Shoal Creek Kennels
NEW OWNER PUPPY STANDARDS:
SHIPPING:
Understand that it is my discretion as to when I will ship a puppy. The usual age is 8-12 weeks. A puppy may not be ready for shipping at 12 weeks. I may need to extent the time of shipment a week or two. Shipping is very stressful on a puppy therefore, even though you have paid in full, I will only ship when in my opinion, the puppy is strong enough to handle the stress. I will contact you and explain the situation if this should happen.
FOOD:
A small bag of puppy food will be sent with your new puppy. This is so the puppy does not have to go through the stress of a diet change. A sudden change in the diet will cause diarrhea. If you are not able to continue with the brand I use, I recommend PURINA PUPPY CHOW, “HEALTHY MORSELS”. Mix equal parts the new food with what I sent until what I sent is gone. This is very important to prevent diarrhea. I use Purina Exclusive Puppy.
FEEDING: THE SMALL BREED, YORKIE, MALTESE AND TOY POODLE
If the puppy has not eaten for 6 hours after you have had it home and settled in, you MUST call me for suggestions and help.Make sure your puppy is eating when you place food in front of it. A good way to ensure that the puppy is in fact eating is to measure how much you put in his/her bowl. A puppy should be fed at least 3 to 5 times in a 12 hour day.
(Larger puppies may have a longer adjustment time and may not eat for the first day or day and a half.)
WATER (for the small breed also):
Keep honey in the water for the first month. Mix 1 teaspoon of honey to 1 cup of water. Be sure to keep the water bowl full at all times.
NUTRICAL: Should be given 3 to 4 times a day for the first one to two weeks. Depending on the size of the puppy will determine the amount to be given; I will provide that information to you.
THE RIDE HOME:
Puppies may become car sick the first couple of times he rides in a car. Consider having another person with you that can hold the puppy. They should open the window 3-4 inches and constantly but slowly rub the underneath of the puppy’s neck. This is effective 98% of the time. Take a towel with just in case the puppy does get sick, when you get home give the puppy about 45 minutes for his tummy to settle down. Don’t handle the puppy to much.
ONCE HOME:
When you arrive at your home and put the puppy down for the first time, the puppy may just stand and act frightened. Back away and talk soothingly to your puppy, reassuring it by saying,”good puppy, nice puppy” Whistle very softly and your new puppy will come over and sniff. When the puppy comes over, pat it on the head. The puppy will be fine in time. It is common for a puppy to be nervous, (the puppy is no longer experiencing familiar sounds and smells.) This unsettling feeling will pass shortly.
Make sure you are not constantly handling the puppy or passing it around from hand to hand. In the beginning, it is important to give the puppy time to rest and a chance to get acquainted with its new family and new surroundings. A puppy is very fragile and must be treated like a baby. Do not rough house with the puppy the first few weeks.
Be very careful and keep your puppy on a leash when you take it outside, even to go to the bathroom. Keep the puppy away from public parks or where other dogs may have defecated until your puppy has been fully vaccinated. Do not let your puppy come in contact with other dogs in your neighborhood or family, unless you are sure they have been fully vaccinated. Keep your puppy away from wooded areas where raccoons or squirrels may live that may have rabies. Make sure your puppy is given a rabies vaccination when it is due.
SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS TO BE AWARE OF:
KENNEL COUGH:
Is caused by a combination of stress and temperature variations. I vaccinate for Kennel Cough, but there are many strains of it. It is very common, almost as common as the human cold. It is not serious, but does require treatment. Even though the puppy does not have the cough when it leaves my home it is possible for the puppy to get the cough during travel because the puppy is exposed to other animal that may have it, and will experience temperature changes and it will endure stress in shipping.
SYMTOMS OF KENNEL COUGH:
A dry hacking cough and shortness of breath. It sounds very threatening, but is treatable with medicine. It can last for a few days or up to several weeks. Feel free to contact me if you suspect your puppy has Kennel Cough.
HYPOGLYCEMIA:
Usually occurs with small breeds. It is something that can happen overnight. It happens when a puppy gets stressed and /or stops eating, that causes the blood sugar to drop below normal.
SYMPTOMS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA: Are one or more of the following, white gums, eyes rolled back, inability to stand straight and/or seizures.
REMEDIES FOR HYPOGLYCEMIA:
A quick dose of pure honey or Nutrical will put blood sugars back to normal. Place the puppy in a warm place and quickly consult your veterinarian.
PREVENTION:
It is extremely important with small breeds that they eat 3 to 5 times a day OR every four hours; this will ensure that the puppy is getting a steady stream of nutrients. Remember, small breeds are very fragile and can get sick quite easily, especially if they stop eating.
CONCLUSION:
Nervousness or change in diet may cause diarrhea.
If your puppy should get diarrhea and it lasts more than 5 days, or the bowl is more water like, please call me immediately.
I have read and fully understand the new contract policies and puppy information. I agree to abide by the contract, suggestions and request in the document, and follow the NEW PUPPY STANDARDS. Failure to abide to any of the recommendations in this document is cause to make my contract with Shoal Creek Kennel void.
__________________________________Signature ______________________Date
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