Deciding to get a puppy and choosing one is a milestone for any household.Deciding to get a puppy and choosing one is a milestone for any household.

This week, one of the puppies I saw was Max, a champagne-coloured male labrador, seven weeks of age and weighing in at five kilos.

Max was welcomed into his new home two days earlier and, from the questions being asked as well as the way that they paid attention to all that was being said, I could see how important he was to the couple that had brought him in.

It’s puppy time because female dogs come on heat only twice a year: once in spring and once in autumn. Pregnancy lasts approximately 63 days, so this is the time that we start to see the offspring of early spring matings that are old enough to go to their new homes.

Deciding to get a puppy and choosing one is a milestone for any household. A new puppy is sometimes bought or taken in following the loss of a previous pet, or as a first-time companion to children of a certain age, who can appreciate and care for a dog in the house.

It’s puppy time because female dogs come on heat only twice a year: once in spring and once in autumn

Either way, the moment is one that could potentially be of appreciable financial commitment but, more importantly, it is one of emotional commitment and should therefore be treated with maximum importance.

The term ‘love is blind’ certainly applies here, since there is nothing more adorable than a litter of cuddly puppies jumping all over their mother (other, perhaps, than a litter of kittens), and the natural impulse is to want to take one home.

Assuming you have already done your homework, as to which type of dog matches your lifestyle and that, in the case of purchasing a pure breed, that this is of good pedigree, there are several reasons why you should ensure that the purchase is done subject to the condition that a veterinarian examines your puppy and verifies all is well. This examination is done for the benefit of both parties.

From your point of view, you would obtain professional, unbiased advice regarding the health and, hopefully, lack of defects with your new puppy. From the breeder’s perspective, a clearly defined status of the health of the puppy is confirmed at the point of sale, thus giving potentially less rise to issues at a later date.

There are a number of defects that your vet would be looking for. Among the more obvious may be cryptochidism (the abscence of dropped testicles), the condition of the teeth and type of bite, and various types of hernias; while heart defects and eye problems are among less straightforward conditions.

In certain breeds, it may also be important to know if the parents have been screened for hereditary problems, such as PKD in bull terriers or hip dysplasia in German shepherds and labradors, to name a couple.

Verifying the health aspect is also an important part of any purchase of a puppy and thereare a number of ailments that are important to look out for – the most important being a severe and life-threatining gastroenteritis named parvo virus.

Luckily Max passed with flying colours. Not only were there no visible defects and he was in good health, but he was also a very tranquil puppy, which means he could turn out to be an excellent canine companion to his new owners.

So the process of witnessing Max developing into a strong and healthy, disciplined adult pet, weighing approximately 35 to 40 kilos, in the space of a few months begins.

Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

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