Oceanside Animal Clinic Puppy Care Recommendations

Congratulations on the acquisition of your new puppy! Owning a dog can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it is also a large responsibility that lasts the entire lifetime of the dog. This handout is a guideline to help get you the information needed to make some excellent decisions regarding the care of your puppy.

It is important to get your puppy established for veterinary care as soon as possible in order to make a plan to ensure he/she receives proper protection and that you receive timely and appropriate advice. An initial health check is typically recommended at a minimum of 6-8 weeks of age, at which time we will begin vaccinations and parasite prevention protocols.

Why does my puppy need more than one vaccination?

When puppies are born, they get a temporary form of immunity through maternal antibodies obtained via nursing. These maternal antibodies provide passive protection against diseases that the mother has been exposed to, either naturally or by vaccination. This passive immunity is of benefit during the first few weeks of the puppy’s life, but at some point, its levels decline and the puppy must be able to develop its own active long-lasting immunity. Vaccinations are used to provide this long-lasting protection.

As long as the mother’s antibodies are present, vaccinations are unable to stimulate the puppy’s immune system because the mother’s antibodies neutralize the vaccine.

Many factors determine when the puppy will be able to respond to vaccinations. These include the level of immunity in the mother at the time of birth, how many antibodies the nursing puppy absorbed, and the general health of the puppy. Since it is unknown when an individual puppy will lose its short-term maternal immunity, a series of vaccinations are given. The goal is for at least two of these to fall within the time frame when the puppy has lost immunity from its mother but has not yet been exposed to disease. A single vaccination, even if effective, is not likely to stimulate long-term immunity, which is critically important.

Rabies vaccine is an exception to this, since one injection given at the proper time is enough to produce long-term immunity due to the lack of maternal antibody interference.

Why should I have my female dog spayed?

Spaying is the surgical removal of the uterus and the ovaries, and eliminates the dog’s estrus, or “heat” cycles. When to spay a female dog is not always straight forward, and there are pros and cons to waiting for them to experience an estrus cycle.
Spaying before the dog experiences her first estrus cycle has 3 benefits: it eliminates the risk of unplanned pregnancy and helps control the problem of dog overpopulation; it eliminates any possibility of uterine disease; and it virtually eliminates any chance of developing mammary (breast) cancer. Therefore, it is often recommended to spay your puppy at 6-7 months of age, prior to her first heat cycle. However, there are potential benefits in waiting until your pet is slightly older, including a lower risk of urinary incontinence and improved joint maturity. Especially in larger breed dogs, waiting until growth plates are closed may result in lower risk of certain orthopedic diseases when they are older. In these dogs, waiting until they are 8-12 months of age to spay is often more reasonable.

The decision of when to spay your dog is often individual to the pet and your situation. We encourage you to discuss this with your veterinarian to determine what is best for your family.

Why should I have my male dog neutered?

Intact male dogs are attracted to a female dog in heat and will climb over or go through fences to find her, making them prone to getting lost, injured, or even hit by cars. Intact male dogs tend to be more territorial towards other male dogs. Intact male dogs are prone to develop prostatic disease as they age and testicular cancer is relatively common in intact male dogs.
Neutering or castration is the surgical removal of the testicles, and will prevent or decrease these problems, as well as being an effective method of controlling the problem of overpopulation. The surgery can be performed any time after the dog is six months old. In large and giant breed dogs, we recommend waiting until at least 10-12 months of age, as their growth plates take longer to close than small breed dogs.
After neutering or spaying your pet, their metabolism will typically slow down and they are prone to gaining weight. Therefore, it is typically recommended to feed 20-30% less within about a month after the procedure.

Do I need pet insurance?

If you are considering pet insurance, now is the time! As veterinary medicine becomes more technologically advanced, the cost of care increases. That’s because of higher costs associated with the equipment, facilities and training required to provide these higher-quality services. Pet health insurance can help by offsetting some or most of the costs of diagnosing, treating and managing your pet’s illness or injury.
There are now many different pet insurance companies, and it is important to do your research prior to choosing one to make sure you fully understand what each plan costs and covers. Pet insurance plans are generally reimbursement plans – you pay the bills up front and are reimbursed by the insurance provider. Ask the insurance provider how claims are processed and what the timeframe is for reimbursement.
Ultimately, it’s your decision whether or not to buy, what coverage to choose, and from what company. There are consumer websites that compare the features and costs of pet insurance, and/or offer reviews, and you might find these helpful.