The puppy and kitten stage can be so much fun for a new pet owner. It can also be a time when a pet parent is overwhelmed and may seek extra help and assurance from pet care professionals. Infusing your business with puppies and kittens helps keep your database fresh with young pets. You’ll be able to provide valuable information for pet parents, starting them off on the right foot with their new furry family member. Doing so can be the beginning of a lifelong relationship between the pet, his or her owner, and your facility.

Greeting the New Puppy or Kitten

Regardless of where pet parents acquire their new furry babies, the young pets will usually come through our doors as guests within the first few months of life. Your facility hopefully has policies on accepting puppies and kittens, including minimum age and vaccination requirements. When these little fluff balls first arrive, they couldn’t be cuter and are most likely greeted with lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahhs.’ If there’s another dog in the family, don’t forget to make a fuss over them too!

Health Concerns

Yes, puppies and kittens are fun to have in the facility but they do have special needs. Before admission, it’s important to ensure these young dogs and cats are healthy and properly vaccinated. It’s also recommended that you have separate protocols for puppies to limit their exposure to your general population. If possible, have a special puppy room and yard designated to limit their potential exposure until they can build up their immunities.

The maternal antibodies puppies and kittens receive from the colostrum (or first mother’s milk) don’t protect them for long. Through a series of vaccinations, the veterinarian hopes to trigger an immune response that will protect the youngster from disease after the immunity received from the mother wanes. Although there’s no perfect formula for the timing of these vaccinations, it’s imperative that pet parents follow their veterinarian’s recommendations to ensure maximum protection for puppies or kittens.

It’s also important for your facility to know if these young pets have been exposed to other dogs or cats, outside of its immediate family within the last several weeks. If a puppy or kitten was adopted at a shelter, for instance, there’s an increased chance they were exposed to disease. As much as we want to welcome these adorable little ones into our facilities, we always have to remember the importance of disease control. Since these puppies or kittens have not built up the proper immunities, they can be carriers of diseases.

It’s also good practice to ask if the puppy or kitten has had a wellness check by a veterinarian, including a check for internal and external parasites. If it hasn’t, this query might prompt new pet owners to do so at the first opportunity – a step that will get their new friends off to a good start.

Some examples of common internal parasites that are commonly found in puppies are roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and tapeworm. External parasites can be fleas, ticks, mites, and mange.

Feeding the Young Puppy

Puppies will normally require 3-4 feedings a day and have just as many, or more, stools. Be sure to follow the owner or veterinarian’s recommendation for the puppy’s feedings, including both quantity and food selection. Changing a puppy’s diet can be disrupting. However, if you have any concern that the puppy is getting enough calories, especially in a new and active environment, check in with the veterinarian. Weighing all furry guests during check in and throughout the stay is a good way to ensure proper weight. This is especially important with a growing puppy.

Crate training can assist in housebreaking since the puppy learns quickly where he or she sleeps and eats, as well as where they should do their business. To assist a puppy with this housebreaking lesson, the puppy needs to be placed in – or allowed access to – an exercise area after every feeding and naptime.

Socialization and Exercise

Young puppies enjoy and benefit from socialization. Most employees will want to spend time interacting with them; however, too much attention is not always good for the puppy. Play sessions are wonderful for socialization but you want to ensure puppies are closely supervised by your most experienced staff and always grouped with puppies of similar play styles. It’s equally important that the puppy has plenty of time to rest and learns to entertain himself or herself.

Kittens

Kittens are relatively simple to care for. They are nearly always litter box trained before you meet them. Their natural curiosity makes it easy for them to adapt to new environments. The same precautions that apply to puppies also apply to kittens when it comes to health and vaccinations. Kittens, too, require several feedings daily and normally do well when dry kibble is left for them to eat as needed. They love to be played with, but will also entertain themselves with the simplest of toys, such as a ping pong ball or a crumpled piece of paper.

Take the time to ramp up your puppy and kitten protocols. For more information on caring for puppies, kittens and all pets in your care, go to OPCLearningCenter.com for the industry’s most comprehensive training library.

Outstanding Pet Care Learning Center is dedicated to protecting and growing the Pet Care Industry through World-Class Pet Care Training and Education. OPC Learning Center’s curriculum:

• Delivers necessary pet care training in the convenience of your facility,
• Saves training, time and energy of owners and managers
• Provides convenient, technically-advanced format for immediate access
• Offers immediate on-line testing to give you assurance that the material was understood
• Reduces potential injuries to your staff and guests
• Can increase health and happiness of the pets in your care
• Protects you, your staff, and your bottom line

For more about our courses, visit: www.OPCLearningCenter.com

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