Congratulations on your new puppy!

Your puppy’s first visit to Crossroads Animal Hospital starts your puppy off on “the right paw” and establishes the relationship between you and our health care team. We are excited to meet your new puppy and provide you with the best puppy care, guidance, behavior advice and information you will need to ensure that your new puppy grows up strong, healthy, and happy!

When you pick up your puppy, remember to ask what and when he or she was fed. Replicate that schedule until your first puppy visit with us. We will discuss your puppy’s breed, anticipated lifestyle and nutritional needs with you during your first puppy visit.

Getting Started with Your Puppy’s First Wellness Exam

The first step you can take is to visit us so that we can perform a comprehensive “nose-to-tail” physical exam on your puppy. Please bring your puppy to see Dr. Jordan as soon as possible after you receive your puppy. Puppies need vaccinations every three weeks until they are four months old to protect them from parvovirus, distemper, and other serious diseases.
The first visit has many benefits:

• Establish a relationship with you and our puppy and help your puppy learn to love coming to visit us.

• Extensive physical examination of your new puppy by Dr. Jordan to ensure your puppy is healthy.

• Establish a vaccination schedule and optimal plan for parasite testing, prevention and treatment, including heartworm prevention. This is tailored to your puppy based on his environment and potential for exposure to parasites and infections.

• Provide an occasion to answer all of your questions and/or concerns about puppy care, such as the best food for your puppy, how to housebreak your puppy, and any other questions.

• Discuss with you any breed specific medical conditions and how you can prevent problems from occurring.

• Discuss spaying or neutering your puppy and advise the optimal time for this surgery. The best age is usually four to five months old.

When visiting with your new puppy for the first time, please bring the following with you:

• Your puppy on a leash.

• Any prior health information that the seller, shelter, or another provided to you, such as information about the breed, history of vaccines, deworming, neutering, etc.

• A stool sample so we can check for intestinal parasites.