It's Christmas day. Your kids run down the stairs, turn the corner, and see the lights, the tree, and all the beautifully wrapped presents. There is a new car in the driveway with a giant bow on it (Do people actually do that?) One of the presents starts to shake, and a perfect little golden lab puppy pops out. The kids are crying tears of joy, you sip on your coffee, snow is falling, and the cinnamon rolls are done in the oven. It is the perfect Christmas day. 

Then your perfect puppy takes a s*** on the carpet, starts to chew on the electric chord, and…are those fleas? Puppies can't have fleas this early, right? It's winter! You told your wife you only wanted that DeWalt impact driver, but here we are. What to do next? 

Ideally, you are in an area where a vet can see new patients, which is becoming hard to find. So read my Your Vet Visit blog, grab your puppy (and your credit card), and hopefully, your visit will go as smoothly as your new puppy's diarrhea on your favorite pair of shoes. 

1. Write down questions before your visit. You will forget every one of the 30 questions your wife told you to ask (or just send your wife). Veterinary Partner - First-time puppy owners

2. Bring in a fecal sample. No, we do not care what container it is in, and no, we don’t need a heaping stocking’s worth. We know it smells awful. The sample is tested for intestinal worms: roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and hookworm, as well as protozoa: giardia and coccidia. All of these parasites can cause diarrhea and in large infections, make your puppy very sick.

3. Know where you got the puppy and if it had any previous vaccines. Your veterinarian will likely spend much of the first exam looking for congenital diseases passed on from the parents. Cleft palate, heart disease, luxating patella, and hernias are some of the more common diseases.

Vaccines: Generally, the first visit should occur around 8 weeks old. This is when the first vaccines are given, and preventatives will be started. There are core and non-core vaccines, and they vary by region. Asking your veterinarian about what diseases are in your area is important. I will not torture you with a full lecture on each because that would be boring, and honestly, who wants to read more than they have to? 

1. DHPP (core) Distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and the dreaded parvo - contagious, diarrhea, systemic disease, death. Start at 6-8 weeks, then every 4 weeks until the puppy is 16 weeks old.

2. Rabies (core) and LEGALLY REQUIRED - Mr. King didn't have Tad die just for you not to vaccinate your pet. 5 people in the U.S. died of rabies in 2021. Rabies is always fatal once symptoms begin. Vaccinate at around 16 weeks….or else.

3. Lepto (region dependent) - In our area, this is a core vaccine and is included with the DHPP vaccine (called DHLPP). This disease is transmitted through wild animal urine and can be passed to owners. Vaccinate at around 12 and 16 weeks.

4. Lyme (non-core) - Transmitted by ticks. This vaccine is becoming more important as cases are increasing in Michigan each year. Tick prevention will help, but the vaccine is a good backup if you live in an area with lots of ticks or forget to give preventatives.

5. Kennel cough/Bordetella (non-core) - That vaccine the boarding place makes you get for the cough. Kennel cough is several diseases that vary in severity but are very contagious. The vaccine will not stop the disease but may limit its severity.

6. Influenza (non-core) - In some areas, that other vaccine the boarding facility made you get.

Deworming: Puppies have diarrhea. A lot. Did they eat a dead mouse, get tapeworms from fleas, or do they feel like causing chaos? I usually deworm at the first 1 or 2 visits and then as needed, based on fecal samples. Newer heartworm preventatives will also cover intestinal parasites. Ask your vet which one they recommend for covering all of your bases, like your puppy just covered your new rug in urine. 

Training: Crate, leash, and name training are excellent places to start. If you are interested in professional training, most veterinarians can direct you to places they recommend or may even take their own pets. 

Spaying and neutering, Heartworm, and Diet: You can't imagine the relief I had when I remembered that I already wrote these posts and didn't have to cover this part again. If you happen to look down and notice your puppy is in fact, a Kitten, you may want to back away from the spiked eggnog. Fortunately, there’s a blog for that too.