Caring for Puppies
Worming
Your puppy needs to be wormed every 2 weeks until they are 3 months old, then monthly. When fostering your puppy feel free to ask about dosage, frequency and any other medications if unsure as many younger or higher risk puppies may have different recommendations of frequency.
Dogs can contact worms through faeces, soil, mosquito/tick and flea bites, even the mother spreading it to her puppies through pregnancy and milk and food. Hookworms, in particular, can burrow through skin. This should show the importance of re-worming your puppies in the recommended dosage and frequency.
Ringworm: Ringworm is not actually a worm, but a fungal infection. This is very common in the top end as it can be very warm and humid. Ringworm looks like circular patches of hairless skin an can be red and itchy. If you suspect your puppy has a fungal infection or any skin condition please make this known to PAWS as soon as you become aware.
Getting to know your puppy: On this note take the time to notice the dogs skin, fur and personality on a regular basis so that you can become aware of any changes. If you do notice any changes contact PAWS ASAP about any matter you find concerning.
Things to Watch for in your puppy:
Hydration: you can check the hydration of your puppy by pinching/pulling the skin fold on the back of its neck up gently, if the skin falls back to normal at a normal pace, it is well hydrated. If the skin stays up and moves back very slowly, then your puppy is dehydrated. for puppies under 4 weeks, you may need to syringe or bottle feed water or puppy milk if the puppy wont drink by itself. you may find feeding your puppy milk will give it the hydration and nutrients it needs. for any help or direction bottle feeding your puppy call PAWS, or if your puppy is very young you may be shown when picking it up from PAWS.
Diarrhoea and Vomiting: especially if there is blood. If your puppy is vomiting or has diarrhoea it can quickly become dehydrated. Vomiting and diarrhoea can be caused by so many factors including their food, parasites, parvo etc. If you are feeling worried about your puppy it is important to let PAWS know and they will direct you on the next course of action.
Pale gums: also can be caused by an umbrella of factors. call your coordinator with any concerns.
Temperature: this may seem silly in Darwin, however your puppy may not be able to control its body temperature like an adult dog can. If your puppy becomes too cold it may not be absorbing its food/water properly. When young puppies are cold and seem lethargic and sick their organs may tart to close down. Feeding it may make things worse. ensure your puppy is warm by using heat packs or hot water bottles before attempting to feed. This is mainly pertaining to puppies who are under 6 weeks.
Lethargy: Puppies do need a lot of sleep, but if your puppy is more tired than usual, doesn't play or isn't eating this is a red flag. You will need to call your coordinator ASAP just to touch base and keep them updated on the situation. They will let you know when it needs to see a vet.
Feeding
Please ask what the puppy has been eating as it can be important not to change their diet too quickly, however, this is a rescue group, it may be a possibility that we do not know what their diet has been. Once you have chosen a brand/ routine for your puppy stick to it so as not to upset their stomach. PAWS is happy to provide food if we have it available, don't be scared to ask.
Brands from the supermarket such as optimum or supercoat, or pet shop brands such as Hills and Advance are acceptable. Aussie pooch in Palmerston is happy to assist in any diet questions you may have about feeding your dog a raw diet.
Quarantine
Quarantine means that the puppy you are fostering may be at risk of spreading disease or catching disease. Parvo in particular can take 7-14 days to show so we ask that you take precautions to keep your property and puppy safe for the first 10 days, unless already cleared. Unless your puppy is fully vaccinated it is important that you do not have your puppy outside in the yard or on the ground anywhere. The exception to this is if you have known the history of your house for 10 years and you know that your yard has not had contact with a Parvo in any form in that time.
When considering fostering, ensure that your own dogs are already vaccinated as vaccinated dogs are NOT at risk. It is important to remember that if you get Parvo in your yard and it is not properly cleaned, all unvaccinated dogs and puppies will be at risk and you will not be able to care for other puppies.
Those at risk include dogs that are not fully vaccinated
Many parasites and diseases can stick around if your Quarantine area is not cleaned properly. Ticks, parvo, coccidia and fleas are the most common and can stay in soils, grass, flooring and bedding so it is important to keep cleaning regularly.
Wash their bedding and area with a good cleaner such as F10 or bleach and rinse before putting the pets back in their space so that the chemicals don’t cause burns or reactions. Try to avoid carpeted rooms as it is harder to clean thoroughly. Avoid visitors for the first 10 days as if your puppy does have parvo they can pass it on, or they may bring the virus in to your puppy when they pat them.
Ticks are very common in the NT, these are NOT paralysis ticks but can bring diseases, cause irritation and anaemia (low red blood cells) if left on for too long. While we cannot prevent Ticks in many backyards it is important to look at your puppies paws, in their ears and under their neck for Ticks if they have been playing outside. To remove a tick, get some tweezers and grab by the head where it is embedded.
E-Canis has changed the tick risk for dogs and puppies now so it is very important to keep all animals tick free. any signs of lethargy weight loss and or feet dragging etc can be a sign of E-canis please contact the PAWS Darwin Community Vet on 80470650 if you have any concerns.
Cane toads: signs of cane toad poisoning are red inflamed gums, foaming at the mouth, dilated pupils and in severe cases vomiting and convulsing. If your puppy is caught playing with a cane toad, don’t stress, wash it’s mouth out thoroughly with the hose facing down out of its mouth (not down the throat) and wipe it’s mouth out with a damp towel. Contact PAWS immediately to update them on the situation. In small doses your puppy may have temporary lethargy or act odd but this will go away. Continue monitoring and if symptoms persist or worsen take immediately to a vet. Remember to let PAWS know what actions you are taking and keep them in the loop.
Behaviour management
Teaching your puppy food manners, barking manners and to be left alone for periods of time while you’re at work are vital for its adoptability. PAWS run free classes for behavioural management and you are encouraged to attend, even if your puppy can’t come due to isolation, so that we can help with training information.
Remember when bringing a puppy home that everything will be very new to them, start a routine and encourage good behaviour from day one as they quickly learn what they can and cannot get away with.
For the first few nights your puppy may whinge when separated at night time as it is in a new place with a new routine. Be patient and practice controlled crying techniques, make an effort to wait to pick up or let out the puppy when the puppy is quiet.
Puppy Schools
All puppies that are out of quarantine are able to attend puppy school with PAWS Darwin, this helps to support behaviour, manners and helps our carers to have a good understanding of socialisation. Puppy school also helps the trainers to support the puppies transitions to new families and new homes, encourages the puppies to be social and gives the safe outings. If you want to bring you puppy to puppy school we ask that you register on line even for the fosters so we have details. there is not cost except time for the foster puppies.
For emergencies either call our after hours emergency number on 0488666722 or message us on Facebook. Please remember that our AH team are Volunteers and not always immediately available. If your foster isn't well please try to call or message during work hours so that we can facilitate support. We understand that emergencies happen but often symptoms appear well before carers call, this slows down recovery and raises the risk of emergencies treatment.
Remember that even though we have lots of rules and regulations we really appreciate the time that you are taking to foster one or more of our puppies, we know its hard work but our puppies get a better start to life, are more socially adjusted and better socialised to people, TV's noises and real life when they live in your homes. So thank you for your help and support giving these guys a better start to life.
