How can I best ensure my new puppy grows up healthy and strong?

Great question! One thing I would strongly recommend is having Coco spayed. Dog who are intact are prone to developing a pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. It makes dogs very sick. Unfortunately spaying her now won't lower her risk of mammary tumors, but at least it takes away the risk of the pyometra. Feed her a healthy diet, don't give her human foods, and plenty of exercise daily. Keep her up to date on her vaccines, heartworm treatment, flea and tick treatments, and deworming treatments. Finally, have her seen by a vet yearly for a health check, taking her in sooner whenever she is sick. I hope this helps!

Hi there! Congratulations on your new pup :) If she hasn't had anything done yet, she will need a vet visit for her first DAPP vaccine (for distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and parainfluenza) as well as a general wellness check-up. She should also have a fecal exam for parasites, and should be dewormed if any are found. She's also old enough to start on heartworm prevention if this is a problem in your area - the vet should be able to advise you if this is needed. After that, she will need to have her DAPP vaccine boostered every 3-4 weeks until she's 16 weeks or older. She will also need a rabies vaccine at 16 weeks. Other vaccinations, such as Lyme disease, leptospirosis, or Bordetella (kennel cough) may also be recommended depending on what is common in your area and her risk of exposure. Your veterinarian should discuss this with you at her check-up visit, and will let you know if any of these vaccines are needed.

First, have her examined by your veterinarian. He or she can administer or dispense a dewormer. It will likely need to be repeated in 2 and 4 weeks. Afterwards, start her on a monthly preventative for heartworm and intestinal parasites. A topical or oral flea and tick preventative can also be started. Discuss with the vet what Cherry's lifestyle will be. This will determine which vaccines she will get. Core vaccines include distemper/parvo combination and Rabies vaccines. She will need 3-4 distemper/parvo vaccine every 4 weeks. The rabies vaccine she can get now. It will be repeated next year, then every 3 years. Lifestyle vaccines include Lyme disease, leptospirosis, canine flu and bordatella (kennel cough). These are given based on her risk of exposure. You can discuss their use with your veterinarian. She can be spayed at about 6 months of age.

Hi there! Congratulations on your new puppy, Genisis. I would first start by having Genisis in to have a vet visit. This way, the veterinarian can make sure Genisis appears healthy, doesn't have any heart murmurs, or other abnormalities that need monitoring. Puppies can start with their distemper vaccine at about 8 weeks, which also includes an inoculation for parvovirus, which is a very dangerous and contagious gastrointestinal virus that puppies can acquire. Depending on the recommendations for the number of boosters in your area, your vet will let you know how many of these vaccines Genisis will need until being able to be safely let out into the environment to walk around outside and socialize with other dogs. Until he is fully vaccinated, I'd definitely keep him inside, and away from other animals, especially those with unknown vaccine histories. Your veterinarian will also recommend de-wormings and a fecal test at some point to make sure that your new puppy is parasite free. All puppies will have roundworms, and these worms can be transmissible to people, so I always recommend using good sanitary practices - ie wash hands after handling feces, and avoid kisses on the mouth and face. There is also the bordetella vaccine for kennel cough, and the canine influenza vaccine for the influenza virus. I will usually recommend those in my area. What isn't very prevalent in my area, is the leptospirosis bacteria, but I think in Arkansas it can be an issue, so I'd definitely ask the vet about that. Aside from that, I recommend a small breed puppy food for the first year of life - nutro, nature's recipe, royal canin, science diet, or purina are great brands. And I would also have Genisis neutered around 6 months of age to avoid health issues later in life, like an enlarged prostate. I'd look in your area too and see if there is a reputable dog trainer who can come to the house to start some puppy classes for you as well! I hope you find this information helpful! Best of luck!

She is cute! If she hasn't already received a disptemper/parvo combination vaccine then she should have one now. Other vaccines that may be necessary are leptospirosis, bordetella, Lyme, and influenza. She will also need a Rabies vaccine between 12 - 16 weeks of age. The best thing would be to have her examined by your vet and he/she can develop a vaccine schedule specifically for her based on her risk of exposure and her age. She will also need heartworm prevention, as well as flea and tick prevention and your vet can help determine which product is best for her.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Congratulations!! Bruno is adorable! Bruno needs to start his puppy vaccines. He should receive a DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parvo and parainfluenza) vaccine every 3-4 weeks starting around 7-8 weeks of age until he receives two past 12 weeks. He should get his rabies vaccine between 12-16 weeks. He can start being dewormed as well. Having him dewormed and Rabies vaccination will protect your family. Keep up with his vaccinations into adulthood as they do have expiration dates. Deworm yearly. I recommend puppy food until 1 year of age. I like Purina proplan, hills science diet and Royal Canin. As a puppy his energy level is like a new born. Play for a bit then sleep. Around 4 months they are awake more. So playing with him when awake and 2-3 walks a day are appropriate. Distance can increase with age and endurance. See below for links on training. I wish you and Bruno the best! https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-dog-puppy-training-rules/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/rewards-are-necessary-when-training-dogs-and-puppies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/training-fitness-for-sporting-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/interacting-with-your-pet/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-obedience-commands-every-dog-should-know/

Congrats on your new dog, Peppen is so cute. You need to make an appointment with a vet to get her vaccines (she will need her DHPPi combination shot (distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza) as well as rabies), and the vet can prescribe flea and deworming treatments. You can talk to the vet about training classes you can enroll her in, and you do not need to bathe her more than once a month unless she is very dirty.