How to care for new puppies?

Proper Nutrition for Your Newborn Puppy

Puppies feed on their mother’s milk in the first few weeks of life. Puppies are not sent to their forever homes until they are about 8 weeks old. Your puppies get all the vitamins and minerals they need from their mother’s milk, but it’s more important that they have a healthy immune system.

Puppies should be weighed regularly to make sure they are getting enough nutrition.

After the first 24 hours, 3 days and 1 week old.

The great doctors at SRVC can provide accurate weights to ensure your pups are thriving.

Caring for Mom

Puppies’ health depends on their mother’s health in the first weeks, so it’s important to make sure the pup’s mom is healthy. There are some important things to watch for.

There is a disease called canine mastitis.

Some mothers develop a disease called canine mastitis. Mastitis can be dangerous for the mother and can interfere with the pups getting the proper nutrition, so it’s important to watch for signs.

There are signs of mastitis.

Mom snapping at her pups when they try to nurse.

Take the mother to the nearest Little Rock animal hospital if you notice these signs.

Proper food preparation.

The nutrition of the nursing dog is just as important as the pups, as they depend on their mom to keep them healthy. It’s a good idea to speak to your Little Rock doctor about the proper diet for the mother. Make sure mom eats within 24 hours of delivering her litter. She should see the vet if not.

As your puppy grows to do annual wellness visits with your Veterinarian, you need to keep it healthy throughout its life.

The Shackleford Road Veterinary Clinic loves to serve families and their pets. You can call us or request an appointment.

Desexing vaccination and other vet care

Dogs that are adopted from shelters are desexed. There are positive effects of desexing your dog. Desexed animals are less likely to fight and cause injuries in cars. Both male and female dogs can benefit from desexing. Discuss desexing with your vet.

Your vet will be able to tell you about vaccinations. Puppies are vulnerable to a number of infectious diseases, some of which can be fatal. Please contact your local vet clinic if you have questions about vaccinations for your puppy. If you plan to board your dog at any time, remember that most boarding kennels will not accept animals that are not up to date with their vaccinations.

Flea treatment, worming and other essentials can be discussed with your vet.

Microchipping and registration

If your puppy gets lost, make sure they are recorded on the relevant register against your contact information so that you can be contacted if they get lost. If you move house or change your phone number, make sure to update your contact details on the relevant register. If you’re moving interstate with your puppy, make sure you register with the state you’re moving to. If you want to check the requirements for pet dog registration, you should contact the local council.

Training and socialisation

Puppyhood is a good time to start training and socialising your puppy. Actively socializing your puppy is very important. The critical socialisation period occurs between 3-17 weeks of age for puppies. The puppy’s experiences during this critical period can influence and shape their behavior in adulthood. Providing plenty of opportunities for socialisation and exposure to different environments during this time can help to ensure your puppy grows into a well-adjusted adult that relates well to other dogs, other animals and people. Puppy school classes are the best way to start socializing your pet. These classes are offered through veterinary clinics. When and where you can take your puppy depends on their puppy vaccine status.

Positive reinforcement is one of the methods the RSPCA supports. The most humane and effective training method is reward-based, it sets the pet up to succeed, is enjoyable for the animal, and enhances the relationship bond between the owner and their pet.

Training programs based on aversive stimuli, dominance, force or punishment are inhumane and can cause long-term behavioural problems.