NEW PUPPY CARE
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Housetraining: see training resources at bottom of page as well
o Recommend crate training for housetraining and so pet has own ‘den’
o Take outside after eat, play, and sleep
o Puppies need to go out AT LEAST every (n+1) hours, where n=months old (less
in small breeds, i.e. = n; more in large breed dogs)
Puppy-Proofing the Home: see next page(s)
o Google methods of baby-proofing the home, as puppy-proofing is similar
o See http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control as well as
http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/
Introduction to Resident Pets: STAGES, KEEP PUPPY ON A LEASH!
o Start by having in different rooms that abut with a door. Feed the dogs on each
side of the door to start a positive association (food)
o Should be kept separate until at ease on other side of door, then at ease on other
side of gate, then…
o When introduce face to face, have puppy on a leash (pull away if seems to annoy
dog) and perform introduction in neutral/new territory for both
Socialization and Training Classes: AGE SECTIONS, VACCINES REQUIRED
o Ideal if classes allow children as well for human socialization
o Critical between 8 and 12 weeks of age! Want positive association with other
dogs, cats, children, and adults (treats!). BE CONSISTENT!
Desensitize to “All-Over” Touching: WHEN SLEEPY (i.e. after play)
o Rubbing outer surface of teeth, lifting lips, handling ears and feet
o Move from petting toes to gently squeezing toes to trimming 1 paw/time
o Can start brushing teeth now to get used to procedure
Biting/Mouthing Issues? BE CONSISTENT!
o Give frozen carrots to soothe ouchy gums from teething (6 wks-7 mos)
o Method 1: “YIP” or “OUCH!” and redirect to something okay to chew on
o Method 2: every time your pup nibbles, stand up and make like a tree, look away.
Once she sits or freezes for an instant, give treats
o Method 3: pinch mouth back as long as puppy is biting you, saying “NO BITE!”
forcefully and with authority
Nutrition: MEAL FEED!
o Puppy-specific diet, especially Hill’s or Royal Canin (research, consistent)
 Small breed puppy specific: higher glucose level needed
 Large breed puppy specific: slows growth of long bones to reduce risk
and/or progression of arthritis and hip dysplasia later in life
o Carrots, green beans, apples for treats—no other people food (one piece of our
food is like a cheeseburger for them!)
o Eat too fast? Use toys that release bits of food or get a bowl with prongs in the
bottom. Inhaling food can lead to bloat and to twisting the stomach around, which
may be fatal.
Toys: SIZE-APPROPRIATE!
o No socks, stuffed animals, or items that can be confused with nice stuff
o Kongs or rolling food-dispensing toys: take filler out of daily food intake
Exercise? LIMITED!
o Any little jump can cause compression fractures of the growth plates, leading to
deformities of legs as well as painful joint issues later in life
o No trails or running until at least 1 year old (same reason)
Training Resource: The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete
See also http://www.indoorpet.osu.edu/dogs/, BarkBusters.com free training sheets
POISON-PROOFING YOUR HOME
Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pet
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Alcoholic beverages (drooling, retching, vomiting or attempting to vomit, bloat, elevated
heart rate, weakness, collapse, low blood pressure, coma, death): even unbaked dough!
Avocado (deadly for birds)
Chocolate (all forms: causes kidney failure; also contains caffeine—see Coffee
below)…smaller the dog and darker the chocolate, the worse the toxicity!
Coffee (all forms: hyperactivity, restlessness, vomiting, high blood pressure, death)
Fatty foods (causes pancreatitis: vomiting, belly pain in dog; anorexia, lethargy in cat)
Macadamia nuts (muscle weakness—esp. hind end, tremors, vomiting, pancreatitis)
Moldy or spoiled foods (tremorgenic mycotoxins: agitation, increased body
temperature, hyper-responsiveness, panting, drooling, vomiting; progress to
incoordination, seizures)
Onions, onion powder (esp. Akita, Shiba Inu, cats; gastroenteritis = vomiting/diarrhea;
anemia=pale gums, weakness, exercise intolerance)
Raisins and grapes (causes kidney failure: excess or decreased thirst and urination)
Salt (i.e. homemade play dough, deicers, paintballs; vomiting, diarrhea, inappetance,
lethargy, walking drunk, excessive thirst or urination, tremors, seizures, coma, death)
Yeast dough (expands in warm, moist environment of stomach leading to bloat/GDV =
vomiting, non-productive retching, distended stomach, elevated heart rate, collapse)
Garlic (see Onions: similar toxicity but 5x more potent than onions)
Products sweetened with xylitol (low glucose = lethargy, incoordination, collapse,
seizures; liver failure = lethargy, vomiting, problems clotting blood)
Warm Weather Hazards
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Animal toxins—toads, insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions (varies: irritation to death)
Blue-green algae aka cyanobacteria in ponds (small mouthfuls may result in death; may
result in liver damage/failure, neurotoxicity, or death)
Citronella candles (drinking or eating leads to digestive upset)
Cocoa mulch (significantly more toxic than milk or baker’s chocolate)
Compost piles (see Moldy or spoiled foods above)
Fertilizers (disulfoton or other organophosphates; in some cases may be fatal!)
Flea products (permethrin toxic to cats in low doses; shake, tremors, seizures)
Outdoor plants and plant bulbs (digestive irritation to death)
Swimming-pool treatment supplies (corrosive: severe ulcers in mouth, esophagus,
stomach; death due to puncture through GI wall)
Fly baits containing methomyl (added to food in dogs by malicious intent; gastroenteritis,
convulsions, death from respiratory failure)
Slug and snail baits containing metaldehyde (‘shake and bake’: within 1 to 2 hours of
ingestion, clinical signs of salivation, restlessness, vomiting, and incoordination are seen,
which then progress to tremors, seizures, and secondary severe hyperthermia)
Cold Weather Hazards
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Antifreeze (ethylene glycol): 30 min-12h drunk/drooling, 12-24h fine, 36-72h kidneys fail
Liquid potpourri (cats): severe chemical burns of mouth with a few licks (paw at mouth)
Ice-melting products: irritates paws, see also Salt above if lick paws
Rat/Mouse bait: may include vitamin D (toxic) or warfarin (pet spontaneous bleeds, die)
Top 10 Toxic Plants to Animals
Autumn Crocus: bloom in fall, highly toxic. Cause severe vomiting, gastrointestinal
bleeding (may see dark brown stool or frank blood in feces, blood in vomit), liver/kidney
damage, and respiratory failure. Signs may be immediate or days later.
Azalea: ingesting just a few leaves can result in vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive
drooling. Without immediate veterinary attention, the pet could fall into a coma and
possibly die.
Cyclamen (left): roots cause severe vomiting and even death.
Kalanchoe (right): vomiting, diarrhea, and heart arrhythmias.
Lilies: Peace, Peruvian, and Calla cause minor drooling. Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter,
and Japanese Snow are highly toxic to cats: a few leaves can cause kidney failure!
Oleander: leaves and flowers extremely toxic, cause severe vomiting, slow the heart
rate, and possibly even cause death.
Dieffenbachia: intense oral irritation, drooling, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty
swallowing if ingested.
Daffodils: severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory
depression, drooling. May lead to more severe symptoms, contact vet immediately!
Lily of the Valley: vomiting, diarrhea, drop in heart rate, severe cardiac arrhythmias,
possibly seizures.
Sago palm: leaves and seeds can cause vomiting, bloody stools, damage to stomach
lining, severe liver failure, and—in some cases—death.
Tulips and Hyacinths: profuse drooling, vomiting, diarrhea. Large ingestion of bulb
can cause increased heart rate, changes in respiration (esp. Labrador Retrievers).
Medication (possibly lethal, even in small doses)
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Pain killers (incl. Tylenol/Acetaminophen, Advil/Ibuprofen, Aspirin): liver/kidney disease
o ONE TYLENOL CAN KILL A CAT!
Cold medicines (Pseudoephedrine: common decongestant): elevated blood pressure,
heart rate, and temperature; nervousness and hyperactivity; seizures
Anti-cancer drugs (i.e. 5-FU for superficial basal cell carcinoma or actinic keratosis, leads
to acute gastrointestinal signs—vomit/diarrhea—and nervous system signs—seizures)
Antidepressants (highest number of calls of to Pet Poison Helpine of all medications):
neurological problems like sedation, incoordination, agitation, tremors, seizures
Vitamins (VitD toxicity in dogs, VitA toxicity in cats—i.e. liver)
Diet pills (See Coffee for caffeine)
Common Household Hazards
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Fabric softener sheets (some rub pets down with): irritation to kidney failure, lung fluid
Mothballs (pesticides, esp. older with naphthalene): esp. cats; pale/brown gums, weak
Post-1982 pennies (due to high concentration of zinc): pale/yellow gums, vomiting, death
Holiday Hazards
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Christmas tree water (fertilizers and bacteria can upset the stomach when ingested)
Electrical cords (electrocution when chew)
Ribbons or tinsel (get stuck in the intestines leading to obstruction, esp, in kittens!)
Batteries (corrosive): drooling, oral pain, pawing at mouth, vomiting, difficulty swallowing
Glass ornaments (gastrointestinal irritation to punctures leading to sepsis)
Non-toxic Substances for Dogs and Cats
The following substances are non-toxic to pets but may cause mild gastrointestinal upset in some
animals:
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Water-based paints
Toilet bowl water
Silica gel
Poinsettia
Cat litter
Glue traps
Glow jewelry
Call Washington Poison Center if suspect item may be toxic: 1-800-222-1222 ($30 charge).
Visit ASPCA.org for further information on toxic materials.