Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

PEDIATRICS • 515
mind that picking a future champion at 8 weeks of age is a problem, even for
breeders with considerable experience.
Most puppies 8 to 12 weeks old tolerate the stresses of being shipped by air,
especially if they can travel accompanied in the cabin in a soft-sided carry bag
made for pets. For toy and small breeds it is best to rely on the experience of
the breeder when considering this option. Even better, try to avoid flying a
puppy and plan to drive to and from the breeder if it is at all possible.
If possible, visit the kennel and make your own selection. An experienced
breeder will guide you based on what you want in a puppy, the puppy aptitude
test results, and the breeder’s experience from living with the puppies for their
first crucial weeks. Be prepared when, on the appointed day, you find yourself
standing before a litter of bouncing puppies and find that all appear to be
equally lovable.
Most puppies look healthy at first glance, but a closer inspection may make
some puppies more desirable than others. Take your time and go over each
puppy from head to tail before making the final decision.
Begin by examining the head. The nose should be cool and moist. Nasal
discharge or frequent sneezing is a sign of poor health. Brachycephalic breeds,
such as Pugs and Pekingese, often have nostrils that collapse when the dog
breathes in. This is undesirable.
Check the puppy for a correct bite. The correct bite for most breeds is a
scissors bite, in which the upper incisors just slightly overlap the lower ones.
An even bite, in which the incisors meet edge to edge, is equally acceptable in
most breeds. If the scissors bite is exaggerated so that the head of a match can
be inserted between the upper and lower incisors, the bite is overshot and
probably will not correct itself. In a dog with an undershot bite, the lower
incisors overlap the uppers. This is characteristic and even required in some
brachycephalic breeds, such as the Bulldog. If you are uncertain about the
required bite, check the breed standard—the official blueprint of what an
ideal dog of that breed should look like. (Breed standards can be found in The
Complete Dog Book and on the AKC and UKC web sites.)
The gums should be pink and healthy looking. Pale gums suggest anemia,
possibly caused by intestinal parasites.
Feel for a soft spot on the dome of the skull. If present, the fontanel is open.
This is not desirable. In toy breeds, an open fontanel can be associated with
hydrocephalus.
The eyes should be clear and bright. If you see tear stains on the muzzle,
look for eyelids that roll in or out, extra eyelashes, or conjunctivitis. The
pupils should be dark and have no visible lines or white spots that may indicate
congenital cataracts or retained fetal membranes. The haw (third eyelid)
may be visible. This should not be taken as a sign of disease unless it is swollen
and inflamed.
The ears should stand correctly for the breed, although in some breeds,
such as German Shepherd Dogs, the ears may not stand up fully until 4 to 6