Dat the choice of puppy at the preparation of the home and family who will welcome him. From the first vaccinations to the most common mistakes we make in good faith to pamper him. Giuliano Pellegrini, Healthcare Director of the Ca’ Zampa clinic in Milan Portello and Milan Montenero He takes us by the hand in the great adventure of adopting a dog or a cat.
Adopting a puppy (dog or cat), 7 tips for choosing
Driven by the enthusiasm for the decision made (“let’s adopt a puppy!”), many families act on impulse and are won over by the first impact or, even, are influenced by the fashionable dog breeds, the ones most loved by celebrities. Nothing could be more wrong. Let’s see why.
1. Pay attention to the size of the puppy… when it becomes an adult
Some choices, for example, are born wrong. «Welcoming a Pyrenean mountain dog in a 40 square meter apartment cannot work. It is only the prologue of an abandonment”, explains Doctor Pellegrini. Whether it is a purebred animal or one that comes from a kennel, the morphological characteristics must be taken into account before thinking about introducing it into a home environment.
The dog that arrives from the shelter is a mix of breeds, perhaps not easy to identify. It’s worth doing one thorough veterinary visit to try to answer at least the size question. Will it become a medium or large sized dog? Or, in other words, is it for us or not?
2. Genetic predisposition to certain diseases
If you choose a purebred dog, it’s a little easier. The breeder, in addition to giving information on the aptitude and size that the dog will have as an adult, must also inform about congenital hereditary pathologies. In fact, some breeds have important predispositions for certain disorders. For example, German Shepherd, Retrievers, Rottweilers, Dogue de Bordeaux and Cane Corsos may suffer from hip dysplasia. While in the breed Cavalier King Charles Spaniel there is a particularly high incidence of mitral endocardiosis, a degenerative disease that causes serious heart failure. The Cavalier King Spaniel and the Dalmatian are among the breeds most subject to syringomyelia, a neurological pathology. But also the French bulldog has aYou need to be careful and ask the breeder about the selection he has made.
3. The right age to adopt a puppy
Better to introduce the animal into the house at the right age, around 3 months, when they have already received maternal imprinting. This is not only right for their growth and well-being but is also convenient for the owner. Puppies taken away from their mothers too early have a more difficult character and have a harder time submitting to rules. Making them spend more time with their mother, who is stricter than us humans, teaches them to be disciplined.
Before introducing the animal into the home, both the home and the family must be prepared. His presence in the home will bring great benefits to everyone, and in particular to children, both from a pedagogical and relational point of view and for the immune system of the little ones, who live in close contact with him and his bacteria. Contact with animals stimulates the intestinal microbiome. Although, of course, you need to have a One Health approach to the matter: Human-animal health is unique, the well-being of the dog is also fundamental for human well-being.
Giuliano Pellegrini, Health Director of the Ca’ Zampa clinic in Milan Portello and Milan Montenero (Ca’ Zampa press office).
4. Prepare the house, from the kennel to the litter box
The home environment must also be prepared: they must have their own space, with a kennel, a bowl and some toys. In a first phase the problem of excrement it can be overcome through the use of sleepers and ad hoc products to encourage them to litter there and not elsewhere. After the first cycle of vaccinations, you can instead proceed with outdoor walks.
In the case of the cat, it will have to learn the use of the litter box, which must always be clean and at your disposal. More than a dog, it is sensitive to stress: we were told that it is an independent animal, but it is very sensitive. The newly arrived puppy, separated from its siblings, may cry and meow. You must first make sure, with a veterinary visit, that he has no physical ailments. Once this possibility has been avoided, you can try to make his space more comfortable, equipping him with toys and scratching posts, and also with an old noisy alarm clock: the ticking can remind him of his mother’s heart and console him. The most difficult phase, in any case, should not last more than a week.
5. Walks and socialization in dogs and cats
The dog must be brought in walk at least three times a day. And it is very important to start immediately, as soon as the vaccinations are completed: the early socialization it is in fact essential for the puppy to become familiar with the existence of other animals. Otherwise he might not accept it anymore.
As a rule, the indoor cat stays in the apartment and does not come into contact with other animals. This doesn’t mean that he is necessarily a loner, on the contrary. The cat that is always alone tends to sleep a lot and gets bored. To the extent possible, the suggestion is to welcome two cats into your home at the same time: once the initial phase has passed, the disorder is the same.
Cat on a leash?
Also today many cats are brought walking on a leash as if they were dogs. It can be done, but you need to consider that the cat could get scared by loud street noises and feel trapped. Furthermore, the cat is born as indomitable animal which over the centuries has adapted to the city lifestyle: it grants us the concession of being our friend. Let’s not abuse it.
6. Prevention and vaccines, for the good of the puppy and its human family
On the health front, the population has become much more aware than in the past. And this is important: for the well-being of the animal but also for that of the family who lives with the animal. Let’s not forget that There are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, such as intestinal and skin parasites. Diseases for which there are no vaccines, only a good prevention plan. Therefore the control of internal and external parasites is necessary, in addition of course to daily care, also to avoid viral diseases.
7. Food and cleanliness, never exceed
The main mistakes made with puppies are excesses. First of all the food ones.
Pets have today very rapid growth curves. Unfortunately, using very high quality products and balanced feed does not protect against this risk, on the contrary. Sophisticated foods give the idea that you can exceed in quantities but this is a mistake. A one-time mistake, apart from the risk of a gastrointestinal disorder, is not a problem. But if you exceed it frequently, for example with foods rich in proteins, they can be generated bone growth imbalances.
Another frequent mistake is wash your dog too frequently: this removes the hydrolipidic film of the skin and can generate dermatitis. As in all things the solution is the happy medium.
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