Valley View Puppies

Be Prepared: before you bring your new puppy home, consider what you will need.  Here are some suggestions: Crate, not too big but not too little; a lightweight collar and leash which should only be placed on your puppy while in your presence; shampoo designed for puppies (perhaps your particular breed)  comb/brush; food/water dishes which will be short enough for your puppy to adequately eat and drink from; bottled water since water differs from one part of the country to the other; exercise pen  provides a safe place for your puppy to play safely; toys that are durable and cannot be chewed apart; doggie toothbrush and toothpaste to maintain a healthy smile.   NOTE:  your puppy should always have feed and water set before him.  With the smaller breeds, once a day offer a soft food like Ceasar canned Puppy or a high quality of food source formulated for the high energy and nutritional need of your new puppy.  I have a favorite *Meatball Recipe* which is wonderful for any puppy -- keeps them healthy and adds to their overall well-being and lustrous coat.

Hypoglycemia: low blood sugar, is a disorder that occurs mainly in small breed puppies and is often caused by stress and can occur without warning.  It might appear after the puppy has become exhausted from playing, or misses a meal, chills or has a digestive upset.  These upsets place an added strain on its energy levels and bring on the symptoms of lethargic, collapse or even what appear to be seizures.  It is a real threat to these little guys, so watch for your puppy becoming too tired or droopy.  The first signs of listlessness or depression are usually followed by muscular weakness, tremors and later convulsions, coma and even death.  The puppy may appear depressed or may be weak, wobbly and jerky, or found to be in a comatose state.  If your puppy has any symptoms that even appear to be those of hypoglycemia, you must act fast.  If the puppy is awake, give it Karo syrup or Nutrical by mouth or rub it on the gums.  You should see improvements within 30 minutes.  If no improvements appear, you must get them to a veterinarian.  If the puppy is unconscious, it should be taken at once.
     To prevent Hypoglycemia follow this advice: allow only 20 minutes or less of play at one time, followed by a good rest.  Do not allow the puppy to overtire.  Supervise the interactions between the puppy and children.  Keep your puppy warm, a nice heating pad on low is great to keep it from becoming chilled.   Your puppy needs to eat at least every 4 -6 hours, more often if it is small.  Give a small amount of Nutrical or syrup each morning and night for the first couple of days to prevent the low blood sugar that can come with the excitement and stress of going to a new home.

Puppies love to jump from couches, etc. but this can injure their knees.  Discourage any type of jumping to protect their knees.  Further, collars can cause collapsing trachea in small dogs--use a harness.

     Your veterinarian is a good source of information concerning a number of topics with regards to the newest member of your family.  Make sure you discuss all your questions with your veterinarian.
     It is Very Important to keep the puppy up-to-date on his vaccines.  At your initial health check, have your veterinarian schedule future appointments to maintain a current vaccination schedule.  Puppies are born with special immunities passed to them by their mother, but that last for a short period of time and ceases at different ages for different puppies.