New Puppy – Town and Country Animal Hospital

Our team is ready to help you with all your veterinary needs.

Congratulations on your new puppy.

At Town and Country Animal Hospital, the care and well-being of your pets, our patients, is our utmost concern. This care extends to your new puppy. We are so excited that you trust us with your new puppy’s care and understand your puppy’s first visit is very important.

We have provided this puppy information to help answer your questions and offer you suggestions and tips on raising a happy and healthy puppy. Health information about your new puppy includes learning about vaccinations and the best diet you can possibly give your new pet.

Town and Country Animal Hospital wants to help you learn exactly what your new puppy needs.

If you have questions about this or any other information about your family member, please feel free to contact us at 601.261.3839.

Click to download Town and Country Animal Hospital’s New Puppy Packet.

Vaccinations:

Between six and sixteen weeks of age your puppy will lose the disease protection it received from its mother, while beginning to build its own immune system.

During this time it is vital to have your puppy vaccinated to ensure that your puppy be protected from many contagious diseases.

We recommend that your puppy be vaccinated with the following vaccinations:

Canine Distemper Virus
Canine Parvo Virus
Infectious Canine Hepatitis
Canine Parainfluenza Virus
Bordetella, Rabies, and Leptospirosis, if your puppy is at risk.

Description of each vaccination

DHPP: (Distemper, Parvo, Hepatitis, & Parainfluenza): Given in a series starting at 6-9 weeks, and repeated every 3-4 weeks until your puppy is approximately 16 weeks of age.

Distemper: Highly infectious viral disease that attacks the lungs, brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract.

Parvo: Highly infectious viral disease that attacks the lining of the intestinal tract, causing severe dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, and can be fatal in young puppies.

Hepatitis: Viral disease that affects both the liver and respiratory tract.Parainfluenza: Causes infectious tracheobronchitis.

Bordetella: Also known as “kennel cough;” highly infectious cause of severe respiratory disease; vaccination usually given at 9 and 12 weeks of age.

Rabies: An always fatal virus that attacks the nervous system; virus is transmitted by animal bites or through the saliva of an infected animal. Vaccinations are started at 12 weeks of age, boostered at one year, and then every three years after that. A rabies vaccination is required by the State of Mississippi.

Leptospirosis: Bacterial infection that causes kidney and liver damage; spread by urine contamination from infected animals such as raccoons, opossums, rats, foxes or other dogs. Vaccination only given to puppies who share environments with the previously mentioned wildlife; vaccination usually given at 12 and 16 weeks of age.

Intestinal ParasitesPuppies are frequently born with or become infected with intestinal parasites (worms).Intestinal parasites can cause

vomiting,
diarrhea, and/or
blood in the stool.

There are several types of intestinal parasites, several of which may be seen in your puppy’s stool.

At your puppy’s first visit we will prescribe a general dewormer to eliminate some of the most common intestinal parasites.

Always practice good hand washing techniques after handling your puppy and your puppy’s stool to prevent transmission of any intestinal parasites.

Tapeworms…

are not treated with a general dewormer and can be seen as little short worms in the stool. These worms can dry on the fur and look like little grains of rice.

These worms are contracted from ingesting a flea that was carrying a tapeworm larva. If you see these worms in your puppy’s stool please let us know so that we may prescribe your puppy some medication.

Canine heartworm disease is a reality.Heartworms are actual worms that are transmitted by mosquitoes and take residence in a dog’s heart.Heartworm disease causes serious and permanent damage to the heart that leads to heart failure and/or death.To prevent heartworm disease it is necessary that your puppy take heartworm prevention once a month.

It is important that you give your puppy its heartworm prevention every month without fail to prevent infection.
Testing will be performed annually to confirm that your puppy hasn’t contracted heartworms.

Click to learn more from the American Heartworm Society.

What type of food?

We recommend feeding your puppy a high quality dog food specifically formulated for puppies (look for food manufactured by major companies with “AAFCO” printed on the label). It is especially important that large breed puppies be fed a food specifically for large breed puppies. We recommend that you feed your puppy Hill’s Science Diet®, which is available at the clinic and comes in many varieties for all types of puppies. Do not feed your puppy any people food as this can cause vomiting and/or diarrhea, and some people food is toxic to dogs.How often should I feed?Most young puppies should be offered food three times a day. Once your puppy has reached ten to twelve weeks of age feedings can be decreased to twice a day. Small breed puppies such as Chihuahuas and Yorkies should be allowed to have free choice of food through the day to help prevent blood sugar levels from becoming too low. Feedings can be decreased with small breed puppies as they gain weight and are able to better maintain their blood sugar levels.

When can I give treats?

It’s very tempting to offer your new puppy lots of treats, especially when trying to train him/her. Be careful not to provide too many treats. They are usually very high in calories and can cause your puppy to gain excess weight.

Can I change food?

It is important to change your puppy’s food gradually. Changing the food too quickly can cause your puppy to have vomiting and/or diarrhea. Slowly begin to add your puppy’s new food in with his/her old food over a course of five to seven days.