Canine Nutrition

All puppies should be fed a high quality, dry puppy or "growth" diet until 9 months to one year of age.  Adult dogs should be fed a high quality dry maintenance diet or a "light" diet if the dog tends to be overweight.  Dogs and puppies do not need milk, canned food, or table scraps.  These foods can cause digestive problems such as diarrhea, bad breath and dental disease, obesity, and other health problems.  Very cheap dog foods also can cause health problems.  In general with pet foods it is better to invest in a high quality food: it pays off in the log run with better health, feeding a smaller volume of food (higher nutritional quality means lower volume of food), and lower fecal volume (less feces in the yard).  Your dog may have specific nutritional needs and your vet can help you select an appropriate diet.

Canine Spaying and Neutering

All puppies should be spayed or neutered at approximately 5 - 6 months of age.  Contrary to popular belief, it is not healthier to let your female dog go through one heat cycle before spaying.  Spaying prevents unwanted pregnancies, dogs going into heat in the house, male dogs coming in to the yard, and uterine infections.  Spaying also drastically reduces the risks of certain types of cancer.  Male dogs can be more aggressive, mark their territory, and roam more.  They are also at greater risk of testicular and prostrate cancer in their later years.  Castration tends to prevent undesirable behaviors and lower the cancer risks.

Dental Care

It is important to start thinking about dental care even with a puppy.  Middle-aged and older dogs can have dental problems such as excess tartar, gum recession, cavities, periodontal disease, and abscessed teeth.  Long-term dental problems can cause difficulty eating, significant oral pain, poor overall health, systemic infections, and other serious problems.  This can be prevented by starting appropriate dental care early.  For dogs, feeding a dry food is essential to good oral health.  Canned food causes accelerated tooth and gum problems.  Dogs can also be trained to have their teeth brushed!  We have toothbrushes and even flavored toothpastes appropriate for dogs.  There are also treats which help break down tartar.  We are happy to discuss your dog's dental care with you.

Canine Behavior Issues

Please talk to us if you have concerns regarding your puppy's behavior.  Raising a puppy to have manners can be a very daunting task!  We have a wide variety of written information available regarding puppy socialization, aggressive and destructive behavior, house training, crate training, and barking.  We want you to have a great relationship with your dog!  We can also refer you to behavior specialists and to local puppy classes.

Dog-proofing Your Home

All of the following items can be dangerous to puppies and should be kept out of reach: electrical cords (they like to chew on them), plastic bags, human medications, rubber bands, strings such as dental floss, tinsel and thread (they can eat them and become very ill), ribbon, sewing needles, and the like.  Do not allow access to common household chemicals such as antifreeze, which is very deadly, or bleach, ammonia, disinfectants, rat poisons, or gasoline.  Turkey, chicken, or rib bones should never be given as a treat as they can splinter and cause serious problems. Chocolate can also be toxic to pets.  Even getting into the garbage can be dangerous for your dog as eating unusual items can cause major gut upset or intestinal obstruction.  Some dogs also like to ingest items of clothing such as pantyhose, underwear, or socks, all of which can cause intestinal obstruction.  Dangerous house plants include lilies, philodendron, elephant ear, eucalyptus, spider plants, azalea, ivy, amaryllis, pyracantha, oleander, boxwood, Jerusalem cherry, plant bulbs, holly, and mistletoe.