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| Veterinary Visits |
We do our best to provide you with a healthy puppy. This process includes selecting healthy
parent dogs, confirming their genetic health through testing, and excellent prenatal care. Once
the puppies arrive, they are kept in a warm, clean and stable enviroment (our home) and receive
constant attention. Our puppy health care schedule follows the below timetable:
2 weeks of age - deworming
4 weeks of age - deworming
6 weeks of age - weaning, vet check, 1st puppy vaccination, deworming
8 weeks of age - 2nd puppy vaccination, deworming
By the time you take your puppy home (at or shortly after 8 weeks) they should have a reasonably
good immune system, should be free of worms and have been found to be free of any signs of
illness or disease. In order to continue on the path to good health, we recommend the following
schedule of veterinary care:
- within 3 days of purchase, we recommend a visit to your vet to confirm that the puppy is healthy.
It is up to you to decide if you want to take this step -but if your vet DOES find a serious health
problem, will we refund your purchase and take the puppy back. Refer to the purchase contract
and health guarantee for full details. (note: worms or other parasites are not considered a
serious health problem under this scenario. Even though we take multiple precautions to keep
the puppies worm free, they are able to reinfect themselves by eating any number of strange
items. Deworming is an on-going part of routine health care). At this appointment, please ask your
vet if your puppy requires heartworm prevention treatment - this will vary based on your location.
- 12 weeks of age - 3rd puppy vaccine + deworming - be sure to include Bordetella (kennel-cough
vaccine) if your puppy will be going to classes, day care/boarding kennels, or dog parks.
- 16 weeks of age- 4th puppy vaccine (depending on your area) + deworming + rabies vaccination
- next vaccinations not normally needed until the dog is at least 3 years old (except for
Bordetella, which should be redone about every 6 months or so if your dog attends day care or
classes).
Spaying or Neutering
This can be done anytime between 6 months and 14 months of age. There are many factors to
consider when planning the date of the surgery.
a) Avoid unplanned pregnancies - if there is any question about the possibility of your puppy
becoming pregnant, or impregnating another dog, then SOONER is better than later.
b) Avoid sexual behaviors - Sooner is better to avoid issues like humping, marking, or coming
into season
c) Early sterilization can help reduce some types of cancer. However, early sterilization is also
linked to conditions such as incontinence and other types of cancer. Talk to your vet about the
options or email me if you would like a study showing both the pros and cons.
d) Early sterilization can cause your dog to grow taller and possibly can cause performance or
joint issues. Torn cruciate ligaments are significantly more common in sterilized dogs. Dr. Chris
Zink, canine sports vet specialist, recommends to have your dog sterilized at 14 months or later
(or not at all) if he will be in competition or worked heavily.
e) Plan the surgery for a period of time in your life when you can ensure that the dog will remain
clean, dry, and will not be able to lick at their incision. They may be required to wear a cone or be
confined to their crate so plan accordingly.
Regular Vet Care
Most vets no longer recommend annual boosters of vaccinations - typically every 3 years is
sufficient except for the Bordetella vaccine which does not last as long. You can even ask to
have blood drawn to check for immunity prior to vaccinating, to reduce the effects of
overvaccination. Regardless of the vaccination schedule you follow, it is very important that your
vet examines your dog at least once per year. All dogs deserve a good checkup!
If you are planning to compete in a dog sport such as field trials or agility, we recommend having
your dog's hips and elbows evaluated once they done growing. The xrays are taken by your
regular vet and sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals or to the Ontario Vet College to be
evaluated. Your dog's eyes should also be examined by an AVCO certified vet on regular
intervals.
Also, if you live in an area where heartworm is present, please talk to your vet about heartworm
prevention. In B.C., this area is Kamloops and south. If you are planning to visit a location in the
heartworm region, you should also look into preventative medication. Your puppy will not have
had any sort of heartworm treatment while here as we do not have heartworms in Quesnel.
