Welcoming home a new pet

Pet Connections Pet Talk: Where people and pets connect

Waggin Tails and Happy New Year! Congrats, you've now become a new dog mom or dog father to a bouncing, four legged bundle of joy. Here are some things to think about to get you and your new pup on the right track.

Usually when purchasing from a reputable breeder you have a certain number of days to get that little fur ball into your vet. I would strongly suggest doing this on any puppy/dog, kitten/cat, old or young no matter where you acquired them from. It's just good parenting to get a wellness check done by your vet. The veterinarian will make sure there are no surprises, heart murmurs, entropion (the turning inward of the borders of the eyelids), making sure vaccinations are up to date, etc. This will also bind the contract that you have with the reputable breeder and say that the animal you purchased is free of any noticeable health issues. When I am picking up a rescue this is the first thing I do. I will have a heartworm and ehrlichosis snap test done and if it's an older dog I will do lab work to check liver and kidney functions. Not knowing if the animal has any previous vaccinations I will get them current for their age.

Now that we've seen our veterinarian it's time to gather up our puppy supplies to have on hand. I am a huge fan of crate training and when purchasing a crate my thoughts are to take into account the breed of dog. If you have a Golden Retriever puppy, for example, your baby will grow into a 90 pound lap dog. When I look at dog crates or pet taxis I look to purchasing it one time. For me, I don't want to have to go through the expense of buying crates as my dog grows. It may be costly right out of the pocket, but it will save in the long run. When buying a crate I highly recommend buying a solid, plastic kennel with a four way locking door. I am not a fan of wire kennels, too many dogs escape from those kennels and can injure themselves in the process. If you've ever looked at a box the wire kennel comes in it says to use only for pets that are kennel trained. When getting a dog crate make sure the crate allows for your dog to move around, lay down and stand without restrictions.

Pee pads are a must when bringing home that new bundle of joy. You can choose from lavender scent to non-scented. I would decide where my little one will be staying, either in the laundry room, bathroom, etc. and look into purchasing a puppy gate. These will always come in handy once you've decided where your dog will be staying for the time being. The puppy gates that I love at my house also have a second door at the bottom for my cats to come and go.

You will want to purchase a stain and odor remover for those unexpected accidents. Throughout the year, Nature's Miracle is my go to product. It's safe to use and it's a leave down product that eats the urine enzymes. A lot of puppy owners have trouble with housebreaking and most of the time it falls back on the product or lack of product you use to clean up their messes. A dog's sense of smell is from 10 to 100 times better than ours and for every scent receptor we have, a dog has about 50. So if you can't smell where they've urinated, you can sure bet they can. They will continue to return back to that spot to pee again.

Choose a name brand, high quality puppy food and your vet will be a good source for this. The higher quality of food the better the pet will do. Feeding a low quality of food like Ol Roy by Walmart doesn't contain any healthy protein, Beneful by Purina is full of corn, soy, and wheat, Kibble N Bits contains numerous synthetic dyes, hydrochloric acid or just fillers, you'll see the end result in your yard. Stay away from 4-D dog foods, Dead Dying, Disabled or Diseased. Check out the FDA'S website for more information on 4-D. Research also shows we want to stay away from Grain Free foods unless prescribed by a veterinarian. There's been a link found by the FDA between Grain-free foods and heart disease.

Don't forget to grab a correctly fitted collar or harness for your pet and while you are at it pick up an ID tag with your correct phone number and address. If you aren't able to get an ID tag, grab a black magic marker and write your phone number on the collar. When I take my rescue animals to be altered/ fixed/spayed/neutered, at that time I also microchip. Some other useful and handy items are: rectal thermometer, Pepto-bismol (liquid), kaopectate (liquid), hydrogen peroxide, sterile saline wound wash or betadine, antibiotic ointment or cream, large gauze pads, rounded tip scissors, gauze, 3cc and 6cc syringes/eye droppers, turkey baster, honey, pedialyte (no flavor), ace bandage, super glue, greenie pill pockets (great for giving pills), hot water bottle, terrain DOG Safety Light (motion activated, clip n go light), doctor's type bag to keep everything in. These are just a few of the items I keep on hand for All Creatures Sanctuary and Rescue.

In addition I have: large stretcher with wheels, walking body sling, adjustable walking harness, non slip dog boots, kevlar bite gloves, assorted muzzles, various sizes of pet crates, extended choke pole for captures, various live capture traps, nursing formulas, microwave heating discs, sterile suture material, various sizes of collars and leashes, stainless steel hemostats (great for pulling ear hair or removing stickers), various size nail trimmers, blood stop powder, blankets. When owning a pet it's always best to prepare for just about anything. The above listing of items can help you be ready for just about anything your little furball might have happen to him or her. I would strongly suggest keeping your vet's number or emergency vet number posted on the refrigerator where it will be easily found in case of an emergency. Also the 24/7 Pet Poison Control Helpline is 1-800-2221222 or online webPOI-SONCONTROL, both options are free.

Contact me at r4thepets@aol.com.

Please don't litter, spay and neuter.