C155, 1600 90th Ave SW
Calgary, Alberta
(403) 255-7735
www.landinganimalclinic.com
[email protected]
PUPPY INFORMATION GUIDE
Your new puppy will bring you lots of joy for years to come. S/he will be a close
companion, a playmate, and a reliable friend. However, this does not happen without
some effort. You should begin to train him/her even in these early days, so that s/he
becomes a welcome addition to your family. Not unlike a baby, your puppy requires
regular feeding, sleeping, playing and training. Of course, this means that your new
puppy will need lots of attention and care. We realize that new dog owners have many
concerns. So we have put together a Puppy Care Kit to get you off to a good start.
Included are basic tips on your pup’s first day home, house-training, health care,
feeding, behavior-training and crate-training.
Please Note: We have only scratched the surface though. For more complete details,
there are plenty of good books available, such as What All Good Dogs Should Know.
or Good Owners, Great Dogs. In addition, obedience schools have a wealth of
knowledge.
For further information on anything concerning your puppy, please do not hesitate to
contact any one of our knowledgeable staff here at Landing Animal Clinic.
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VACCINATING YOUR PUPPY
When puppies are born, their immune systems are not mature enough to make
antibodies until approximately 8 to 12 weeks of age. Nature provides for temporary
immunity in the form of colostrum (milk from the mother), which is very rich in
antibodies. Babies who fail to suckle colostrum in the first few days of life, will be
extremely susceptible to disease until their own immune system mature and makes
their own antibodies. We as pet owners assume that our healthy puppy did get its
mother’s colostrum. After weaning around the age of 8 weeks, it is now our
responsibility to protect your new pet by putting it on a vaccination schedule.
VACCINATION SCHEDULE
First visit - 8 weeks
Distemper combination (includes Distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and parvovirus)
Second visit - 12 weeks
Distemper combination and Bordatella (also known as kennel cough)
Third visit - 16 weeks
Distemper combination and Rabies
At each of your puppy vaccination visits, the veterinarian will perform a physical
examination to make sure he or she is healthy. Feel free to ask any questions you may
have about your new pup at this time.
Note: If the first vaccine was given before 8 weeks of age, your puppy will need 3
more booster vaccines.
DEWORMING
Your puppy will also be dewormed several times. This is important to protect your pet
against internal parasites. Internal parasites are very common in puppies, and puppies
usually acquire them from their mother. It is particularly important to deworm your
puppy or dog regularly in households where there are small children or
immunosuppressed adults (adults receiving chemotherapy, adults with autoimmune
disease or the elderly). Occasionally worms can be transmitted between dogs and
people. Children and immunosuppressed people are more susceptible to this.
2
HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR FEEDING YOUR PUPPY
Good feeding habits start as soon as you get your puppy! Your puppy’s diet will
influence its health status, development, appearance and attitude. How you feed your
puppy will influence many behavior aspects, from house training to begging. It is also
important to prevent your puppy from gaining too much weight, which can predispose it
to obesity and its associated health problems later in life. The following tips will get
you off to a good start.
1. Choose your puppy’s diet carefully!
There is excessive misinformation in the market regarding puppy foods. We know
it’s confusing, particularly with all the advertising and marketing efforts by
competing companies.
We encourage you not to compare foods by the
“Guaranteed Analysis” on the label - it is a chemical analysis only and it
measures gross quantities of ingredient types - it tells you nothing about the
quality or digestibility of the ingredients. Please don’t hesitate to call and ask
about any issues you may have regarding your puppy’s diet - we are not interested
in selling you food you don’t need. We are interested in your puppy’s health and
well-being, and helping you understand the differences in food and how they impact
your puppy.
2. Do not “free choice feed” your puppy.
Free choice feeding is essentially feeding your puppy as much as it wants to eat.
Free choice feeding can contribute to digestive upset (vomiting and diarrhea),
bloating, difficulty in house training, and obesity. The best approach is to feed
your puppy’s daily allotment of food in two or three measured meals a day. If your
puppy hasn’t eaten its measured amount of food within 15 minutes, remove it.
Continue on with the same measured portion at the next meal. If you find your
puppy consistently isn’t finishing its meal but is otherwise doing well, cut back on
the total daily allotment. On the other hand, even if your puppy devours the meal
in a few minutes, do not give more food. Watch their body condition and review
this with us at each visit.
3. Avoid feeding your puppy “human food”.
Establishing right from the start that “human food” is “off-limits” will reduce
begging and an increased opportunity for obesity. It also helps minimize the
chance of dogs becoming very picky eaters. If you must feed some “human food”,
stick to small amounts of low calorie options such as vegetables, rice, etc., but
always put them in your puppy’s bowl! Never feed your puppy from the table.
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4. Familiarize yourself with healthy treats.
We all like to treat our puppies. It helps us in socializing, training and just plain
loving them. There are several healthy treat options now on the market. Ask us
about home and packaged treats that would be suitable! Remember many treats on
the market have more calories than you find in a ½ cup of puppy food!
5. Use meals as a house training opportunity!
Puppies normally eliminate 5 to 15 minutes after eating a meal. Therefore, after
the feeding, take your puppy outside to the appropriate place in your yard where
you would like them to eliminate, and wait for the magic moment. Praise your puppy
for a job well done! Puppies also need to eliminate after nap and play sessions. Use
this to your advantage in training and avoiding “accidents”!
6. Food is an excellent training tool!
Talk to us about training your puppy with regards to food rewards.
training easier and more positive for you and your puppy!
It makes
7. Feed you puppy in a quiet place. Avoid feeding just prior to or just after
exercise.
This helps establish consistency, reduces excitement around a meal, and reduces
the incidence of stomach upset.
8. Change diets slowly.
If you are changing your puppy’s diet, mix the new food with the previous diet in
small amounts the first day or two. Then the portion of the new diet can be
gradually increased over a week or so until your puppy is completely on the new
diet. This will reduce the likelihood of vomiting and diarrhea. Your puppy should
make a formed stool, which is easy to pick up. Please inform us if this is not the
case. Also let us know how many times a day your puppy has a bowel movement.
This information will help us to assess the health status of your puppy, the quality
of the food it is eating and will help you in your house training efforts.
9. Bones and milk.
Please do not feed your puppy any bones. Digestive disturbances, bone fragments
and their resulting damage can require the use of medication and possibly surgery.
We would be happy to provide you with suggestions for appropriate chew toys.
Many puppies cannot digest milk, and it ends up giving them diarrhea. This can also
interfere with the absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract.
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CHEWING
PUPPIES LOVE TO CHEW
It is our responsibility to give our puppy safe chew toys to play with.
Puppies teethe between the ages of three to six months, and they need to chew on
something to help the teeth come in. Help avoid destructive chewing by giving your
puppy a choice of good indestructible objects to chew on - a really hard rubber ball
(large enough so the puppy can’t swallow it) or a tough rubber bone. Giving a puppy an
old shoe or any shoe-like material, as so many people do, will make it think all shoes are
acceptable for its chewing enjoyment. Don’t give your pup real bones - cooked or
uncooked. These could splinter, hurt their mouths, break their teeth, cause choking if
a sliver is swallowed, or can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Make the puppy’s rubber ball or bone especially attractive to it by playing games with
it. Whenever it starts to chew on an unacceptable object, say no sternly, take the
forbidden object away, and replace it with the rubber ball or chew bone. When your
puppy starts to chew on its own toy, praise it for good behavior. Your puppy will
respond happily.
Puppies seem to enjoy chewing on our fingers and may even appear to be biting. Use
the same procedure as above and replace your fingers with the toy. They will soon get
the idea that it is forbidden to chew on your hands. Remember to praise it when it
begins to chew on its toy.
Keep in mind that puppies often forget, so you may have to repeat the chewing
corrections many times. Eventually they will get the right idea. Once again we need
patience to train a puppy. Your puppy will be less likely to feast on your best pair of
shoes if they have their own toys to chew on. Help your pup avoid the wrong things by
keeping them out of reach.
Puppy toy boxes work well; your puppy will soon learn that its toys are in the box and,
when it feels the urge to chew it will go to its toy box and retrieve a toy.
Remember to keep cleanser, paint thinners, household chemicals and other harmful
substances out of your puppy’s reach.
5
YOUR PUPPY’S PLACE
Give your new friend a special place it may call his own. Your puppy will use this place
to rest and sleep, and it will feel safe and protected here. Make it a warm and cozy
home for it, in a draft-free corner in an area, near family activity. The ideal situation
would be a training crate and, when your puppy is very small, a small box inside the
crate will make it feel more secure. Why do this for your puppy? A cave was home to
dog’s wolf-like ancestors so your puppy instinctively feels cozy and safe in anything
similar. Add some warm, washable bedding for it to snuggle up in. With crate training
you will know that it is not getting into any mischief, even when you cannot be there to
watch it. You will not have to worry while you’re out on a short errand that it is
getting into something. Training crates are very useful tools when house-training your
puppy, because the dog’s instinct is not to soil their bed. Although some people do not
like the idea of crate training, most dogs learn to love their crate, which provides for
them security and comfort.
Crate training is useful in a variety of circumstances:





It prevents vocalization at night because the crate can be moved to your bedroom
It prevents chewing or destructive behavior
It is the best method for house training
A crate-trained dog will travel calmly and will not need to be sedated
Crate-trained dogs are happier when boarded ( you can take the crate along)
The only disadvantage of crate training is that it cannot be used if the pup is isolated
for long periods. Do not leave your puppy in the crate for more than 6 hours during
the day without checking on it and letting it out to eliminate. However, it is fine to
leave the puppy in it all night.
STEPS IN CRATE TRAINING
1. The crate should be large enough for the adult to stand up and turn around.
2. The crate should be kept in the kitchen or bedroom. You may want to keep it in the
kitchen for the day and move it into the bedroom at night. It should not be left in
isolated areas.
3. To start with, put toys in the crate so the pup can go into it on their own.
Associate the crate with fun things.
4. Put the pup in for a few minutes with the door closed. If they misbehave try to
distract it. Try to leave the puppy in their crate for 10 minutes. Let the puppy out
only when it is quiet. Do not let it out of the crate if it is barking, howling or
whining, as you are reinforcing this behavior (i.e. if I cry I get let out). Instead,
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try to distract your puppy by making a noise (shake a tin can containing coins), and
if the puppy is quiet for a few seconds, let it out of the cage and praise or reward
it with an appropriate treat.
Gradually extend the amount of time you leave it in his crate. Once the puppy is
comfortable in the crate for about a half-hour without making a fuss, then they
can be left alone. By crate training in this manner you will teach your pup that they
will not get out of their crate by making a fuss, and you are rewarding quiet
behavior with praise and attention.
5. Respect your puppy’s privacy when they are in their special place; don’t just reach
in and pull them out, let the pup come out by on their own. Don’t let children bother
or tease your puppy. They need to feel safe when they are in their special place.
You’ll be glad you gave your pup their own place when they go there for naps or happily
snuggles down for the night without whimpering and crying. And you’ll know that your
puppy is not getting into mischief, even when you can’t be there to watch them.
Good luck and have fun with your new pup!
7
REGULAR CHECKUPS
Your dog should have regular checkups to make sure all is well. Get your puppy used to
being handled; it should accept stroking, grooming and a thorough once-over as part of
the daily routine. Once every week or so, take a good look at your puppy’s eyes, ears,
mouth, paws and nails. It pays off should you find a problem early, before it becomes
serious. If you notice anything unusual, be sure to consult us.
EYES
Check your puppy’s eyes for

redness or inflammation,

a half-closed lid,

excessive watering,

a yellow-green discharge or discoloration.
A pup with an infected eye will rub it, so if you notice a lot of rubbing going on, have a
closer look. You can prevent problems by keeping your puppy’s eyes clean. Wipe around
each eye gently with a clean cotton ball soaked in warm water.
EARS
Check ears for

discharge,

excessive wax build-up

an unpleasant odor.
Your pup will scratch at its ears or shake its head violently if they are bothering him.
Take a look: healthy ears are pale pink, clean looking and odor free. If your puppy’s
ears are not, please consult with us. Help keep your puppy’s ears healthy by gently
cleaning easy-to-reach external areas. You can use a cotton ball moistened with warm
water or commercially prepared ear-cleaning solutions that are available at the clinic.
**Do not probe into the ear.
Frequent cleaning is especially important with floppy-eared dogs, which are prone to
ear infections. Even if your puppy’s ears seem very healthy, you should handle them
frequently. That way your puppy will be used to it and if there ever is a problem, it
won’t mind letting the veterinarian take a good look.
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TEETH AND GUMS
Since puppies explore their environment by putting everything in their mouths, you
should check the mouth frequently. At 4 to 6 months, your pet will lose its baby teeth
and adult ones will come in. Examine the mouth for any soreness, discoloration, broken
or loose teeth and inflamed or receding gum. Pets, like people, need regular dental
care. Dental disease is one of the most common health problems in pets, yet it can be
easily prevented. You should begin brushing your puppy’s teeth two or three times a
week when your puppy is very young. Special animal toothpaste, toothbrushes and oral
rinses are available at the veterinary clinic. Regular preventive care at home can help
save you money and keep your pet healthy.
All pets require regular cleaning with an ultrasonic scaler done by your veterinarian at
some point in their life. Untreated dental disease can cause pain, bad breath, bleeding
gums, loose or rotting teeth and tooth loss. If periodontal disease progresses far
enough, it can cause heart, liver or kidney disease.
If you have any questions about your puppy’s dental care program, please call us. We
will be happy to answer your questions.
PAWS
You’ll know something is wrong with one of your pup’s paws if it licks constantly or
favors it when it walks. Examine the paw gently for cysts, and make sure nothing is
sticking between the pads or in the fur around them. If you can’t find an obvious
wound, it is probably best to bring your puppy into our clinic where we can do a
thorough examination.
Keep your pup’s paws clean. Remove grass seeds, thorns, burrs or any foreign object
you find sticking to the paws. If something has to be cut out from the fur between or
around the paws, use blunt tipped scissors and be very careful not to cut into the web
between the pads.
NAILS
Clip your pup’s nails frequently. If you can hear them clicking on the floor when it
walks, it is time for a trim. If you let your pup’s nails get too long, they will break and
cause soreness. Dog nail clippers are better than scissors for trimming. Hold the paw
firmly and clip a little at a time. Be careful not to cut into the “quick”, the sensitive
flesh underneath the back of the nail. Should you accidentally cut too far and bleeding
occurs, use baby powder or flour to help stop the bleeding. (it takes quite a while!).
Don`t try and trim all the nails at one sitting. Pick a time when your puppy is tired and
quiet, and trim a couple of nails only. Be sure to reward your puppy if it accepts its
nails being trimmed quietly.
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If you have never trimmed a puppy’s nails, have us show you how. If you would rather
leave the nail trimming to the groomer or the veterinarian, it is still important to
handle your pup’s feet often. If the puppy has never had its feet handled before, then
it may make a big fuss and find nail trimming very annoying.
Emergency Veterinary Care
If you have an after hour emergency with your new puppy, we recommend contacting
one of the Emergency Clinics:
1) C.A.R.E. Center
(403) 520-8387
2) Western Vet. Specialist Center (403) 770-1340
3) Fish Creek 24hr Pet Hospital (403) 873-1700
4) Calgary North Vet Hospital
(403) 277-0135
5) McKnight 24hr Vet Hospital
(403) 457-0911
6) Shawnessy South Pet Hospital (403) 254-5900
*** Note Shawnessy South is open 8am-11pm Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Sat & Sun ***
Pet Insurance
There are several companies in Canada that provide pet health insurance. We
encourage you to consider pet insurance for your new puppy. For the most part, their
policies include coverage for accidents and illness. These are the items that people
find difficult to budget for. It is not uncommon for a veterinary bill to be more than
$1500 for a serious medical accident or illness. We recommend that you review the
pamphlets included with this package and consider if pet insurance is right for you.
Several companies offer free 30 day trials for pet insurance. Our staff would be
happy to assist you with setting up a free insurance trial.
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HOUSE TRAINING
Begin house training your puppy right away. If you follow our crate recommendations
and establish a warm cozy environment for your puppy, house training will be much
easier because a dog’s instinct is not to soil in its den or bed. Start by putting your
pup on a regular feeding schedule and by making frequent trips outside. If you are
feeding a good quality puppy food, you will find that the training period will be shorter
because your puppy’s feeding and elimination schedule will be more routine.
There are certain signs that you should watch for to alert you that it is time to take
your puppy outside. Your puppy may walk around in circles, sit or whine at the door.
When to take your puppy out:
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first thing in the morning
right after naps
after play sessions
upon returning home to a puppy who has been left alone
right after meals
last thing in the evening before bed
Always stay outside with your puppy to watch and encourage it. When your puppy has
finished eliminating, quietly praise it and bring it back inside. It will soon connect
elimination outdoors with praise, and will be eager to please you. If you always want
your puppy to eliminate in the same spot, always take it to that spot on a leash and wait
for “the magic moment” to happen. Praise your puppy for a job well done. Coprophagia
(stool eating) can be a normal behavior in puppies. To avoid this undesirable behavior,
be sure to clean up after your puppy`s bowel movements. If you also have a cat; be
sure the cat`s litter box is inaccessible to your puppy. Keeping the cat`s food and
water in an elevated place may also be necessary.
Accidents will happen. Should you discover a mess, do NOT raise your voice, spank
your pup or rub its nose in it. While it will certainly cower in fear, it is too young to
connect your reprimand with its mess.
If the puppy is caught in the act, immediately take it outside to finish. When it
continues outside, praise it for its efforts. You must catch your puppy in the act for it
to understand what it is doing wrong.
CLEAN UP
To clean up the mess, deodorizers and repellents may work effectively. Do not use
ammonia- based cleaners. Chemically, ammonia and urine are very similar. We have a
good line of cleaning products at the clinic, which we use and have found to be very
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effective. Once you have cleaned the area, barricade the spot until it is dry.
Otherwise, your puppy will be back to investigate the scent and may feel the urge to
repeat the mess.
House training your puppy will take time and patience.
If all goes well, your puppy could be house trained in about a week. However many dogs
take longer. Persist with your training in a consistent manner and don’t give up.
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HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR TRAINING YOUR PUPPY
Training is fun and very rewarding for both you and your puppy.
amazing capacity to learn complex demands quickly.
Puppies have an
1. Start training as soon as you obtain your puppy. Puppies learn very rapidly but
their attention span may be short, so spend 10 - 15 minutes twice daily.
2. Training should be conducted when the puppy is not excited and when the home
environment is quiet. Once the puppy has learned a response in one environment,
move the training location to progressively more complex and more stimulating
environment. That is, the puppy will have to be trained in each environment that
you wish it to respond in.
3. Learning occurs more rapidly if one person trains the puppy first and then the
other family members get involved. Train the puppy using one-word commands like
“come”, “sit down” and “heel”. Try not to use the puppy’s name in association with
the command, as too much verbiage is confusing and slows the learning process.
4. Reward appropriate behavior as soon as possible after giving the command (best
within ½ second). Give valued rewards such as food, touch and praise every time
the puppy responds to a command. You will quickly learn which reward is more
valued by your puppy.
Once the response is learned, give the rewards
intermittently. This will result in rapid learning and make the response more
permanent.
5. If the puppy fails at any level of training, stop, don’t reward and start the training
again at a simpler level. How consistently a puppy responds to a command is a
function of the degree of training. If a puppy responds only when it feels like it or
when the environment is quiet, start again and train more intensely.
6. Be patient, never punish. The opposite to reward is no reward, not punishment. A
punishment causing pain or excitement, does not work and generally causes
problems. Punishment may also interfere with the owner/animal bond. If the
puppy is doing something that is inappropriate, distract it or use a reward for
responding to a command which is incompatible with the unwanted behavior.
A TRAINED PUPPY IS A HAPPIER PUPPY AND A GREAT COMPANION!
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How to pick a dog trainer
Unfortunately in Canada, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. We strongly
encourage you to take your dog to an obedience class, but we want to help you make
sure that the class is appropriate for you and your dog. We have compiled a list of
recommendations to help you make a good choice:
1. Look for trainers who use positive reinforcement for good behavior, rather
than punishment for unacceptable behavior. Positive reinforcement means using
treats and praise for good behavior.
2. Ask about the instructor’s qualifications and level of experience.
3. Observe an obedience class without your pet and see if people and animals are
having a good time. If you are not permitted to observe, don't enroll.
4. Don't be afraid to tell a trainer to stop if he/she is doing something to your
dog that you are not comfortable with.
5. If a trainer tells you to do something you don't feel good about, don't do it.
6. Avoid trainers who offer guarantees.
7. Avoid trainers who won't let you use a training collar other than a choke collar.
Head collars (and some harnesses) are humane alternatives to choke and pinch
collars
8. Avoid trainers who object to using food as a training reward. Food is an
acceptable positive reinforcement-training tool.
The list of schools below has been compiled for our clients as a courtesy. Please keep
in mind the above recommendations before registering your dog in one of them.
1. Sit Happens (NE Calgary), (403)295-8737, www.sithappens.org
2. Calgary Humane Society (SE Calgary), (403)723-6019,
www.calgaryhumane.ca/obedienceclasses
3. Dogma Training and Pet services (SW Calgary), )403)452-5400,
http://www.dogmatraining.com
4. Superdog Spectrum (SE Calgary),(403)-217-8737,
http://www.superdogspectrum.ca/
Puppies: We recommend that you take your puppy to an obedience class as soon as they
have received their second puppy vaccine (approximately 12 weeks of age). Prior to the
start of their class, we suggest that you try to socialize your puppy as much as
possible. This means exposing them to friendly and fully vaccinated dogs, children,
adults, different places and a variety of social situations.
Older Dogs: Older dogs can benefit from obedience classes as well…..if the dog is new
to you or if your mature dog needs a refresher. You CAN teach on old dog new tricks!
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SPAYING AND NEUTERING
Dogs become sexually mature after six months of age. Females also begin their
reproductive cycle at this age. This cycle involves recurrent periods of heat or estrus,
during which males are attracted from great distances by an odor coming from the
females. It is only during heat that females will accept a male. This period of intense
desire to get out and find a mate is correlated with egg release from the ovaries. In
the bitch, heat occurs about every six months and lasts for two or three weeks. It is
accompanied by swelling of the vulva and a bloody discharge from the vagina. Maximum
fertility usually occurs from the ninth to the thirteenth day after onset of bleeding (1
to 2 days after bleeding stops).
OVARIOHYSTERECTOMY (Spay) Females
The surgery is performed under sterile operating room conditions with the animal
under a general anesthetic, and involves the removal of the ovaries, fallopian tubes and
uterus (womb) through an abdominal incision. After this operation, the female will not
come into heat, and will have neither the interest nor the capacity to breed. There is
NO ADVANTAGE in waiting for the female to have a heat period or litter before
being spayed. Apart from sexual activity, spaying has no effect on a female’s
temperament. A bitch will not be ruined for obedience training or hunting.
Advantages of Ovariohysterectomy:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Males are not attracted to your property
Less tendency to wander from home.
No bloody discharge from the bitch in heat.
No unwanted pregnancies, thus contributing to the control of the pet population
and the problem of unwanted litters.
5. No reproductive problems in later life, e.g. false pregnancies, uterine infections,
pyometra, birth complications, including cesarean sections, milk fever, breast
tumors.
6. Reduced rate dog license after spaying.
ORCHYECTOMY (Neuter) Males
This operation involves removing the testicles, thereby eliminating the source of sperm
and male hormone. It is routinely recommended for all male dogs that are not intended
for breeding purposes. Neutering helps to control the following problems: wandering,
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mounting other dogs and people, aggressiveness and excessive territorial marking with
urine. Neutering at a young age also decreases the possibility of prostate diseases.
Landing Animal Clinic Questions to Ask About Your Pet’s Spay or Neuter Procedure
Unless being used for breeding, we strongly recommend that all dogs and cats
be spayed or neutered. These procedures are major surgical interventions that should
never be taken lightly. That being said, with proper attention to technique, anesthetic
monitoring and pain management, pets typically handle these procedures with minimal
stress or complications. Prices for these procedures vary considerably from clinic to
clinic, so we would like to suggest several questions that should be posed to a clinic
when a cost estimate for the price of a spay or neuter is obtained. For your
convenience, the answers to each of the questions at Landing Animal Clinic are
provided.
Q.
Are intravenous fluids administered to my pet?
A.
At Landing Animal Clinic all patients are administered intravenous fluids during
their surgical procedure. We do not think this should be optional as these fluids help
to support your pet’s blood pressure while anesthetized, and allow for quick
intravenous access for the administration of various medications if needed during the
procedure. Intravenous fluid administration also allows us to optimize your pet’s pain
medications during the surgery.
Q.
Who monitors my pet while they are anesthetized?
A.
Though the surgery is performed by a veterinarian who also supervises your
pet’s anesthesia, at Landing Animal Clinic we also have several Animal Health
Technologists (AHT—a licensed “veterinary nurse” who is a graduate of a two year
college program), one of whom is dedicated to continuously monitoring your pet while
they are anesthetized. This maximizes the safety of the procedure as the AHT is
superbly trained to monitor for any changes in the pet’s well being while anesthetized
as well as in the post-operative period.
Q.
What anesthetic monitoring equipment is utilized?
A.
The level of monitoring and monitoring equipment varies greatly between clinics.
At Landing Animal Clinic we are proud to utilize some of the most modern monitoring
equipment, including constant monitoring of ventilation (breathing) status via
capnopraphy. The AHT also continuously monitors your pet’s blood pressure, heart
rate, blood oxygenation and body temperature.
Q.
How is pain managed?
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A.
Surgical intervention is painful, so at Landing Animal Clinic we use multi-modal
pain management methods to maximize your pet’s comfort level. In our minds, making
pain management optional is inhumane so we include optimal pain management before,
during and after every procedure.
Q.
Why do we recommend permanent identification for your pet?
A.
On average, 30% of pets are lost at least once in their lifetime. Our goal is to
increase your chances of finding your pet if this ever happens. Collars with tags are
very helpful but can be removed or torn off. There are two forms of permanent
identification available for your pet: tattoos and microchips. Ideally, your pet would
have both.
Tattoos:
 This is a letter-number sequence that is put in your pet’s right ear
while they are under general anesthesia
 The tattoo number is traced back to Landing Animal Clinic, so it is
important that you keep your contact information current with
Landing Animal Clinic.
 Tattoos are only useful for pets remaining in the local area (Calgary)
and only during regular clinic business hours.
Microchips:
 This is the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin
between the shoulder blades using a needle.
 The microchip number is connected to an electronic database with
your contact information.
 A staff member at a veterinary clinic or animal shelter is able to scan
the microchip and contact the microchip company for your contact
information.
 Microchips can be traced internationally any time of day.
With both forms of identification, it is very important that you keep your contact
information up to date so that your pet can be traced back to you.
Spay and neuter procedures are performed so frequently that sometimes we forget
that they are major surgical interventions that merit the ultimate that modern
veterinary medicine has to offer. Please feel free to ask us any other questions that
you may have, and also please ensure that you take the answers to the questions posed
above into account when deciding who to entrust with your pet’s spay or neuter. Don’t
hesitate to call us at 403-255-7735.
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Puppy Gentling Exercises
Check it out on You Tube under “Making Your Puppy a Lovable Dog (Gentling)”
Exercises should be done once a day, every day in the order listed.
1)
Suspend your puppy holding under the front legs below eye level for about six
seconds.
2)
Hug the puppy; cradle the head/skull, not the mouth - gently squeeze tighter
during any wiggling, when your puppy becomes relaxed and accepts the handling
(relaxes completely) then release them.
3)
Cradle your puppy upside-down in the crook of your arm and talk baby talk while
smiling and praising. Again secure the head/skull not the mouth.
4)
Massage every square inch of the puppy moving in a circular motion. Start at
the tip of the nose working towards the end of the tail. Focus on his mouth, ears, eyes,
scruff and feet. This exercise builds tolerance and trust for later in life when needed
to treat these areas or examined by your vet.
5)
Manipulate the head, ears, legs and tail through the normal range of motion.
Make sure there is no pain involved. If they resist, use a treat as a distraction. Pull up
gums and rub teeth, to desensitize for later brushing.
6)
Restrain your puppy on his side after gaining calm compliance of all previous
steps.
Offer a small (high level) treat after each step. Acceptance of the food is an
indication of minimal to no stress from the exercises.
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