Puppy Health Care Tips

Do you have a new puppy?

Greencross Vets are your partner in pet care and we’re here to support you with your new family member. It’s important that your new canine companion starts off on the right paw.

A new puppy brings a lot of excitement and joy to the family unit. It is often an eagerly anticipated event, and it can therefore be tempting to show off your new family member to everyone you know. Our best advice is that your puppy should have total peace and quiet in the first 24 hours. Try to encourage all family members to handle the new arrival quietly and gently, and allow them adequate periods of rest by themselves.

How do you house train your new puppy?

Developing a routine will assist you in housetraining your puppy. To minimise accidents, take them outside first thing in the morning, after every sleep, after being left alone for a long period of time, after each meal, and just before bedtime. Some obvious signs that your puppy needs to go to the bathroom include walking around in circles, sitting or whining at the door, and sniffing at the ground.

Of course, accidents will happen, but if you catch your puppy in the act, take them outside immediately. Never spank your puppy, rub their nose in accidents, or reprimand them after an accident has occurred. Just remember to praise them whenever they do the right thing – a tasty treat is a perfect reward.

Puppy School

Getting a new puppy is exciting, but it can also be a challenge due to the high levels of care and attention they need. Puppy school is a fantastic way to train and socialise your new pet and learn techniques on how best to raise a respectable pooch. Greencross Vets has got you covered. Learn more about our puppy school classes.

Vaccinations

The diseases that vaccinations protect against are contagious and infectious and often hard to treat. Vaccinations are vital to your puppy’s health. Complete protection can only be achieved if all vaccines are given, and your dog is kept away from public areas and other pets until after their 16-week vaccine.

6 to 8 weeks old – Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus
10 to 12 weeks old – Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza and Bordetella
14 to 16 weeks old – Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza and Bordetella
Adult dogs require annual boosters to maintain immunity

Your Greencross veterinarian will be able to tailor a vaccine program to your dog.

Learn more about vaccinating your puppy.

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Parasite Prevention

Worming

Puppies should be wormed every two weeks until they are 12 weeks of age, then every month after that until they are six months old. From then, depending on the product, worming your pet every three months will maintain effective worm prevention. Worming should be performed regardless of whether worms are seen in droppings or not, as many are too small to be seen with the naked eye. A high-quality all-wormer should be used and is available in a variety of forms. Speak with your Greencross Vet for more information about worming.

Heartworm

Heartworm prevention can be started from 6 weeks of age (depending on the product), increasing the dose as your dog gets heavier. Annual injections, tablets or spot-ons are easiest. One of the easiest ways to protect from heartworm in via injection. This can be given from 12 weeks of age. If your dog misses their medication for any period of time, please phone your local Greencross Clinic for advice. Learn more about heartworm.

Fleas

All pets will be exposed to fleas at some stage of their life. Regular preventative treatments are the best way to keep infestations at bay. There are a number of prevention treatments available, such as tablets, monthly topical applications, flea collars and rinses. Contact your local Greencross Vet to discuss the options best suited for you and your pet.

Ticks

Paralysis ticks are found around bushes, scrubland and riverbanks mainly on the east coast of Australia. Traditionally, tick season is August to January, however ticks can be present at any time of the year. If you and your pet live in a tick-prone area, you should thoroughly check them for ticks every day. Prevention can be difficult, so ask your veterinarian for more information as treatments vary depending on your pet’s level of exposure. No method of tick prevention is 100% effective, so you still need to manually search your pet on a daily basis.

Desexing

There are many advantages of having your pet desexed. They are less likely to roam and fight and in addition, several behavioural problems can be reduced with desexing. Natuarally, unplanned litters are avoided with desexing. There is no advantage in allowing females to have a heat or litter before considering desexing. We recommend talking with your local Greencross Vets as to the best age to desex your canine companion. Learn more about desexing your puppy.

Diet and Nutrition

Complete and balanced nutrition is important, particularly during your dog’s growth period in the first one to two years of life, depending on the breed. Please ask our healthcare team for advice on feeding your puppy, as a complete and balanced diet is essential for a long and healthy life. Learn more about choosing the right food for your puppy.

Healthy Pets Plus

Healthy Pets Plus is our preventative wellness annual membership program that gives you peace of mind and confidence that your pet is healthy and happy. Benefits include all standard veterinary consultations in clinic, access to WebVet 24/7, your pet’s annual vaccinations as recommended, 20% off pet food and parasite prevention in-clinic and much more! Speak with us to join today, or learn more.