Dr. Liao’s Top Puppy Tips for National Puppy Day 2021! Wellnergy Pets

Dr. Liao’s Top Puppy Tips for National Puppy Day 2021!

It’s National Puppy Day 2021!

What better way to celebrate than to learn more about your puppy, future puppy, or even better yet, the puppy that you might be adopting today! Here are a few puppy tips Dr. Liao has to share for new pet parents and their pups on National Puppy Day.

Puppy Tip #1 - Puppy Proofing: Please keep your puppy away from seemingly innocent household items that may actually be harmful for your pup. Make sure to store household chemicals out of reach, block off potentially dangerous areas of the house (ie, stairs, pool, etc.) and prevent access to potentially toxic foods (link to toxic foods article), such as chocolate, onions, grapes, nuts and avocados.

Puppy Tip #2 - Feeding: Please feed your puppy 3-4 times a day. Young puppies have very fast metabolism, and are prone to having low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Additionally, don’t overfeed your puppy, which can result in them having a bloated abdomen. Please feed your puppy according to the daily feeding instructions on your puppy food bag per your pup’s weight, as every brand may be different.

Puppy Tip #3 - Veterinary Visits: Please schedule a first check-up with your local veterinarian when your puppy is around 8 weeks of age. At this time puppies should be starting their core vaccine series, as well as getting their first examination to determine and ensure the current and future health of your new puppy.

Puppy Tip #4 - Diseases: Puppies are susceptible to illness and infection, including but not limited to viral and parasitic diseases of the digestive tract, upper respiratory infections, skin infections, and ear infections. If you start seeing signs of vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, excessive itching, or head shaking, please take your pup to your local veterinarian, as these can be signs of infectious disease.

Puppy Tip #5 - Potty Training: Puppies need lots of structure in their lives. A routine helps when it comes to feeding, play time, and most importantly, when to go potty. Learning an appropriate spot and time to go potty is important, and rewarding them each time they do this is a great way to teach them the best routine for both the puppy, as well as you and your family.

Puppy Tip #6 - Excess Energy: Puppies are going to have excess energy. It is important to allow them to expend this energy through walks, playing at home, zooming around the front yard etc. Otherwise, destructive behavior may occur inside the house as your puppy struggles to find an outlet for all it’s energy. It might sound silly, but it’s important to make time during your day to allow your puppy to be a puppy.

Puppy Tip #7 - Tracking: Please purchase a dog tag with your pup’s name, address, and your phone number, just in case all that exploring of their environment leads to them getting lost. Another good idea for tracking is to get your puppy microchipped at time of neuter or spay.

Puppy Tip #8 - Supplements: Supplements are a great idea for your new puppy, and they make a great healthy treat for all the training you are going to be doing this year. My favorite treats for puppies are definitely probiotics, as puppies get into all sorts of things that can upset their digestive system, a daily probiotics can help promote gut health, balance the digestive tract, and keep diarrhea and vomiting at bay as they continue to explore their environments with that curious mouth of theirs! If you're looking for probiotics or other healthy supplements for your pup, you can find a few of my favorite below: 


National Puppy day is not only a day that I get the opportunity to share these puppy tips with you and scroll through social media to see how much you cherish your puppies, but also an opportunity to spread the word about the option of pet adoption. There are an estimated 5-8 million homeless animals that enter the shelter system, with only half ever finding forever families to love, despite all of them deserving it. So, if you are looking to welcome a new furry member of the family, don’t forget about your local animal shelter or rescue program.

We would love to see all the adorable pictures of your fur-babies today on National Puppy Day. Please feel free to post photos onto your Facebook page, and hashtag #WellnergyPets and #NationalPuppyDay so we can check out all your cute pictures and for the chance to be featured on our page!

 

About the Author:

Dr. Zonram Liao D.V.M.Dr. Zonram Liao D.V.M. is a Southern California native, and earned his undergraduate degree from University of California, San Diego before obtaining his veterinary degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. He is not only a firm believer in the use of supportive care supplements to improve the health and happiness of his patients, but also is a strong advocate of the benefits of preventive care medicine for his patients as well. During his free time, Dr. Liao enjoys spending his time outdoors fishing and hiking, playing basketball, watching movies, cooking, traveling, and trying new foods.

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