Advice for New Puppy Owners
Congratulations on your new puppy!
Whilst it is an exciting time for you and the family, please remember that your puppy will need commitment, patience and care for the rest of his/her life.
They depend on you for their happiness and well-being, so the following is a guide to the basics of looking after your puppy.
Please remember that we are always happy to hear from you if you need more information about any of the following items.
Vaccinations
Your puppy should start vaccinations from 6 to 8 weeks of age and will require a second injection 2 to 4 weeks later (your puppy must be at least 10 weeks old for this second vaccination). Two weeks after this second injection your puppy is then fine to go out and about.
We vaccinate against the following:
Canine Distemper Virus
This is a virus that targets a number of areas such as the respiratory tract, gut and nervous system. It can cause the pads and nose to become cracked. This virus has a long incubation period so it is usually too late to vaccinate once an outbreak has begun. Distemper is often fatal.
Infectious Canine Hepatitis
This is a disease that attacks the eyes, liver, kidneys and lungs. It progresses rapidly and causes death within 24-36 hours. Some can recover but continue to shed the disease for many months, posing a threat to other dogs
Canine Parvovirus
This virus affects dogs of all ages but is a particular threat to the old and young. It presents itself as vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and a high temperature. Many dogs die despite veterinary treatment.
Canine Parainfluenza
This is a component of kennel cough. The main signs are a harsh hacking cough with gagging and retching, which gives them the appearance of having something stuck in their throat.
Leptospirosis
This is a bacterium and we vaccinate against two main strains of leptospira: The first is picked up from water contaminated with infected rats urine, and affects the liver and kidneys – this is often fatal. The second is caught from the urine of other infected dogs. It causes damage to the kidneys which may only become evident as the dog gets older and develops kidney failure.
Kennel Cough
“Kennel Cough” is a broad term to describe any infectious cough caught through contact with other dogs – usually, although not always, in kennels. The vaccine protects against the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica which affects the airways secondary to some other, milder infection. Please note: this is a separate vaccine given intra-nasally and is not part of the normal vaccination course.