Caring For New Puppies And Dogs

You are excited that you are bringing home your new puppy

. Now what should you do? This is a good question. There are some preliminary steps you will need to take when caring for new puppies and dogs. This is especially true when bringing home your pet for the first time. This articlewill cover the following topics:

The place where your pet will stay

Nutrition and feeding

How to acclimate your puppy to it's new surroundings

House breaking

Vaccinations

The Place Where You're Pet Will Stay

Depending upon the age of your puppy is; be sure that the temperature of your house is between 70 to 75 degrees. The puppies body temperature will vary as they get older from 97 degrees in a newborn to 100.5 to 102.5 degrees when about 4 weeks old. You can ask the owner of the pet store or vet how cool or warm your house should be when bringing home your pet.

Where you pet will stay is also important. Be sure it's a quiet place. This will help your puppy get acclimated to its new surroundings.

Nutrition and Feeding of Your Pet

As your puppy ages, it will have different diet needs as it goes through its life stages. This is also true for their nutrition. All dogs need the proper proportions in the following groups: water, protein, fat, fiber, minerals and vitamins. When you purchase food for your dog you will need to consider these groups so that your pet has a balanced diet. Puppies go through infancy, childhood, and adolescence in about one year. It will have different dietary needs as it goes through these stages. These needs may change every few months during the first year.

Protein

Puppies require up to 27% protein to help their growth in its first year. This is vital for a healthy tissue growth in the puppy. When the dog reaches adulthood, the protein needs can be reduced to 21%. You will need to scan the dog food labels to ensure it will provide sufficient protein for your dog.

Fat

Fat is a concentrated form of energy and contains twice as much energy per unit of weight as protein or carbohydrate. This group should be closely monitored. Fats are important for promoting healthy skin and coat. Any fat not burned off will get stored as body fat and will tend to make the pet obese. This is not good for the health of your pet. It becomes difficult for a pet to loose this added weight as it gets older. You may have to consider more exercise for your pet to prevent obesity. You may have to consider feeding him less.

Fiber

Fiber is important nutrient to help the puppies or dogs digestion. The roughage helps keep the gastrointestinal tract working properly.

Minerals

Puppies require larger doses of some minerals than adult dogs. These nutrients are: calcium and phosphorus. These minerals are essential for the development of strong bones and teeth. So, it's important that the food the puppy eats contains these and other minerals.

Vitamins

Vitamins are important in metabolic regulation and the development of a dog's body. As the puppy is growing they need food with vitamins balanced according to their stage of life. Some vitamins your puppy needs to help him grow are: A, E and B vitamins. Vitamin A helps the dog's vision, healthy immune system, and skin and coat. Vitamin D helps regulate the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and proper bone development. Vitamin E helps support a healthy immune system.

Water

Just like humans, dogs need lots of water. Water helps regulate the body temperature, cushion joints and internal organs, digest food, lubricate tissue and eliminate waste. Fresh drinking water is a must and should be available to dogs at all times. Be sure to have plenty of water for your dog in a clean bowl. It's important to clean the bowl periodically. In the summer, the water should be cool, and in the winter, the water should be at room temperature.

Vaccination Schedule

Generally, in the first three months of a puppy's life, your veterinarian will need to see the puppy every two or three weeks for vaccinations. This will continue until your puppy reaches about 14 weeks of age. Visits to the vet will taper off after six months and will depend upon your dog. Booster shots will be given at regular intervals.

Puppy Health

Look for signs that your puppy may not be healthy. When they go out to do their business, look for signs of blood in the urine and stools and if it's foul smelling. Report these to your veterinarian.

Be sure to check that his eyes are bright, clear and shinny, without any discharge or discoloration. His nose should be cool and moist. The ears should be clean. Report any changes to your vet.

Check his gums for swelling and bleeding, his teeth for any tartar build-up. Check that his tongue is clean and his breath does not have a bad odor.

If he should experience any excessive vomiting over several days, report this to your veterinarian.

Be sure to trim his nails periodically.

One final note, be sure he has a healthy appetite. Do not worry if he should go off his diet for a day or two, but a loss of a healthy appetite is a cause for concern. Some signs to look for are: he wants to hide in dark places, displays a lack of interest in what is happening around him be sure to consult your veterinarian. Whenever you have concerns for your puppy, don't accept advice from friends but consult your vet.

House Breaking

When you get your puppy home, you will need to train him to learn his name and other things such as doing his business not in the house. The training should consist of short sessions twice a day. Use dog treats for enforcing proper behavior. There are some good books, videos and DVDs to help the pet owner to train their pet. This will take time and patience. As with anything good results will take practice. Remember that as you begin your pets training.

The information just shared should be of great value to you when you purchase your pet. By following these easy steps in caring for new puppies and dogs, you will find that being a pet owner can be very rewarding.

Caring For New Puppies And Dogs

By: George

Caring For New Puppies And Dogs

You are excited that you are bringing home your new puppy

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