Caring for a new puppy

Max is only 8 weeks old. His new family had just introduced him to his new home, when he became dramatically unwell. He went downhill with diarrhoea, vomiting, lethargy and no interest in eating or drinking.

With his parents’ permission, the vets kept him overnight to care for him and test to see what was causing him to be so unwell. These included blood tests to see if there was infection, dehydration or inflammation. They tested his poop for parvovirus, which is a severe and life-threatening disease. Additionally, samples were sent to external laboratories to look for parasites and bacteria.

Throughout the night, Max was monitored closely by the vets and nurses and cared for with pain relief, fluids to re-hydrate him, antibiotics and medicine to protect his stomach. He is back home now and growing beautifully!

Puppies health can go downhill quickly because they are very young and small in size.

Things to focus on when you bring them are:

• Food – most puppies are gradually weaned off their mum between the age of  6 to 8 weeks. By this time, puppies should be eating 4 meals a day of a good quality food formulated for puppies of their size
• Home environment – puppies are prone to eating and gnawing anything in the house and garden so be prepared and mindful of what could affect their health
• Poisons – check that places like garden sheds, kitchen cupboards, laundry and outdoors areas have poisons out of reach
• Vaccinations – get them done
• Worming – start: every 2 weeks until 3 months, then monthly until 6 months
• Socialisation – sign up for puppy classes. Most general vet clinics run them in the evenings and they are generally free. These are invaluable to ensuring your puppy becomes adjusted to our modern world.