 Dogs & Puppies
Dog Facts There are 701 pure breeds of dogs. The world’s oldest dog was 29 years old! A dog's sense of smell is about 1000 times better than a human's. Vaccines We recommend your puppy be protected from diseases through a series of vaccinations. Vaccines are NOT life-long and will require regular updates throughout your pets life. Click here for more information about vaccines. Parasites Intestinal Parasites
Your puppy should have a stool sample checked for intestinal parasites at every puppy exam. It is important to check multiple samples over a period of time since eggs are not continually shed in the feces. External Parasites
Your puppy will be examined for the presence of fleas, ticks, lice, and mites. We will recommend preventive products for puppies that may have potential exposure to these external parasites. Heartworm Disease
Heartworms are parasites transmitted by mosquitoes that inhabit the heart and lungs of infected dogs. Heartworm disease can cause serious health problems and can lead to heart failure and death. We recommend your puppy be on heartworm preventive during the mosquito season (May through December in Northern Wisconsin), and be checked yearly for heartworm through a blood test after 6 months of age. Dogs that travel south with their owners during the winter should stay on preventive year-round. Heartworm preventive has the added bonus of protecting against several intestinal parasites. Spay/Neuter Your puppy can be spayed or neutered at 6 months of age. There are health benefits to having your pet spayed or neutered prior to sexual maturity.
Spayed females are less likely to develop mammary tumors, and will not develop a uterine infection called pyometra. Other benefits include the avoidance of behavioral issues, the mess associated with heat cycles, and the prevention of unwanted litters.
Neutered males will be less likely to have unwanted behavioral issues. Neutering will also avoid testicular cancer, decrease the likelihood of prostate problems and the development of tumors perianal adenomas.
If you elect to breed your pet, remember one thing: the goal of breeding should be to propogate the best representation of that breed. We recommend NOT breeding your pet until at least 2 years of age to insure there are no genetic or behavioral problems that could be potentially passed onto the puppies. Diet It is very important for growing puppies to be fed a nutritionally balanced diet. We recommend NOT feeding generic brand pet foods. A quality pet food should be meat-based, and is generally more nutritionally dense, thus requiring less volume fed, smaller stools, and better overall health. Pet Health Insurance Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) is available for your pet. This insurance will not cover all preventive health care expenses, but can give you peace of mind if unexpected health care problems should occur. The Iams company, a national pet food company, will pay the first 2 months of premiums for all puppies you elect to sign up for VPI. Pet insurance is also available through the ASPCA and other carriers. Ask our staff for additional information. | 
