We pick up our puppy next week. Just making sure we have everything ready for him coming. From the breeder should we receive anything other than KC registration paper, puppy pack etc? Is it best to give the puppy the same food that they've been eating for a few weeks before changing it? As for worming tablets.....is it best to have the same brand that they've been given and how often should they keep recieving them? Flea/tic treatment, should I put that on the day we collect him?
Yes. A change of food will probably result in an upset stomach. Why are you thinking of changing the food? You will should receive a health card. It will mention brand. And then find out the information the packet re the timing and amount of the next dose. The same with the flea and tick treatment. I gather you have crate, harness, house line, lead, water and food bowls. Have fun.
When we picked up our puppy nearly eight weeks ago (how the time has flown!) besides his KC papers and microchip details so we could register new ownership, the breeder included a vet record which showed which vaccinations, worming and flea treatments he'd had. She had also pre-paid his follow up 12 week vaccination and treatments (included in the price we paid for him) . She's local to us so it was no problem to use her vet practice. There was also a bag of his usual food. Best of luck with your new puppy... You'll be exhausted but it's so much fun!
Personally, I wouldn't give flea treatment unless you see evidence of fleas, they are all neurotoxins with potential side effects ( I run a flea comb over mine every couple of days - last dog needed treating twice in her 13 years of life). If you live in an area with ticks, especially ones that carry diseases, you may consider it worthwhile using a prophylactic for them. They are rare here so I prefer just to keep my eyes open. Where I grew up there were loads of ticks, and my siblings and I would spend our evenings picking them off each other. No-one ever suggested we needed treating with insecticide every 3 months, so I don't see why it's different for dogs! Same with wormers, you can send a stool sample off every few months then you know what worms, if any, you need to treat. First sample I sent for this dog had a species of worm that wouldn't have been treated by the wormer he was on, all subsequent samples have been clear so that's an awful lot of unnecessary medication avoided.
Most breeders will also give you some food to last 5-7 days. Make sure you get microchip details to transfer that into your name. Besides that, it depends on the breeder. Personally, my puppy buyers get a USB thumb stick with all kinds of stuff on it, a harness, a puppy houseline, and a toy or piece of vet bed that smells of the litter. It very much depends on how much thought and time the breeder has put into what to give. Yes, for at least a week. A few weeks might be a bit much. The breeder should advise you on this. Really, the breeder should advise you on everything and that's part of why you should choose a breeder carefully. You are buying a resource for the life time of your dog - not just a puppy. As for 'is it best to give the same brand' - that depends on what the brand was. If the brand was a rubbish petshop based brand like Johnsons, then no, you don't want to keep giving a less effective worming medication. You want to give a veterinary quality wormer. As for how often to give it - read the leaflet that comes with whatever wormer you purchase. Um, no. As Ruth says, only use flea treatment when you see fleas. Personally, that has been twice in the last 14 years for me. Think of all the chemicals I have avoided plastering all over my dogs. As for ticks - with a tiny baby puppy, I wouldn't treat for ticks at all. But it depends on the risks where you live. Not only the prevalence of ticks but the diseases they carry. It depends on the areas the puppy is going to be exploring - you might not have any in your yard for eg. It's a bit impossible to say. All parasite prevention should be tailored to an individual dog's risk factors which will vary dependent on where you live, age of dog, length of hair, activity level, cover the dog runs through, and many other variables. Do not just put everything on your puppy all the time. Think about each and every product you are using, and whether you need it.
