Pet Health and Nutrition Information for New Pet Owners

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In this infographic, you’ll learn about diet, exercise, training, how to monitor your pet’s treatments and vaccinations, and other health considerations.

Healthy Habits:

How to establish a healthy routine for your puppy

Keeping your puppy in good health isn’t about what you do once and a while, but rather the habits you adopt over the long term. It’s about protecting against ticks and fleas all year round, not just once in a while. It’s about always administering your puppy’s heartworm treatments – and not skipping a dose here and there. When you first get your puppy it’s important to establish a healthy routine, with habits you follow yearly and habits you follow every day.

Yearly

Veterinary Visits

It’s important for you to establish a relationship with your veterinarian as early as possible in your puppy’s life

Always see the vet:

If your puppy has been bitten by a tick, has fleas or you suspect worms

Is sick

Needs vaccinations

For your puppy’s annual check-up

Monthly

Tick and Flea Treatment

It’s essential to administer tick and flea protection to your pet all year round, so make sure you don’t miss those treatments each month!

Why is it so important to your puppy’s health to protect against ticks and fleas?

Monthly

Tick and Flea Treatment

It can be an all-year threat

While one may think that fleas normally die off during colder months, they actually can survive in temperatures above freezing. And, as more families enjoy travel with their pets, you may encounter ticks and fleas on vacation – that would be a horrible souvenir to bring home.

They’re responsible for a number of illnesses

There are so many diseases and conditions associated with ticks and fleas. For instance, ticks have a number of associated diseases, including Lyme disease. It only takes 48 hours for a tick to transmit Lyme disease to your puppy.¹

Did you know…

There are over 2,000 species of fleas. However, the cat flea is the one that most commonly affects both dogs and cats.²

Why is it so important to your puppy’s health to protect against worms?

They can cause a number of unpleasant problems

Worms can spread throughout your puppy’s body, affecting organs, lungs, the digestive system and even cause death if left untreated.³

Worms can live for a long time

Heartworms have a long lifespan and can live for 5 to 7 years in a puppy.³

Humans can become infected, too

If your puppy becomes infected with certain worms, such as roundworm, your family could also be at risk of becoming infected through contact with the puppy’s feces.

Did you know…

It’s possible for roundworm larvae to be transmitted across the placenta before puppies are born, or through the mother’s milk during a feeding session.

Daily

Healthy Diet

Feed your pet a nutritious diet. This can be different for each puppy based on their health needs, so it’s important to seek advice from your veterinarian about the right diet for your pet.

Give your puppy a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and nutrients
Keep your puppy hydrated and ensure you always have water in his or her bowl

Don’t

Feed your pet off the table. Always put food in the pet’s bowl to avoid behavioral issues that can be difficult to break
Give your puppy human foods that are dangerous to its health

Exercise

Your pet should enjoy daily exercise for at least 30 minutes. This can keep you in control of a number of different aspects of your pet’s health and well-being, some of which include:

Weight Management
Cardiovascular Health
Facilitate Good Behavior

Make it a habit by engaging in these fun activities with your pet:

Walks

Fetch

Agility

Swimming

Training

Start training your puppy early and reinforce good behaviors on a daily basis.

Take your puppy outside after meals, when he or she wakes up, and after a session of play
Teach your puppy the appropriate places to potty
Be consistent, repetitive, and patient throughout the process
Train with reward, not punishment