly and easily, though the collar/tag method is prefered by the dog warden. Your tag must include:
·         your name
·         your address - including postcode
·         a contact telephone number (it is a good idea to put your mobile number if you have one, as if you are out looking for your dog or on holiday you can still be contacted)
Do not put your dogs name on, as the dog is more likely to go to with some one who knows their name and makes a thief’s life easier, definitely something to be avoided.
Be aware:

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, dog wardens are obliged to seize stray dogs. The police have discretionary power to seize stray dogs under the Dogs Act 1906. They are entitled to charge you fees before they will give you the dog back.

· If either the police or the dog warden seizes your dog, they are only required to keep it for seven clear days before legally being able to sell it, give it away or even have it destroyed. Therefore, if your dog strays, you should notify both the police and the dog warden immediately. If a member of the public finds a stray dog they must return it to its owner, or take it to the local police or dog warden. If the finder wants to retain the dog, this will probably be allowed, provided they are considered to be capable of looking after a dog and they agree to keep it for at least 28 days. However, the original owner could still have a claim for the dog's return. Remember that it is illegal to take a found dog into your home without reporting it to the police first.

There is also a little known law, in the Road Traffic Act 1988, that states that "it makes it an offence to have a dog on a designated road without the dog being held on a lead." This applies to a majority of the roads and lanes in the U.K. Keep your dog on a lead at all times for their own and other road users safety!

ANTI-STICK LECTURE

Where to start? We have a real axe to grind with people who play with sticks with their dogs and with good reason, so please forgive me for a moment while I express my opinion. Unfortunately, someone we know had a puppy and had been very careful to check the garden where the pup played to make sure that it was safe, free from sticks and loose stones etc. that the pup could play with and choke on. It appeared that the pup, with their other dog, had chewed a plant up, so, the owner picked up all the pieces and thought nothing more of it. A week later the pup had been off her food one day and then eating the next, sick one day well the next and then gradually lethargic and totally off her food, the owner felt a lump in the pups stomach when having a cuddle that night and took her straight to vets the next morning. The vet was immediately very concerned and kept the pup in for an x-ray which showed a foreign object in the dogs gut. An emergency operation followed and saw a 5 inch long stick removed from the 12 week old puppy’s stomach lining where it had become embedded and had damaged the lining of the stomach and caused other injuries on the way down. The puppy was kept in over night and had to have a second operation the next day before being allowed home. Without the surgery the puppy would have certainly died. How she managed to swallow the stick we still don’t know, as it was about half the length of the dog itself at the time, but it was very distressing for the dog and her family. Thankfully she made a full recovery and is doing well. But her family had to go through the torment and anguish of having their new member of the family go through 2 operations which could have been easily avoided. Other stories of foolish owners who insist on throwing sticks for their dogs and then are upset when they become lodged in their dog’s throat as they try to catch them, really make us wonder at why people would risk their dog for a traditional game that is much safer with a tennis ball. DON’T THROW STICKS!!!Cocktail sticks and skewers at BBQ’s are equally dangerous to dogs if not more so with the tempting smells of food that comes with them the dog is more likely to want to eat them. Please be extra careful and do not encourage your dog to pick up and chase sticks it really is not worth the risk to your dog’s health and think how you would feel if you had to put your dog through life saving surgery because of something you encouraged them to do.

Moan over, sorry but it is something we feel very strongly about and would not want any dog that we brought into the world to have to go through that sort of trauma.

FAECES

Please pick up after your dog. Whether you are at home or out walking it is important to pick up your dogs’ faeces for many reasons: Firstly to prevent the risk of spreading toxocariasis (an infection caught from the roundworm that lives a dogs intestines) which can cause fever, malaise and in some cases blindness in humans. Children are most at risk as they pick up items off the floor that may be contaminated and if they fall and put their hands on to the affected pavement or grass. Remember to worm your dog regularly. Secondly, you face a large fine of up to £1000 with a court appearance if you are caught not picking up after your dog or an ‘on the spot fine’ of £40. Thirdly, dog owners are getting a bad reputation for failing to pick after their dogs so please don’t give members of the public a reason to prevent dogs going to local parks and green spaces in a bid to stop fouling. Also, if the signs say to keep you dog on a lead it is for the safety and enjoyment of all, so please do not break these rules as once again the spaces we have to exercise our dogs are few enough already. Find a space where dogs are welcome i.e. public woodland, parks and dog friendly beaches.

REMEMBER AN UNTRAINED AND UNCONTROLLABLE DOG IS THE FAULT OF THE OWNER

If you have any problems with your dog,

whether it be the day after you get him home or in the many years to come, please contact us and we will be happy to advise in any way we can.