What comes with my Pomeranian puppy ?
I send home a care package with every puppy. Each package contains some puppy food the puppy is used to eating, Hypo emergancy kit~to help you if your puppy goes off food, and a favorite toy or blanket with familiar smells for the puppy.
What do I need to buy for my Pomeranian puppy ?
Puppies need a safe environment. So be sure to have these items on hand when your puppy comes home:
**Dog dishes for FOOD and Water. These items will need to be out 24/7 for your new pup.Be sure to use YOUR brand of dog food mixed with WHAT I PROVIDE and gradually make the switch if you plan to feed something other then the brand I send home. Be sure to have enough ready for your new pup.
**Puppy Pads-Your puppy has be trained to use these to potty on. They may not be 100% accurate when leaving here, but they should use the pad at least 80% of the time if in a confined area. So be sure to have them for your puppy to use, so you both can be happy about Potty time! They really do work!
**TOYS- If you want a happy puppy please provide them with lots of toys. Otherwise your shoes, your socks, you favorite stuffed animal etc, may fall victim to puppy teeth!
**A Bed-This is to help puppy establish his own space in your home. A place where he can feel safe and secure to relax/sleep.
**A Kennel (dog crate) or Exorcise pen or confined space in your home-You absolutely need a PLACE for your new puppy to be safe. He/she is going to be VERY tiny and EASILY STEPPED ON if you let him just roam free in your home. Letting them free roam in a new home is DANGEROUS. A puppy left unattended can chew cords, eat poisons, get stepped on, hide, get stuck somewhere, fall and break bones, get outside, potty all over your house (ruining carpets), and get lost etc etc. Create a SAFE place for your puppy. Some use a Large kennel. This is not ideal for a puppy so young if you are not home to let them out every couple of hours. But it can be used if you are home 24/7 to let the puppy out every hour to go potty and run, play and get attention, instruction, and training. Leaving a puppy in a crate for hours (3 or more in a row) is not healthy for your pets emotional well being. This can create many behavior and socialization problems in your puppy. So be sure if you use a crate/kennel you let them out often. Be sure the kennel/crate is not used as a punishment.
The most ideal place for your puppy is an exercise pen. Your puppy will be safe there, be able to see you, and have room to run and play, and have a section to use to go potty in. Or perhaps you can use a gate to section off a bathroom or kitchen area. This is ideal. The smaller space provides a safe area for your puppy that also gives them room to play and be active. It also makes potty training easier as there is LESS area to have mistakes, and finding the puppy pad is easy.
**Nutra cal or canned food to use in case of hypoglycemic episode. Also beef baby food and honey are good things to have on hand to help pull a puppy out of a hypoglycemic episode.
What do I need to do to keep my puppy healthy and what should I expect from my vet ?
You have 72 hours to get cash back if there is something Fatally wrong with your puppy. If you do not see a vet, your Guarantee will be void. Seeing the vet will help you ensure the continued health of your new baby. You will need to keep up Vaccines and have your puppy treated for fleas and or heartworm's (depending on your area, so ask your vet) and worming. Here is a basic schedule and what to expect from your vet.
6-8 WEEKS:
The first series of shots/vaccine and worming are covered by me. See shot record. The rest is up to you, the new owner.
Your First visit to the vet should be at approx 8-12 weeks of age (depending on pick up time) and should include:
**Physical examination
**Next set of shots (if needed at this time-or to make schedule/appt to have them done to keep up with established schedule)
Ask vet about:
**Worming Schedules
**And heartworm/Flea/Mite/Lice prevention treatments and scheduling.
Lice, Mites and Fleas can affect humans to! So this is VERY important!
Vaccine needed for SMALL breeds are:
~Distemper
~Hepatitis
~Parainfluenza
~Parvo virus
NEVER give small dog LEPTO or CORONA virus vaccines to puppies under 6 months of age. Small dogs are to often allergic and the shot could be fatal in such young puppies. Talk to your vet about this. He may recommend doing so after the puppy is 6 months of age.
DUE at 10-12 WEEKS:
Second series of the small dog vaccines posted above is needed to maintain proper prevention of fatal illnesses.
Deworming
Kennel Cough Vaccination
Due at 14-16 WEEKS:
Third series of the small dog vaccines .
Physical examination
Worming
Flea/parasite and heartworm prevention medications.
6 MONTHS:
Rabies Vaccine
Deworming
Flea/parasite and Heartworm
Any additional vaccines for your area your vet and you agree is needed. (such as rattlesnake vaccine or lime disease ect)
I am always just a phone call or email away should you need help with any of this! Do not hesitate to call or email me anytime! Even years later, I would LOVE to hear how your baby has grown!
What do I need to do to puppyproof my home ?
This is very important. A little puppy is alot like having a new baby. They put EVERYTHING in their mouths. They will eat things they shouldn't. They will get into things they shouldn't, and they can get stuck in things, or hurt themselves easily. A few things to NOT overlook are
Outside:
**Get your yard fenced. Check to see that there are no tiny holes the puppy can escape from. Be sure there are no holes under the fence. Check the space between any gates. If there is to much space, buy some 1x1 wire from lowers (or such stores) and cut a piece to fit. Attach it to the gate with some twisty ties. Be sure it is sturdy and that your puppy can't move it aside and still get out. Puppies are so small most can fit through the space between the gates! Faulty fencing is the #1 way people lose their puppies. Be sure to get your puppy an ID tag, and put it on! This is HUGE just in case puppy gets out of the yard.
**Always be sure to be with your puppy if you put them out into the yard. Supervise them. If you go into a NON fenced area, ALWAYS have your puppy on a leash. Be sure to also keep your eyes open for other dogs. Bigger dogs often see small puppies as prey, not dogs. So keep an eye out for your baby.
**Be sure there are no poisonous plants in your yard.
** Be sure you don't have any poisons out in the yard. Examples are rat poison or antifreeze ect.
**Check for areas that might have black widow spiders or scorpions or snakes. Be sure to take such junk areas out of yard sot that puppies are at a lower risk of being bit.
**Check to see if there are places your puppy can climb, or fall down from. Even a 4 inch drop off the porch can be dangerous to your 8 week old puppy. They think they can fly, but will often jump, and then hit the ground hard. Some can even break a bone. So take a look around the yard from your puppies perspective.
**Be sure if you have a pool or pond, your puppy can't get in, or that your puppy is never out there alone. They are very curious and will fall in the pool. Do not assume they will "KNOW" to stay away from the water. I have had several people report back to me they almost lost their baby tot he pool or pond. Get baby gates/exorcise pens if needed and be sure to make it so your puppy has a safe area outside and can't get into the pool or pond.
Indoors:
**Be sure to watch your step when puppy is running free in the house. The poms love their people. They follow very close sometimes and very easily get under you feet. It can be fatal if you step on them, so be very careful!
**Create a Safe area in your home for your pet. See above info under dog crate/kennel. :D
**Be sure no poisons are left within reach of your puppy. Rat poisons, piousness plants, chocolate ect.
** Protect cords. Puppies might chew on cords and that could be fatal. Watch your puppy carefully when they are left to run about your home.
**Don't leave your puppy on the couch, table, bed. They will try to jump off, no matter how far down it is. Pomeranians can break their bones very easy. A fall from even a small height can cause broken bones or head injuries, or even death. Even if your on the bed, couch ect, you may not want the puppy to be up with you until they are older and know better then to jump off. Or you might want to put a harness on them (not a colar-or it might choke them) when they are on the bed with you. Keep the leash attached to your wrist, so if they get to close to the edge, you can pull them back and avoid a costly accident.
**Be careful with stairs if you have them. You might want to get a gate so the puppy can't go up the stairs. Going up they can usually do pretty well, but they can't go down as well and a tumble down stairs could cause serious injuries.
**You might want to get a bell to put on your puppy when you first bring them home. It is amazing how often they can find spots like under the bed, or couch, in a cupboard or closet, to hide and play. They can get lost easy. Well they are not lost, but you won't know where they are, or what they might be getting into. LOL
**Be careful about what's on the floor in your home. Just like a baby the pom kids will put EVERYTHING in their mouth. Marbles, pennies, lint ect. They can choke easy just like an infant can. So try to keep an eye on the floor for things your puppy might try to consume.
What is Hypoglycemia? Its symptoms? And treatment? Is it dangerous?
Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. A puppy, especially a small/toy breed puppy is very prone to this condition at weaning age, and when going to a new home. Low blood sugar occurs when puppy is not eating enough. Puppies , like small children, can get so busy playing they do not eat enough. They might get stressed out (when going to a new home for example) They may not eat. When the blood sugar drops in the puppy it can become quiet, sleep to much, listless, hard to wake up, limp, and even pass out. It is important to keep a close eye on your new puppy and be sure they are eating. Missing just one meal, can be cause your puppy to become hypo.
To help avoid this condition be sure to leave food out for your puppy 24 hours a day for at least the first few weeks you bring home your puppy. Make sure you puppy knows where his/her food and water is. Watch your puppy, and be sure he/she is eating and drinking. If you don't see him eating, a bit or so every couple of hours you should assume he is stressed. If you think they are stressed try to get them to eat something. Get them to eat some beef or chicken babyfood, a piece of hot dog, some canned puppy food. Most puppies are tempted into eating these things.
If your puppy seems to be very tired, listless, or limp they may be hypo. Give them some honey, nutra cal, dyne, or honey or sugar water immediately! If they do not wake up and start acting normal within a couple minutes then take them to the vet ASAP!
Here are some links for further education.