Puppy Care Guide

Shambhala Cresteds

Puppy Care Guide & Health By Brigitte Reid/L. Cooper

Puppies need to be fed at least 3-4 times a day. Kibble mixed with canned or dry food only with a bowl of fresh water available at all times. Carrots, apples, bananas, cooked liver, heart, giblets and chicken but no grapes, raisins, lettuce, zucchini etc. as treats. Beef bones, marrow bones need to be cooked & be of an adequate size larger than puppy's mouth to prevent choking. They help to get the baby teeth out. Never feed anything spicy, chocolaty or any chicken, turkey nor pork bones as they splinter.

Make sure the puppy does not eat plants; some of them are very poisonous including: all types of lilies, azalea, jasmine, caladium, croton, the leaves and stems of apples, cherries, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes to name a few. Bufu frogs (toads) expel a toxic secretion when dogs take them into their mouths that can cause seizures and very quick death, if not taken immediately to the vet. Flush the mouth out first with water. There are 2 separate links to all the poisonous plants/foods located in the "HEALTHFUL LINKS" page.

Never leave your young puppy alone in any areas with electrical wires that they may chew on, or pool areas where they could fall in and drown, Household dangers are detergents, insecticides, office and craft supplies, needles and thread, medications including Tylenol and Advil, antifreeze, yard chemicals, snail bait, fish hooks with bait etc. Keep them in a safe place. Do not leave your puppy alone outside, even in a fenced yard; it could dig a way out. If you walk your puppy, do not let it off the leash, as they are very vigorously fast, agile runners. Do not allow your puppy to jump up/down off furniture (couch, loveseat etc) & to climb on tables; if it jumps down, it could easily break a leg or cause serious leg/body injury. Always place chairs under the table so the puppy can't jump on a chair to get on the table.

Make sure your puppy is in a warm place. Should your puppy be a hairless, if necessary, use a cotton or fleece sweater. The hairless variety do get cold, even on a Summer nights walk. It does give a good excuse to buy them their very own wardrobe. During the daytime, weather permitting, should your hairless puppy want to romp outside to play, you must use a sunscreen of SPF-45 or better as to not letting them get sunburned. Always making sure of plenty of cool fresh water being available at any and all times along with a shady rest area A really neat place to buy clothes/toys/treats is www.PETEDGE.com

For potty training, let your puppy go outside as often as possible; providing you have a secure area, then reduce after a couple of weeks to three (3) times daily. If kept mostly inside or there is rainy or cold weather, your puppy might not to go outside. Patch up, generously, in a corner of one room some newspapers or use "pee-pee pads". I do not recommend litter-boxes since some puppies may eat the granules.

Bathe your puppy one to two times weekly. Use a mild dog shampoo or Johnson & Johnson's Baby shampoo for the hair and for the skin, a moisturizing soft soap. Rinse and towel dry, put cream on the skin to keep it soft and moisturized - hairless.

Teeth cleaning on puppies needs to start the training process by the age of three (3) months of age so as the puppy will be used to being brushed to deter tarter build-up. There are several great products readily available to aid against this potentially unhealthy problem, such as gingivitis, puss, tooth loss, bad breath, rheumatism, bad bacteria which in turn can cause problems affecting the heart and kidneys. You owe your puppy a healthy life with good dental hygiene!

You can keep the following in a first aid kit; antibacterial ointment, anti-itch cream with hydrocortisone, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, thermometer, sterile gauze bandages and dressing pads, sports tape, vet wrap, paper towels, cotton balls, blood-clotting aid like styptic powder, Microtek Pet Spray (for itching, hot spots, seborrhea, fungal and bacterial skin problems), activated charcoal tablets, diarrhea medicine such as Kalin pectin or diarrhea control gel, cough syrup, respiratory aid such as VetRx Veterinary Remedy, eye lubricant, eye wash, eye antibiotic ointment and ear cleanser. These products can be ordered from www.UPCO.com , www.KvVet.com , and www.REVIVAL.com .

You must keep up with all puppy and adult (annual) veterinary vaccinations, deworming, preventative care and heartworm preventative. Your puppy deserves the best especially since he/she will be your best friend and companion for the next 15 or so years.

And now, enjoy your cute, unconditional-loving puppy.

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."