Preventing Problems

After you take your puppy to your veterinarian for his initial visit, work with your veterinarian to develop a program of periodic checkups and booster vaccinations. Regular veterinary visits can help prevent problems from occurring as well as keeping other small problems from becoming big ones. If your veterinarian is familiar with your puppy, he or she will be better prepared to respond to an emergency.

Always keep the veterinarian's address and emergency phone number handy. Keep an accurate record of your puppy's medical history. This can be useful in an emergency or when your regular veterinarian or the veterinarian's record of the puppy are not available.

This list should include dates and types of vaccinations, dates of surgery or serious illness, any known allergies and other health-related information. If you move to another town, such a medical record is extremely helpful to the new veterinarian. It's also a good idea to obtain the medical file from the veterinarian before moving.

Because a pup or an adult dog cannot tell you how he feels, he can become quite ill before signs of illness become apparent. Being aware of his usual behaviour and noting his appearance provide a basis for evaluating his health on a day-to-day basis.