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Just
Right
Kennels
5953 Adams road
Valdosta Georgia, 31601
229-247-3310
www.JustRightKennels.com
Puppy Information Packet
The most important thing to remember when bringing a new puppy home is that you
are bringing home a new baby. Like any new baby, special care is required until they
are older. In this packet, I will give you tips and good information for your new puppy,
to ensure safety and care for this little one.


The First Few Days

The Following Weeks

Hypoglycemia

Coccidia

Food, Water, and other Nutrients

Vaccinations

Worms

Fleas


The First Few Days

The first few days that your puppy is home are very exciting for you and your
family, but please remember that they are very stressful for your new puppy. Here at
our home, he is with his Mother and siblings and settled into a routine that he is
familiar with. He knows where his food, water, toys, and bed are located and finds
them easily. He is used to his nap times and play times on schedule. He sees the same
faces every day. Our goal is to transition from our routine to yours as smoothly and
safely as possible.

The first thing to do when you bring your puppy home is to have a small area
set up just for him. A good size would be an area no more than 3 or 4 ft. square. In his
area, he should have full access to food and water at all times. He should also have his
bed and a toy or two. Papers or a puppy pad for potty training should also be put in his
area. This should be the first place you introduce him to. Allow him to explore it and
get comfortable there. Make sure he can find his food and water. The first few days he
should spend most of his time in this area.

Getting to know his new family is very important the first few days. This lets
him know who you are, and who he can depend on. If you have children, the safest way
for them to hold him is sitting on the floor. Set the puppy on their lap. Puppies wiggle
and being dropped or mishandled can easily break a bone or even cause death. Also,
puppies this size should not be handled too much. No more than 1/2 hour at a time.
Healthy puppies can become hypoglycemic (which can be deadly) when handled to
much.

It is not uncommon for some signs of illness to occur during the first few days
of arrival at his new home. The most common reasons are: not enough rest, being
held too much, and not eating or drinking enough. Also common are, hypoglycemia
and Coccidia (brought on by stress). We will go into more detail on Coccidia and
Hypoglycemia later. If at any time you feel something is not right, please call, or email
us. We will do our best to answer any and all questions we can. You will not be
bothering us. We are in this business because we love our poodles, and value their
health and safety.


The Following Weeks

The first two weeks should be spent at home, getting on a routine, with as little
company as possible. The only other place he should go is to the vet. We recommend
waiting till he has had all of his vaccinations before taking him in public places or
visiting friends and family at their homes. Remember this is a big adjustment for him
and you want him to feel safe with all of his new family members, and his new
surroundings. Puppies need consistency and security to
keep their stress level down.

During this time, you can start to introduce your
puppy to other areas of your home. Remember to limit
his exploring time to make sure he is getting plenty of
food, water, and rest. Never leave your puppy
unattended in an open area. You would be surprised the
places he can wander into and get stuck or hurt. Be
cautious of stairs. For a puppy this size, a tumble down
just one or two steps can cause broken bones or death.
Never leave him on a chair or bed for the same reason.
The safest place for him right now is on the floor. Also
be mindful of tables with things that can fall easily, and cords he could chew.


Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is the medical term for low blood sugar. It can be very deadly to a
puppy. It is common in all toy breed puppies, up until around 20 weeks of age. Some
typical signs are listlessness, staggering gait, muscular weakness, and tremors
(especially of the face). Puppies with a severe drop in blood sugar develop seizures
and/or go into a coma. It can cause
death in small puppies. Not all of
these symptoms may be present. For
example, some puppies will have only
weakness or a wobbly gait.

Episodes of hypoglycemia often
happen without warning. Common
causes of hypoglycemia are stress,
missing a meal, chilling, becoming
exhausted from too much play or
handling, or having an upset stomach.
The first thing to do with a puppy that
is showing signs of hypoglycemia is to call your veterinarian.




Coccidia

Coccidia are small, one-celled organisms that multiply in the intestinal tracts of
most dogs and cats. They are commonly found in puppies less than six months of
age. As a puppy ages, they develop a natural immunity to the effects of coccidia. As
an adult, they can carry coccidia in their intestines, and shed the cysts in the feces, but
show no signs or symptoms.

Stress plays a big role in the development of coccidia. It is not uncommon for a
seemingly healthy puppy to arrive at its new home and develop diarrhea several days
later leading to a diagnosis of coccidia.

The most common symptom of Coccidia is diarrhea. Other symptoms include
vomiting, loss of appetite, and becoming dehydrated. If your puppy is showing
symptoms. Take him to see your vet as soon as possible.

Coccidia is very treatable with prescription medication from a vet. If left untreated,
Coccidia can cause death.


Food, Water and Other Nutrients

Tiny puppies eat small amounts at a time and burn through the energy and
nutrients quickly. This is why he should have access to food and water AT ALL TIMES
until he is older. Changing his diet is stressful on his system. When you are ready to
change his diet, be sure he is not showing any signs of stress or illness, then slowly
mix his new brand with the food we sent with you. Slowly add more of your choice and
less of ours. Please be aware that any change in his diet can also cause some diarrhea.
If it lasts more than a few days, contact your vet. Keeping him on a food specifically
made for toy breeds is recommended.

Water is essential to good nutrition and hydration in little puppies, especially if an
illness occurs. Please make sure he has access to water at all times and make sure he
is drinking it.

A few things we recommend you keep on hand are a bottle of clear unflavored
Pedialyte. If your puppy has a problem with diarrhea or is acting sluggish, adding
this to his water can be a big help in keeping him hydrated. Also, a can of soft
puppy food. If your puppy does suffer a loss of appetite this might entice him
back into eating.
A lot of people ask what we feed our poodles and our poodle puppies. We feed
Diamond brand Natuals specially formulated for toy breeds. We have found that
this food helps stustain good weights, and seem to be nutritionally balanced.


Vaccinations

While most puppies can be vaccinated at 6 weeks of age, the size of your puppy
determines whether he starts his vaccinations at 6 or 9 weeks. After his first set of
shots, he will require two more sets, or booster shots, and a rabies vaccine. We
recommend contacting your vet to set up the appointments for these vaccines ahead of
time. Vaccinations are vital to keeping him healthy, especially when taking him out of
your home.

Your puppy came with a health record provided by our vet from his first visit. Please
keep with this schedule to prevent him being unprotected.


Worms

There are a number of different worms that can affect your puppy: roundworms,
tapeworms, hookworms, whipworms and heartworms. Some live in the intestines and
some in the tissue. Some worms do not pose a problem, and you will not even be
aware that they are even there. Some worms can be tolerated in small numbers, but in
high numbers can create serious problems. All dogs at some point in their lives have
worms. With modern treatments worms are easily eliminated and harmless to your pet.

Puppies should be treated at 4, 6,
8, 10 and 12 weeks of age, and
then as advised by your vet. Also
included in your records is the
worming schedule we have
started with your new puppy, and
the type of wormer we have been
using.

Worms are common in all dogs, and although we do worm your puppy, we do not
guarantee him to be free of all worms. For this reason we recommend getting a fecal
done on your first vet visit to make sure that if there are any worms present,
medication can be given. Here is a quick over view of the most common worms found
in dogs.

Roundworms are common in puppies and look just like a piece of cooked spaghetti,
and live in the intestine. You may never see these wormsuntil they are given medicine,
and then some may come out in the puppies stool. They can cause bloating, diarrhea,
vomiting, and coughing.

Tapeworms look like a piece of rice on the stool but not in it, or sometimes can be
seen sticking like little white rice to the dogs behind. Fleas carry tapeworms. If your
dog has fleas (or had fleas) there is a good chance he could have tapeworms. Standard
wormer doesn't kill tapeworms.

Hookworms and whipworms are bloodsuckers. These can make a puppy anemic.

Heartworms live in the heart and large blood vessels. They are spread by mosquitoes.
The tree-hole mosquito, which breeds in oak trees, is very good at spreading
heartworms. Heartworms show no symptoms at all until the disease is very advanced.
Symptoms are fainting, coughing, difficulty breathing, dull coat, lack of energy, and an
enlarged abdomen. Heartworms can be prevented. Talk to your vet about putting your
new puppy on a heartworm preventative as soon as he is old enough.


Fleas

Fleas are present all over the world. In America there are over 200 different types of
fleas. Fleas are capable of jumping from 14 to 16 inches and will bite humans as well
as your pet. Females can begin to lay eggs after just 48 hours of their first blood meal.
Also, if ingested fleas can cause tapeworm. They are found in yards, kennels, forests,
parks, or any other areas common to warm blooded animals. Why? Because this is
where they can find the hosts needed for reproduction. Due to their four-stage
lifecycle they are extremely hard to get rid of.

Fleas prefer higher temperatures and higher levels of carbon dioxide. Some eggs will
remain on your pet while others fall off. These eggs will develop into the second stage
of the cycle, larvae, which will feed on these flea feces. These small worm-like larvae
will most likely be deeply hidden from view. They are commonly found in the bottom
layer of carpeting, pet bedding, or under furniture where they will shed twice before
maturing. Here they lay and feed and grow undetected and undisturbed. Before they
are detected they become pupae. These develop within a silk-like cocoon; this cocoon
is extremely resilient. Inside this protective shell the flea can live for up to one year
without feeding. This shell can protect the flea pupae from even some of the strongest
flea defenses. This is why just when you think youve
eradicated the problem and youre free of the pests,
they seem to come back out of nowhere. They lay in
waiting for a host to feed on. They are sensitive to
vibrations. Once they sense a vibration they emerge
to feed and perpetuate the lifecycle. The adult flea
can develop and mature in nearly three weeks and
live the adult stage for approximately 25 days.
We recommend putting your new puppy on a
flea preventative. Please get advice and information
from your vet.