Puppy Care
Feeding your pup
At Serendipidoodle we pride ourselves on making sure all our dogs are fed premium foods and have all the nutrition their bodies need to be healthy and strong.
We like to feed both wet and dry foods so that they enjoy variety but also so that the transition for the pups is easier. We know some people prefer to feed wet and others dry. To avoid sudden changes and upset tummies we feed both and you can make the decision of what works for your family.
After lots and lots of research we choose Eukanuba as our dry choice and Lyka as our wet. Both foods are of the highest quality. Here we like to feed Lyka for breakfast and then we allow our dogs to free fee on Eukanuba all throughout the day.
We buy our Eukanuba instore from from Petbarn (hot tip - ask them to pricematch). If you need to order online PetCircle have great prices and fast delivery. We love that Lyka comes fresh to our door prepackaged for each of the dogs. It's human grade meats and the dogs go crazy for it! If you want to try Lyka use our special link https://lyka.com.au/join/
We don't recommend changing your pups diet at all for the first 4 weeks of them coming home. Stress of leaving mum and going to a new home and family causes gastric upsets enough without adding the stress of a diet change. Use Eukanuba kibble as a training reward and no other treats for now.
We like to offer Goats milk at night right before bed to help our pups fall to sleep, the protein helps them feel satisfied and full and allows for a great sleep. You can buy fresh or long life goats milk at the supermarket or in powdered form in the baby section.
When your pup comes home he or she will be sleeping through the night and mostly toilet trained. Sudden change of diet will throw this all out the window as they will likely get diarrhea and will need the toilet all hours of the night.
Sleeping Arrangements
Before leaving us your pup will have already been introduced to a crate. We don't lock them in, we allow them to move freely in and out of the crate at night and most choose to sleep in them. The crates are fully covered and the room is pitch black from 9pm.
Our pups are always sleeping peacefully through the night from 5 weeks old. This means that when you take your pup home this concept is familiar and comforting not scary. At 8 weeks old you will be able to close the door as pup will have better bladder control.
We recommend Vebo Pet Supplies crates and covers. Vebo products are high quality and last. They have super fast shipping, sometimes next day depending on your location. We use Kmart beds while they are little and then get something more pricey and fancy once the chewing phase is gone.
Toilet Training
Your puppy will be 80% toilet trained before they leave us. Some maybe 100% but we don't guarantee that. Pups bladder development is different for every pup. Here we use the Kmart grass mats and puppy pads. The trick is that every time pup eats take him or her straight outside and wait. Do not allow them in until both wee and poo have made an appearance. Give lots or praise.
Giving pup free range of a new home is the biggest mistake people make. Give them one room that is closest to where you want them to go potty. Allow free access to that area. Once pup is successful at no mistakes open another room. Take pup out as soon as they wake from a sleep. If crate training don't feed within 1 hour of bed and put a puppy pad at one end.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are vital to ensure your new pup stays healthy. However, it’s important to keep your puppy safe until they have had all 3 vaccines. This includes navigating whether your puppy can meet other dogs and how to ensure they’re properly socialised if they’re not yet vaccinated.
Your puppy should get 3 vaccines between the ages of six weeks and 16 weeks. Our vet will give them their first dose at 6 weeks and a check up. The second will be between 10-12 weeks old and a final vaccine at 14-16 weeks old.
Because your puppy’s immune system is still developing, they’re at risk to a number of viruses. So it’s important to keep them safe and wait until their last vaccination before taking them to explore parks, beaches and the wider world. However, there are other ways to make sure your puppy gets the correct levels of socialising and exercise, without putting their health at risk.
Socialising puppies before vaccinations is important so look at various puppy preschools in Australia. The Australian Veterinary Association advises puppy preschool, generally for pups between the ages of 6-14 weeks, “properly conducted in a clean environment should not pose a risk to a puppy that is yet to receive its full course of vaccinations.”
You can absolutely take your pup to visit family at there own homes as long as there are no unvaccinated dogs living on the property. You can take them to the cafe just keep pup on your knee and never allow them on the ground of any public ground. Parvo is life threatening and highly contagious.
As scary as this all sounds it's not a long time and is the perfect time to get to know your pup and focus on bonding, lead training and at home fun!
Flea, Tick and Worm Treatments
Intestinal worming
Heavy infestations with intestinal worms (roundworm, hookworm and whipworm) in puppies can be life threatening, so worming is an absolute must. Due to their smaller size and novel immune system, puppies are particularly sensitive to parasite infestations.
Your pup's intestinal worming program is started by us. We worm the pups for the first time at 2 weeks of age and then every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks of age and then monthly ongoing.
Deworming schedule recommendations past 6 months of age do vary depending on who you speak to, and the risk factors in your dog's specific location and lifestyle.
Our Vet recommends monthly intestinal deworming against roundworms, hookworms and whipworms for dogs from 12 weeks of age onwards - this is the current gold standard of care for deworming protocols1,2,3.
Deworming at least every 3 months against tapeworm is recommended for all dogs from 12 weeks of age onwards.
Which wormer is best for my puppy?
When choosing a worming treatment for your puppy, check with your veterinarian regarding their best recommendations. Some areas of Australia have documented resistance in hookworm species to the active ingredient pyrantel, when used on its own. Intestinal wormers such as Drontal or Cazitel which combine pyrantel and febantel or which use alternative active ingredients such as milbemycin oxime (Milbemax) are a safer choice in some circumstances.
Flea and tick treatment
Depending on the product, flea and tick prevention can be started around 6-9 weeks of age. You can combine flea and tick protection with worming, or you might like to give two separate products.
Ask your vet about whether there are ticks, particularly paralysis ticks, in your area. Paralysis ticks are present along most of the east coast of Australia.
We recommend that flea prevention is used year round to prevent flea eggs, larvae and pupae building up in the environment. This helps to avoid the sudden 'explosion' in flea numbers that can be seen with the onset of spring. Nexgard, Bravecto and Simparica combine flea and tick prevention and are safe for puppies from 8 weeks of age.
Desexing
The average age that vets recommend desexing is at around 6 months. For large breed dogs greater than 20kg, there has been evidence to suggest that delaying desexing until maturity, over 12 months of age, may help protect against certain medical conditions.
Our contract requires you to desex you dog before they are 13months old. Our contract also states that You are not allowed to breed from your dog. You can choose to desex earlier than 13 months if you wish.
Female dogs who are not desexed before their second heat have a significantly reduced risk of mammary cancer and uterine infection. Male dogs who are desexed are less likely to experience prostate problems and are not affected by testicular cancers.
It is important when considering the time of desexing that you talk to your vet and weigh up the pros and cons.
Dog Genetic Testing DNA
In recent years DNA testing has become to help screen for a number of known genetic health conditions including progressive retinal atrophy, ivermectin sensitivity and dilated cardiomyopathy and breed specific conditions. When used and interpreted correctly genetic tests can give breeders and owners some really valuable information about their dog's individual health risks.
At Serendipidoodles every parent is DNA tested before breeding age and will only be bred from if there is no risk of breeding affected puppies. We want you to have many many years of loving your precious pup and want them to be as healthy and happy as they can be.
We cannot guarantee your pup will never be affected by serious illness or disease but we will do everything possible to prevent all that we can. This includes only breeding dogs with great hipscores and great temperaments.
