Marlee a Ridgeback Puppy

Marlee – The Ridgeback Puppy At Ellerslie Vets

Ellerslie Vet Clinic would like to introduce you to Marlee at her firt vaccination, one of the latest additions to the Ellerslie Vets family. She had her first visit at our Clinic today and we wanted to share with you what her first exam was like and what is coming up for this cute little princess.

A puppies first year of life is filled with lots of wonderful memories but also lots of health obligations. The first few months for a dog are a critical and important period in a puppy’s development.

Marlee will have a series of puppy appointments to ensure she has the appropriate vaccination coverage and that her new family has the knowledge they need to help develop her to be the wonderful family addition. We will ask questions and cover many important aspects of puppy care, including information and advice on nutrition, training, behavior and socialization.

A full check from nose to tail will determine if Marlee has problems like ear infections, skin infections, a heart murmur she was born with, or other issues that can be uncovered in the early stages of development. The exam also helps us establish baselines for what is normal about Marlee. We ask questions like if Marlee is outgoing, shy or does she seem fearful? Is she food motivated or does she desire physical attention. All of this will help to make Marlee’s appointment positive and coming to us will be as pleasurable an experience as we can make it.

Vaccines prevent diseases such as Parvo, Distemper, and Viral Hepatitis. We discuss other vaccines (such as Leptospirosis, Bordetella (Kennel cough)) that will be given in upcoming visits, as well as the need and reason for boosters of vaccines already given. After the first visit, we will have follow up checks until Marlee is about 16 weeks old, then generally every 6 months as Marlee grows into a young adult.

As Marlee grows we also introduce all of the handling techniques to help her to get used to the things her family will need to teach – getting her nails trimmed, holding still to have muddy feet cleaned, holding still for grooming; all of the skills that help as puppy learn to be well adjusted for a lifetime.

Our goal is to be confident that Marlee is worm or other intestinal parasite free; not only for her own health, but also for the health of her family as intestinal parasites can sometimes be spread to people. Also, nobody wants fleas infesting their home. For this reason, we also recommend life-long parasite control and refill preventatives as needed based on Marlee’s current size. We also continue the discussion and recommendations for spay, the amount of exercise and type of exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight into adulthood. Nutritional advise for what to feed, how much to feed, and how to address any issues such as diarrhea, vomiting, eating inappropriate items, picky eating or eating too much.

Sounds like we cover a lot of information, but it is our mission at Ellerslie Vet Clinic that Marlee’s family get the pet they were hoping for and one that will be healthy and happy for life.