Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

mitzy · Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 3

hi..! i have purchased a miniature poodle puppy born on the 29th of january - the breeder said it'll be ready for me on the 15th of march onwards.. i just want to know exactly what i should do once it comes as i have never had a puppy before - only fully grown dogs..... vaccinations? training? give me all details if possible and when exactly should i start bringing it in for vet visits ? please help and thanks!

Dr Nat · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 1834 Location: Klang Valley

If you're getting a new puppy, I'd advice you to bring it to the vet almost as soon as you get it. Then the vet can verify the health of the puppy. It is also good for you to get to know the vet and get details or a phone number to call for emergencies. And your vet can explain to you the vaccination needs of your pup, based of course on what the breeder has done. In fact, you could also ask the breeder to recommend his vet for you, as his vet would be the one to vaccinate the pups and the mother - which is good because the vet will know its history. Make a list of things you need to know, such as vaccine timing, deworming, parasite control, heartworm and neutering. Then you're also welcome to come here to share those information, and we'll help you out with more details if you have more queries.

filet0fish · Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 30 Location: Pee Jay

hi mitzy, first of all, CONGRATULATIONS!!
new addition to the family. i bet you can't wait to bring your darling home.

before i brought home my girls, i did alot of studying and reading on their temperament and their history. and i also joined alot of Husky forums to read what the owners go through with their dogs. it is a very way to first get to know the breed that you are bringing home. each breed has their own traits. so it is good to know them.

i also bought alot of books to read up.

first of all, you do need to puppy-proof your house. by 4 months old, they will start to change their puppy teeth to adult teeth. so it is crucial to keep all harmful things (wires, and chinas) away. when they are teething, they will chew! getting them toys and teaching them to chew only at toys will help during their teething period.

you also need to toilet train your puppy the first day he/she will be home. puppies tend to pee ALOT, and poo ALOT! so it is essential that you have an area (be it in a cage, or in the toilet, or on old newspapers) for your puppy to do his/her business. alot of patience is needed. and it is best that you do time your puppy's business time. once you're get used to as and when he/she will do his/her business, you have got to bring your puppy to the right spot.

let me know if you need anymore info.

Dr Nat · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 1834 Location: Klang Valley

If I may add something on here...

When you ask someone "I have a new puppy/dog, now what do I need to know?". Its actually a very hard question to answer, because there is A LOT that you need to know. In fact, I must say that we are all still learning, even for vets. We can tell you a little about the basics, but really, the best thing you can do is (like fillet0fish) pick up a book and look up more info on the internet. There are lots of info to be found. - and of course, when you find something interesting, do share with us here.

mitzy · Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 3

hey everyone! my darling's arrived and has been with me for about two weeks already! :) hes 2 months plus now.. and i just have a question, what is heartworm and should i be giving him hartguard? because lots of people have told me to do that. hehe thanku!

Dr Nat · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 1834 Location: Klang Valley

In short, heartworm is exactly what it say - worms that lives in the heart.

Once the worm gets to the heart, treatment is very difficult and complicated. And that is why people ask you to give your dog heartgard, cos prevention is better than cure. But there are other products available besides heartgard. If you consult a vet, make sure this is on your list of questions to ask your vet.

Do visit here for more info on heartworm http://www.avma.org/communications/brochures/heartworm/heartworm_brochure.asp

filet0fish · Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 30 Location: Pee Jay

vets, correct me if i'm wrong.

Mitzy, like what Dr. Nat said, heartworms are exactly what its name says they are. worms that live in a dog's heart. when these parasites attack, it complicates their heart's functions. there is cure if you find out fast, but it is very difficult and complicated. so prevention is best!

Heartgard is the brand of the supplement and it is consumed on a timely and monthly basis. to administer Heartgard, it is always best to check your dog's weight and give the correct amount of dosage.

some people don't like the hassle of having to remember when to give Heartgard to their dogs on a monthly basis. so they turn to Proheart. Proheart is administered once yearly, and it is an injection administration. back in year 2004, Fort Dodge (the manufacturer) were required to withdraw all Proheart products from the market because there were rare cases of deaths when Proheart was administered.

i can't remember if Proheart has been reintroduced in the market because i read about the Proheart cases last year, and I can't seem to find all the articles that i've read before. but you should read this.

i give my girls Heartgard every month on the 1st. because the weight category for both my girls are the same, so it is easy for me to buy a box (a box has 6 chewables) that will last me 3 months for the 2 girls. also, i was advised by Dr. Lai Chong from Hand n Paws that i did not need to start the girls on Heartgard before they complete their vaccinations. depending on what vaccination you gave your puppy, a puppy's vaccination already has Ivermectin that will combat heartworms. i only started the girls on Heartgard a month after they've completed their jabs, which is at 5 months old.

do more reading and consult your vet for the right dosage and right timing for your puppy. that is what's most important.

mitzy · Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 3

hi everybody..again! my miniature poodle, so far, has gotten 2 vaccines - the 6-in-1 and the 10-in-1 vaccines. The vet said he has only one more vaccine to go - the booster for the 10-in-1 before it is reduced to a booster once a year. the thing is, my dogs hair is rather unruly and everything, he carries dirt all over the house due to the long hair between his paws. i dont dare to cut his hair myself, and i want to send him for grooming.. would it be okay for me to send him before his booster for the 10-in-1 as i am quite desperate? or will that be taking a risk on my little doggie's life? hehe please help me answer this before thursday as thats when our appointment is.. thankyou!!

Dr Dunker · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 466 Location: Puchong,Selangor

While it is correct that ivermectin is used to kill microfilariae, but I dont think there is a vaccin that contains Ivermectin. Proheart also have their own monthly oral heart worm prevention but it does not taste as good. I think the problem with proheart mentioned earlier is proheart-6 while the one we use here is proheart SR-12. While I have herd of reports of adverse reactions with sr-12. BUt remember every drug, even your vacc have a potential to cause a reaction.