New Pet Hints
My-Dog.info > Getting a Dog or Puppy
by Maj. Todd M. Thomas Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Veterinary
Treatment Facility
Did you get a new puppy or kitten over the holidays? If so,
then you need to know exactly what your new pet needs in order to
be a healthy, well trained pet. Puppies and kittens are very fun
and exciting. However, sometimes when they are given as gifts
they are not cared for or trained properly, and they become
unwanted nuisances when they grow out of that cute puppy face and
the "new" wears off. It is important to realize that
your new pet can provide you and your family with many years of
fun and companionship if you take good care of your new best
friend.
There is no better time than the present to start caring for
your pet. The most important thing you can do for your new pet is
to take it to the veterinarian. Your veterinarian is the
authority on your pet's medical needs and can give you good
advice on feeding, training, toys, etc., and can answer most, if
not all, of your questions. Puppies and kittens need to receive
several immunizations when they are young, similar to children.
Your pet should also be dewormed by the veterinarian to
eliminate any internal parasites acquired from the environment or
its mother. An examination of a fecal specimen by your
veterinarian is helpful to identify which parasites may be
present. The "shots" and deworming that may have been
performed by the breeder are not sufficient by themselves.
Your veterinarian should also examine the pet to see if there
are any birth defects or other conditions that can be corrected
before they become major problems. Additionally, your
veterinarian should start puppies on heartworm preventative and
both puppies and kittens on flea and tick control products, which
are absolute necessities for your pet.
When pets are young, it is important that they be fed a
high-quality diet specially formulated for young animals. This
will be identified on the bag as a "puppy,"
"kitten" or "growth" formula. There is no
magic date or specific age when your pet should be switched from
a growth formula to an adult formula. This decision should be
based upon specific factors such as breed, growth rate, health
and body condition. Therefore, it is very important that you
discuss your pet's diet with your veterinarian.
As puppies and kittens grow, they will start chewing and
scratching on things. This is normal behavior, and they need to
be provided with appropriate toys to satisfy this need. It is
important that any chew toys be fairly soft, high quality,
indestructible, and labeled safe for puppies or kittens.
Scratching posts are necessities for kittens, and they may save
your couch.
Additionally, your puppy needs to be enrolled in a puppy
training class. Making this small investment in time with your
puppy in the beginning will definitely pay off in a well behaved,
socialized, housebroken and enjoyable pet in the end. You may
even get some cool tricks out of it.
Finally, you need to have your pet spayed or neutered. Puppies
and kittens can be spayed and neutered as early as 8 weeks old,
and most veterinarians have certain age preferences at which they
spay and neuter puppies and kittens. You should contact your
veterinarian to determine when it is best for your pet. Spaying
and neutering helps to avoid many health problems, and you will
be doing your part to help control the pet overpopulation.
This may seem like a big investment in your new pet. However,
you cannot forget that few things in life are better than a best
friend. Your new pet deserves to be properly cared for, and he or
she is depending on you.
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