WHEN A PUPPY ARRIVES

First of all, congratulations that a new four-legged friend has arrived in your family: we wish you the best for this new adventure. The decision to share your days with another living being is very important and will influence your life for many years, requiring attention and respect for the needs of the new arrival.

To adopt a puppy it would be good to wait until it is eight weeks old because during this period contact with the mother and the brothers allows the puppy to learn social rituals and establish relationships with the other members of the litter - a fundamental role for its overall emotional stability.

The first days in a new environment can be quite intimidating for your new friend (both for puppies and adults), so if possible, it is better to arrange the arrival in a calm moment of your week, for example during the weekend, when it is more likely that all the members of the family who will share the joy of this experience are present.

If there are children in the house, try to control their enthusiasm, so that they avoid raising their voices and passing the puppy from hand to hand. Teach them to handle it gently, so that the puppy has enough time to feel confident.

Finally, remember that puppies need to grow in an environment full of stimulating sounds and visuals, and should be taken on many walks. Keep in mind that it is not recommended in early (nor in late) adoption for the animal to have a dependent link with only one sole master, to avoid behavioural problems that may occur with vocalisations, inappropriate emissions of feces or urine, or fear and consequent aggression towards an eventual new master.

SMALL BEHAVIOURAL TIPS

Cats

From the very first day, it is good to provide a cat with a protected central territory, allowing it to rest peacefully and undisturbed, especially by children and other members of the family unit, including any other pets.

Cats are very clean animals, but it is still necessary to have easy access to the area dedicated to its needs: they need a litter tray, placed in a quiet environment (away from the food area), which must be cleaned daily. In case of problems related to your cat dirtying the home, it is advisable to consult your veterinarian.

In the wild, cats spend several hours playing and hunting, so these activities should be guaranteed even in a home environment, devoting their time, or if this is not possible, providing an environment full of stimulation.

Dogs

Remember that upon arrival in the family a puppy will transfer the attachment that was dedicated to the mother to the person who will take care of its primary needs (nutrition, comfort, play), thus, developing a close relationship with a family member. This relationship, useful in the early stages, will necessarily have to decrease, because the newcomer, as happens in nature, will still have to learn to stand alone. The initiative must come from the owner to not follow every request of the puppy, who will have to learn to understand and face the solitude, the inevitable condition of the domestic dog (a puppy too dependent on the master will develop so-called separation anxiety).

Unlike cats, few dogs are already accustomed to not dirtying a home: it is, therefore, important that the puppy is directed to the right place at the right time, which normally coincides with after-dinner, upon awakening, and moments that follow playing. If the puppy evacuates to an inappropriate place, remember that any form of punishment can cause confusion and that it is therefore highly advisable, instead of punishment for wrong behaviour, to reward him when he evacuates to the right place, thus stimulating a positive association. Moreover, it is important to know that for dogs it is still 'unnatural' to be forced to do their duty at home (on diapers, newspapers, etc.) because they never get dirty in the "den", or nature (which for them is the house in which they live).

As for the commands, they must be simple and above all, they must be valid for all the members of the family, so as not to generate confusion (one word = one meaning). Make the dog wear the collar immediately, so that he gets used to wearing it and that the first walks are easier, which must be used for proper socialisation. When the dog is on a leash remember not to tug, but pull it gently, constantly calling his attention, both talking and rewarding. If it shows fear towards places and people it is better not to consider it or distract it with games (the comfort represented by caresses and reassurance reinforces fear).

Feeding

For our friends to be healthy animals, their nutrition must be correct from the beginning. Indeed, the choice of food in their first year of life is decisive for their correct development.

The science of nutrition has made enormous progress in recent years, providing foods that guarantee the right ratio of nutrients (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals), with raw materials of proven quality.

In addition, the range of products on the market (in both dry and wet formulations) can follow all the phases of your friend's life according to individual needs (physical conformation, work attitude, race), preventing or delaying certain diseases (obesity, calculus, diabetes, renal failure, food intolerances).

Those who prefer a home-based diet must ensure that they contain the right nutrients in the right relationship, as inadvertent errors in preparation and formulation can cause serious problems to the health of the animal.

Our four-legged friends do not need to change and can eat the same food for life: sudden changes can even cause digestive disorders or alterations to the integumentary system. If changes are unavoidable, it is always helpful to consult your veterinarian and remember that a transition period of at least a week is required, mixing the new food with the old in increasing daily proportions.

The habit of providing food from the table should be avoided both to safeguard the welfare of the animal and to maintain a balance and a right coexistence that does not develop behavioural pathologies: access to food conditions the hierarchy, and for this, it would be appropriate to feed your pet after the meal of the whole family, to consolidate the subordinate relationship. The dog and the cat have different needs to access food: while for the dog, one or two meals are needed a day (four meals in puppies up to the fifth month) the cat loves to spice up more meals with at least three or four times a day.

Protecting the health of dogs and cats: vet's advice 

Our four-legged friends are very good at hiding their problems until they become too serious, which is why it is best to consult your vet whenever changes in appetite and behaviour occur: better to be cautious than to regret them later. 

If the dog does not eat but is attentive and lively, it is better not to force it or stimulate it with different foods, but to try to remove the bowl and show it at the next meal. If he continues not to eat it is best to consult the vet. 

In the case of vomiting or diarrhoea (as there are many causes) you should always consider the material rejected and the state of your animal. In both cases, if the regularly vaccinated dog or cat is lively and alert, a day's fasting may be sufficient - leaving water available in any case. Otherwise, the vet should be consulted. 

In the case of a cough, it is best to consult the vet immediately, to differentiate between the various forms: from infectious to inflammatory, from bronchopulmonary to cardiac. 

If your pet starts drinking a lot (polydipsia), urinating more than usual (polyuria) or is particularly lethargic, it is a good idea to take it to your vet for the necessary checks (most likely blood tests as a first step). 

Pay attention to the dangers that surround our friends both at home (plants, detergents, balconies, toys...) and in the open air (cars, mopeds, insects, snakes, poisons, sunstroke...) and the car (heatstroke). In such situations refer to the nearest veterinary surgeon. 

An important chapter in the health of dogs and cats concerns possible spaying and neutering. This type of intervention can be performed after the age of six months (although in some cases it is carried out earlier) and can protect our animals from many situations: for example, in the male cat it limits the risks of infectious diseases (FIV and FeLV respectively the immunodeficiency virus and feline leukaemia virus) and investment trauma, since 'whole' male cats (i.e. unneutered) generally move away from home much more than neutered ones do, thus risking crossing busy streets in the city; in the female cat, neutering prevents the risk of mammary tumours. 

In the male dog, castration reduces the risk of wandering, as well as reducing aggression and susceptibility to serious prostate disease, while in the female, if she is not intended to have litters, it reduces the risk of ovarian disease and drastically reduces mammary gland tumours.

Geriatric patients 

The life expectancy of our animals has increased significantly in recent years, thanks to improved sanitation, improved nutrition and progress in veterinary medicine. As they age, an animal's ability to adapt to aggression from external factors is altered, so it is necessary to review the different functions of the various organs, adopting therapeutic controls and prophylactic treatments.

When do we consider an animal elderly?

Life expectancy varies according to different types of races. Generally speaking, a small dog is considered to be aged around 11/12 years, an average-sized dog around 9/10 years, a large-sized dog around 7/8 years, and a cat is considered elderly around 11/12 years.

A visit to the vet for an old animal must be seen as an act of preventive medicine, as keeping your animal in good condition. Diagnosis and early treatment guarantee the possibility of prolonging its life.

The various organs to be considered are represented by the buccal cavity, the gastrointestinal organs, the cardiocirculatory apparatus, the locomotor skeletal, urogenital, the behavioural nervous system and the integumentary apparatus.

These checks include a simple clinical examination, preferably performed every six months, blood tests and urine to monitor non-noticeable systems from the outside (such as the assessment of the first signs of illness) and any further investigation with diagnostic imaging (radiography, ultrasound ...) at the first signs of dysfunction of an organ.

It is also important to remember that the effectiveness of the immune system decreases with increasing age, sensitising the organism to exogenous pathogens such as viral diseases. Therefore, as happens for humans, annual vaccinations are required.

Finally, also protein-energy needs tend to vary according to the different needs and underlying diseases: it is, therefore, advisable to evaluate with your doctor the food program both for formulation and for administration.

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