Recommendations for New Puppy Owners: Veterinary Care

When should my puppy visit the veterinarian?

Most puppies will visit the veterinarian at six to eight weeks of age for a health exam and to begin vaccinations and parasite treatment/preventives. This is also a great time for you to discuss your puppy’s vaccination schedule as well as behavior and training with your veterinarian. It is important to follow your veterinarian's recommended exam schedule to ensure that your puppy receives proper protection and that you receive timely and appropriate advice.

When should my puppy be vaccinated?

Fortunately, your veterinarian can help to prevent several diseases by vaccinating your puppy. To be effective, vaccines must be given as a series of timely injections. Ideally, they are given at about 6 to 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, but the recommended vaccines and schedule of injections may vary depending on your puppy’s individual needs.

The core vaccination schedule will protect your puppy from common diseases, including distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and rabies. The first three are generally included in one injection that is given at 6 to 8, 12, and 16 weeks. Puppies need to be at least 12 weeks old to receive a rabies vaccine. All puppies in NC are required by-law to be vaccinated for rabies by the time that they reach 16 weeks old. 

"The core vaccination schedule will protect your puppy from common diseases, including distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and rabies."

Other optional vaccinations are appropriate in certain situations. These may include Bordetella, Lyme, and leptospirosis vaccines if there are risks of those diseases based on your geographic location and lifestyle. Here is a summary of the non-core vaccine to help you decide if your puppy should be vaccinated for them:

• Bordetella- this protects against kennel cough, an upper respiratory tract infection that is spread between dogs. Most groomers, boarding facilities, dog trainers and doggie-daycares require that dogs be vaccinated against Bordetella.
• Lyme- this protects against Lyme disease which is spread by ticks. While the Lyme vaccine may be recommended if your dog is exposed to a lot of ticks, it does not kill or prevent tick from getting on your dog. It simply prevents them from catching the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. A good-quality flea/tick prevention is your pet's best protection against Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.
• Leptospirosis- this protects against a blood infection caused by the bacteria, Leptospira. Leptospira is spread by mice, raccoons, deer and other wildlife. A dog becomes infected when they come into contact with infected water such as puddles, ponds, and lakes. 

Why does my puppy need more than one vaccination?

When a puppy nurses his mother, he receives a temporary form of immunity through the colostrum; the milk that is produced in the first days after puppies are born. Colostrum contains high levels of maternal antibodies that can provide passive protection against diseases that the mother has been exposed to, either naturally or by vaccination. This passive immunity is of benefit during the first few weeks of your puppy's life, but at some point, those levels decline, and your puppy must develop his own active long-lasting immunity. Vaccinations are used to provide this long-lasting protection.

As long as the mother's antibodies are present, vaccinations are unable to stimulate the puppy's immune system because the mother's antibodies neutralize the vaccine.

Many factors determine when a puppy will be able to respond to vaccinations. These include the level of immunity in the mother at the time of birth, how many antibodies the nursing puppy absorbed, and the general health of the puppy. Since it is unknown when an individual puppy will lose its short-term maternal immunity, a series of vaccinations are given. The goal is for at least two of these to fall into the time frame when the puppy has lost immunity from its mother and has not yet been exposed to disease. A single vaccination, even if effective, is not likely to stimulate long-term immunity, which is critically important.

The rabies vaccine is an exception to this; one injection given at the right time is enough to produce long-term immunity due to the lack of maternal antibody interference.

How can I provide permanent identification for my dog?

The most widely recommended pet identification device is the microchip. This tiny device is implanted with a needle, much like administering an injection. The microchip will contain important information about your dog and how to contact you. A special scanner can detect these chips; veterinary hospitals, humane societies, and animal shelters have these scanners. A national registry assists in the identification and return of microchipped pets throughout the United States and Canada. The microchip can be quickly implanted during any regular veterinary appointment.

"The most widely recommended pet identification device is the microchip."

Do all puppies have worms?

Intestinal parasites are common in puppies. Puppies can become infected with some types of intestinal worms before they are born or later through their mother's milk. Microscopic examination of a stool sample often reveals the presence of most intestinal parasites. This exam is recommended for all puppies, especially during their first few veterinary visits.

Even if a stool sample is not obtained, the routine use of a deworming medication that is safe and effective against the common worms that affect dogs is recommended. This protocol is followed because deworming medication has little, if any, side effects and because your puppy does not pass worm eggs every day; therefore, the stool sample may not detect worms that are present but not shedding eggs. Additionally, some of these intestinal parasites can be transmitted to humans.

It is important that deworming is repeated because it only kills adult worms. Within three to four weeks, the larval stages of the intestinal parasites will become adults and need to be removed. Dogs remain susceptible to re-infection with hookworms, whipworms, and roundworms throughout their lives. Periodic deworming throughout a dog's life is generally recommended for these common intestinal parasites. The good news is that almost all Heartworm preventions also contain dewormer for the common intestinal parasites. 

Flea & tick prevention

Fleas are tiny insects that live on the skin of your pet and cause itchiness, skin irritation and hair loss. Fleas feed off blood and severe flea infestations can cause a puppy to become anemic (low red blood cell count). Additionally, when a pet ingests flea eggs while biting at their skin or grooming themselves, they become infected with tapeworms. Tick are small insects that attach to a pet's skin and feed off a blood meal. Ticks can transmit bacterial diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Ehlichia. We recommend that all dogs be kept on year-round flea and tick prevention. Flea and tick prevention is based on weight and not all products are safe for puppies. It is important to check your puppy's weight at their vaccine visits to ensure that they are receiving the appropriate dose of flea/tick prevention. The products that we offer here are Credelio and Nexgard Plus. We do not recommend using store-brand flea/tick prevention as these products do not undergo testing for safety and efficacy. Only adult fleas live on pets, the eggs, larvae and nymph live in the enviorment such as in carpeting, blankets, and pet beds. If your new puppy has fleas, it is important to also treat the environment to kill/remove the eggs, larvae and nymphs. This involves frequent vacuuming and washing all blankets and bedding in hot water. A product called Knockout is also especially helpful in kills fleas in the environment. 

What are heartworms?

Heartworms are important parasites, especially in climates where mosquitoes are prevalent. They live in the dog's bloodstream and cause major damage to the heart and lungs that can result in death. Heartworms are transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. Heartworm preventives are dosed according to your dog's weight. As your dog’s weight increases, the dosage should also increase. They are very safe and effective when used as directed. Many of these products also protect your dog against certain intestinal parasites and/or external parasites, such as fleas and ticks.

Why should I have my dog spayed/neutered?

Spaying is the surgical removal of the uterus and the ovaries and eliminates the dog's estrus (heat) cycles. In an intact dog, these heat periods result in about two to three weeks of vaginal bleeding and discharge approximately every six months. During this time, male dogs are attracted, even from a distance. Male dogs will go over, around, and through doors or fences to reach a female in heat.

"...it is well documented that intact female dogs have a significant risk of developing breast cancer and/or uterine infections."

Apart from the risk of unplanned pregnancies, it is well documented that intact female dogs have a significant risk of developing breast cancer and/or uterine infections. Spaying your dog before she experiences her first estrus cycle has three benefits:

• It eliminates the risk of unplanned pregnancy and helps control the problem of dog overpopulation
• It eliminates any possibility of uterine disease
• It virtually eliminates any chance of developing breast cancer.

Neutering or castration is the surgical removal of the dog’s testicles. Intact male dogs tend to be more territorial towards other male dogs and are prone to developing prostatic disease and testosterone-induced tumors. Neutering will prevent or lower the risk of these problems. Additionally, it is an effective method for controlling the overpopulation problem and helps to keep your male dog from running away when he smells a neighboring dog in heat. Neutering can be performed any time after your dog is 16 weeks old.

What if I want to breed my female dog?

If you plan to breed your dog, she should have at least one or two heat cycles first, when she will be more physically mature, allowing her to be a better mother. In order to ensure the health of the offspring, both parents should undergo testing for breed-specific conditions such as hip dysplasia, heart defects, or eye/vision abnormalities. Consult with your full service veterinarian for what testing should be performed based on your dog's breed.

Breeding a dog (whether accidental or intentional) for the first time after she is five years of age is not recommended. Having her first litter so late increases the risk of complications during the pregnancy or delivery. 

Additionally, if you choose to breed your dog, you should be physically and financially prepared should complications arise. If your dog has trouble delivering her puppies vaginally, a cesarean section may be required. Certain breeds are almost gaurenteed to require a c-section including English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and "pocket bullies". We do not perform c-sections at Piedmont Communities Spay/Neuter & Wellness Clinic so you would need to have a relationship with a full-service clinic or go to an ER facility. C-sections range between $2,000 to $4,000 depending on the size of your dog. Dogs who whelp a large litter are also at risk of a potential fatal condition called eclampsia which is caused by low blood calcium levels. This, in turn, affects their milk supply, causing the mother dog to be unable to feed her puppies. Newborn puppies require bottle feeding every 2 hours, around the clock. If you are not able to commit to feeding 2-12 puppies every 2 hours, please do not breed your dog and get her spayed before her first heat cycle to avoid any accidental pregnancies. 

As always, if you have any concerns or questions about your new puppy, your veterinarian is there to help!