Blue Cross of India - Pet Care

Puppy Care

The first six weeks

Select a suitable veterinarian for your puppy.
Monitor your puppy's diet.

Six to twelve weeks

Schedule veterinarian appointments every two to three weeks. It is likely that your veterinarian will want to see your puppy every two to three weeks for checkups until his twelfth week.
Begin puppy vaccinations. Your puppy's initial vaccinations for Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis and Parvovirus typically begin around six weeks and are repeated every two to three weeks until he is fourteen weeks old.
Monitor your puppy's diet. This is the stage for your puppy to establish good eating habits. You need to be consistent with what you feed your puppy, monitoring how much he eats and weighs. From six to eight weeks old, your puppy should be fed three times a day, and when they reach eight weeks, feed them twice a day. Feeding guidelines should be listed on your pet food package.

Note: Don't be alarmed if you notice changes in your puppy's appetite. Growing can affect your puppy's digestive system causing him to lose his appetite or experience digestive upset occasionally. If stomach symptoms become severe or continue for longer than a day or two, contact your veterinarian.

Three to six months

Schedule rabies vaccination. Check your puppy for parasites between four and six months.
Consult veterinarian about having your puppy spayed or neutered.

Six months to one year

Schedule booster vaccinations for Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Leptospirosis, and Parvovirus, as well as one for rabies at the time of its annual checkup.
Schedule annual checkups. Your puppy will visit the vet a lot in his first six months. Once he is six months old he should have received all his vaccinations and will probably only need annual checkups, starting once your puppy is a year old. Consult your veterinarian about the frequency of visits.

REMEMBER: Even though your puppy may look grown, he actually still growing. Continue feeding him puppy food and consult your vet on when to switch your puppy to adult food.

The second year

* Continue taking your puppy for regular checkups and make sure he is up-to-date on all vaccinations.
Consult your veterinarian about transitioning your puppy to adult dog food. Generally, smaller-breed puppies will be ready to transition to an adult dog food by the time they're a year old. Larger-breed puppies are likely to take longer than that. Your veterinarian can help you determine if your puppy has reached full maturity.

Alternately, get an "All-Indian" dog. They are hardier and more suited to our environment Result: fewer vists to the vet and yet as much love a you can handle.