A new puppy

Congratulations with the purchase of your new puppy! You will be very busy taking care of the new one in your family. To make it a little easier for you, we have some information about the most important things you need to know so we can help you give your puppy the best start!

Vaccinations and puppychecks

Puppy vaccines are the base for enough resistance throughout the rest of their life. Yearly vaccines are necessary to maintain your puppy’s resistance.

6 weeks: Distemper and Parvo
9 weeks: Parvo, Weil’s disease and Kennel cough
12 weeks: Cocktail vaccination
4 and 5 months: Puppycheck (playful puppy consultation and growth curve with our vetnurse (€ 21,00 per consult))
6 months: Cocktail vaccination and Kennel cough
7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 months: Puppycheck (playful puppy consultation and growth curve with our vetnurse (€ 21,00 per consult))

Information about the diseases we vaccinate against you can find here: Vaccination of dogs

In our practice we offer the possibility of titer testing. For more information read our article about Titer testing.

Additional vaccinations

When you go abroad: Rabies vaccination (at least 3 weeks before departure and from the age of 12 weeks)

Puppy checks

We advise to do a puppy check every 2 to 3 weeks until the age of 3 months and every month from 3 months to a year. Think of it as a consultancy. We look, among other things, at the growth, the changing / coming through of the teeth, the coat, the ears and the behavior and you have the opportunity to ask questions about all kinds of matters in the care of your puppy. In addition, it is a good way to give your puppy a few positive experiences on the treatment table. This will prevent a lot of anxiety at future vet visits. These checks take 10 minutes and are performed by experienced paraveterinarians. A check only costs € 21,00 and can save you a lot of misery (package price 8x puppycheck € 128,40). Too rapid growth can cause joint problems that you only notice when your dog is a few years old. Also obesitas is seen more in dogs with a rapid growth as a puppy. Obesity leads to a considerably lower life expectancy, an increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory problems, diabetes, a reduced immuneresistance and thus a risk of infections and other diseases and an increased risk of osteoarticular disorders such as arthritis.

Nutrition and growth curve

At every visit we weigh your puppy and look at the growth curve. When a puppy takes in too many calories, he will not gain weight but will grow too fast. This significantly increases the risk of joint problems and obesity later in life.

For tasty food, a healthy coat and nice firm stools, we recommend Hill’s puppy kibble. We fully support Hills nutrition. It’s a scientific diet. This means that the company conducts a lot of research into what the right diet is for a healthy dog, but also for diseases. It always has a balanced stable composition and is provided with the latest nutraceuticals. These are scientifically proven ingredients that have a positive effect on health. If you prefer to feed fresh meat without preservatives, we recommend Raw veterinary diets All life balance. This is a fresh meat food without pathogenic bacteria. In our practice we work with the FeedWise nutrition program that was developed by the European recognized animal nutrition specialist (ECVCN) Esther Plantinga. With this program we can: see if your puppy is growing too fast or too slow. With FeedWise we can take a closer look at any diet. Also the food that we do not sell ourselves, but that gives you a good feeling or that your animal simply likes very much. Unfortunately, there are many popular foods on the market that have an incorrect calcium to phosphorus ratio. This can also cause joint problems.

Socialisation

This is the process by which puppies learn to interact with all kinds of animals and people. So also children of all ages, cats, dogs of all breeds, sizes and colours. It ensures pleasant, safe interaction with others, but also a puppy that is stable in life. The period of the first 3,5 to 12 weeks is sometimes referred to as the (first) socialisation phase. This period is of great importance for the puppy and actually lasts only a short time. By making good use of this period, fear, aggression and prey-catching behaviour can be reduced. Making good use of it means introducing yourself in a nice, calm and measured way. We often hear that puppies are kept indoors until after the vaccination at 12 weeks. This is neither wise nor necessary. Puppies are protected by herd immunity, so when enough dogs are vaccinated, as in the Netherlands, infectious diseases will be rare. In addition, many puppies (about 30%) are only protected after vaccination at 6 months of age. This has to do with maternal antibodies that are sometimes present in the puppy for a long time and ensure that the vaccination does not work. For more information about a good start with your puppy read this document.

Exercise

How often, how much and how active can I play with my puppy? Often, you hear that you have to be very careful with the movement of your pup. Don’t walk stairs, don’t jump, walk 5 minutes per month of age etc. But what does that mean? What is allowed and what absolutely not?

Together with the animal physiotherapist put together guidelines: exercise in puppies and young dogs

Parasites

Deworming

All puppies have worms, also yours. The main reason we deworm is for human health!

6-8-10 weeks of age, then every month until 6 months of age and then at least every 3 months unless your dog eats fresh meat or eats things off the street or when there are children under the age of 8 in the house then every month.

Flea and tick control

Being Flea-free in the first year of life reduces the risk of flea allergy later in life. Amsterdam is a real flea paradise, so flea removal every month is very important all year round, even in winter! Ticks are active when the temperature rises above 7 degrees and good tick control is therefore also necessary in the Netherlands all year round

A pipette in the neck or a (chew) tablet every month that you prefer.

What we normally recommend is Nexgard® Spectra. This is a tasty chewable tablet for dogs that kills fleas and ticks and deworms at the same time. However, we have various resources in stock and we can always give appropriate advice.

For all preventive care and attractive discounts, you can take out the VetPlan® or VetPlan® Plus subscription with us, feel free to ask for more information!

Chip

A chip and registration is required for dogs in the Netherlands and also necessary to travel. If your dog is imported it also needs a European pasport.

Sterilisation/castration

Sterilisation at a young age can prevent problems like uterus infection or mammary gland tumors when they are older. When it’s time, we will talk you through the pros and cons.

Between 6 and 9 months old, or 3 months after the first heat.

Castration of male dogs is only recommended if the dog shows strong unwanted testosteron-related behaviour.

Insurance

No more concerns about high costs at the veterinarian clinic. The younger your puppy is when you start the insurance, the cheaper the monthly fee. For more information visit our page about Health insurance for your pet.

Dogschools

Many owners choose to do puppy training. There are many dogschools. You can do this training in groups or individually. We’ve listed some well known dogschools in Amsterdam for you on this page: Dog schooling

Poisoning

In case of poisoning, consult the vet as soon as possible! Try to find out what the animal has ingested and how much is ingested. If you have a label, keep it handy. Do not make your animal vomit by putting a spoonful of salt on the tongue. This can lead to fatal salt poisoning. For more information on how to prevent poisoning visit: Poisoning in cats and dogs

We wish you a lot of fun with your new puppy. Do you have any questions? Our doors and phone lines are always open for you!