Pet Tips for how to take care of your new dog or puppy and being prepared for Pet Transport and Pet Relocation.
from www.AnimalTransporters.com

So you now have a new puppy.  It is crucial to learn all you can regarding your new dog before it matures to and adult dog.  Here is some important info you should know you about your new puppy and taking care of dogs especially preparing for pet transportation.

The first thing you should do is take your dog to your local veterinarian.  Let them take a look at it, give the correct shots, and so on.

1)  If you cannot get to a veterinarian right away, inspect your pet.  Know every part of her, so if there were a change you would know what it was.  We will start at the ears.  Take a look at them inside and make sure they are clear of any kind of debris.  If you notice back, coffee-grain looking yuck in his/her ear, then your dog is most likely to have ear mites.  This is very common if your puppy has been any where around other dogs.  They are microscopic mites that can only be seen under a microscope.  You cannot buy over-the-counter medicine for this.  If you do see mite medicine in the pet store, read it and it will probably say to prevent ear mites.  At this point, your puppy already has it.  So this is something that you would want to see your veterinarian for.

2)  The next thing you want to do is to look at its eyes to make sure they are clear.  If they have discharge, then there could be a sign of an eye infection or upper respiratory infection.

3)  Next, look at its mouth and check his baby teeth.  The baby teeth will fall out around 4 months of age and start to get new adult teeth in.  Right now they are probably very sharp, but once the adult teeth come in, they won't be as sharp.  By the age of 5-6 months, the baby teeth should have all fallen out and be replace with adult teeth.  If there are still some baby teeth left behind, your vet will be able to remove these baby teeth.  It is very important to remove the baby teeth as it can cause problems later on. 

Brushing your puppies teeth is also important on keeping them clean.  If you start them out young, they don't really mind having their teeth brushed.  They have special finger tooth brushed that you can get to use.  DO NOT use human toothpaste as it can cause ulcers in the stomach since they tend to swallow it.  They have special pet toothpaste with flavors.

4)  Next, we move on down to the feet.  This is a very important part because if you don't practice this part, you may end up having problems later on.  You want your dog to feel comfortable with you touching his feet and toes.  As they get older, and are not familiar with you touching their feet, they tend to not let you touch them.  Some dogs will even bit you if you touch them.  Massage their feet every day.  They do not mind it as puppies.  As far as trimming their toenails, you can use just ordinary fingernail clippers.  Just take the very tips off.  On some puppies, they have clear nails on the end.  They are just like out nails.  When it starts to get pink, there is a vein that you will nip if you clip it.  It is a little painful, but you can apply either corn starch or flour to the tip to stop it from bleeding.  Most puppies have 5 toenails.  The fifth one is on the inside, lower down.  This tends to be forgotten about and can curl around into the skin and cause foot problems.  Trip the back nails too.  If your dog has black nails, then just trim the tips off.  You should probably trim the nails about every 3-5 weeks.  But the most important thing is to keep touching the feet as they will get used to it when they are older.  When they get to be about 80 pounds, you definitely don't want to be wrestling with her then just to clip the nails.

5)  Bathing is important not just to keep the smell down but also the bacteria in his skin.  Dogs can get bacteria infections of their skin and need antibiotics for this.  By bathing every other week to at least 1-2 times a month, this will decrease the risk of any kind of infection. 

6)  Feeding is also important on what kind of dog food you choose.  The more expensive dog food is much better for them, such as Science Diet, Iams, or Eukanuba.  Although these foods may be a little more expensive, they have less fillers in them so they actually tend to eat less of it.  On the cheaper dog foods, they add filler to "fill them up" instead of nutrients and dogs will have to eat more of this food to make up the nutrients they are missing.  So in the long run, you would be saving money and getting better dog food for them.  A good diet for your dog is a key ingredient to healthy, shiny fur.  You can really see a difference and they will feel it.

Choosing between dry or canned food can be hard.  We tend to believe that they really enjoy canned food.  Well, they do enjoy it but can have problems with their teeth later on.  Canned food tends to stick to their teeth, causing more tarter buildup, which later on, will need to have more dentals done.  Dentals are when the dog is actually put under anesthesia and the teeth are cleaned.  This can be relatively expensive and sometimes needed once every 2-3 years when they get older.  Dry food actually helps scrape the tarter off the teeth, so they can actually go through their life with only 1 maybe 2 dentals versus 6-8 dentals.

7)  Next is Heartworms.  Heartworms are actual worms that get into the blood stream and eventually live in the heart and lungs.  Heartworms are carried by mosquitoes, so 1 mosquito bite that has bitten another dog that has heartworms can come over and infect your new dog.  Since all it takes is one bite, your dog is at risk even if he/she lives indoors.  When you let your dog outside to use the bathroom, it can get bitten.  Heartworms are highly popular in most states but can be prevented with Heartworm Prevention.  This is a prescription that has to be from a Veterinarian.  It comes in many different ways.  Some in chewable beef tablets once a month, some are flavored pills in case they are allergic to beef, some is topical, and another is a 6-month shot.  All are very safe and works well if you stick with it.  Every year your dog will be tested just in case a dose was missed.  Heartworms can be treated but it is very costly.  Not only is it costly but it is very hard on your dog, similar to the side effects that chemo is in humans.  Sometimes, they can die during treatments.  Most of the time they tend to do ok.  Heartworms is not something that is found in stool.  Heartworms can only be tested by blood.

8)  Internal Parasites:  Internal parasites is another name for worms that can be found in the stool.  These are much different than heartworms and can be picked up from other dogs or just the ground.  Some parasites, puppies are just born with that the mother has passed on down to them.  Their bellies tend to be bloated looking.  Most of the common worms and parasites that are found in puppies are Hookworms, Roundworms, Coccidia, and a few others.  Some of these parasites can be transmitted to humans, so it is always a good idea to wash your hands after handling puppies.

9)  Spaying and Neutering:   Spaying and neutering is something that should always be done.  Every year, thousands of dogs and cats are put to sleep because no body wants them and there is just no room for them.  There are also other reasons to do so.  First of all, your puppy doesn't have to have a first litter.  Your dog can get breast cancer and endometriosis if your puppy is not spayed.  Every time your dog goes into heat, the risk of breast cancer goes up.  The first time your dog goes into heat, the risk of breast cancer goes up to 8%.  The second time your dog goes into heat, the risk goes up to 25%, and so on.  It is such a risk that it is best to just get them spayed or neutered.

In male dogs, the risk for unneutered males for prostate cancer is high.  They also will start to lift their leg on your personal items to mark their territory.  If you get them neutered before they raise their leg, then they will never lift their leg when urinating.  By this, you don't have to be embarrassed when you take your dog out in public, or to the vet's office.   The tendency to roam will decrease which means they will not get into as many dog fights.  Also, the general level of aggression is also decreased.

These are just the basics and you really should have your new dog or puppy checked out at the Veterinarian, especially before any kind of pet transport or dog shipping / relocation.

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions Page for more info.

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