This leaflet contains a basic guide to caring for your
Irish Wolfhound puppy. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to
phone for help or advice, or just to chat about your puppy's progress. We would
be pleased to hear from you.
To begin with, when you take your puppy home, he may
be confused and bewildered by the journey and his new surroundings. Give him
time to settle in; do not push him too hard by being over attentive. Let him
come to you at his own pace. In a few days it will seem as if he has been with
you since birth. Ensure he has his own bed or basket where he can go and rest
undisturbed. He will need soft bedding. Don't allow him to sleep on a hard
floor as this may cause Bursae (fluid on the elbow). Our adult hounds have
their own sofa, which we have found ideal. Avoid bean filled beds as these may
cause choking if torn open (not to mention the mess they make!!!).
Worming
Your puppy will have been wormed at 4 weeks, 6 weeks
and 8 weeks of age. He will need worming again at about 16 weeks of age, and
then about every 6 months, using a good wormer -available from your vet.
Immunisation
Your puppy MUST NOT be taken into public places (where
other dogs may have been) until it has finished a course of vaccinations. Your
vet will vaccinate against Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis and
Parvovirus. Once immunisation is complete you can take your puppy out knowing
he is protected (usually about 1 week after the last jab).
Exercise
In the first 6 months your puppy will grow very fast.
During this period exercise should be kept to a minimum, so as not to overtire
or stress his growing, but still soft bones. The bones on a wolfhound do not
fully calcify until they are about 12 months of age. Over-stressing these bones
may cause bone growth defects. From about 6 months of age onwards exercise can
be gradually increased. Gentle exercise is important as this will develop and
strengthen body muscles. At 12 months complete freedom with exercise can be
given. If you are patient in the growing months by not pushing your puppy too
hard you will be rewarded with a sound dog that has grown well.
Feeding (speak to LIZ about
your puppy's current diet)
At 6 -12 weeks your puppy should be fed 4 meals a day.
At 3 - 6 months your puppy should be fed 3 meals a day.
From 6 months onwards: 2 meals a day.
It is preferable with adult hounds to feed twice a day
i.e. morning and evening, rather than feeding the whole amount in one large
meal. Always feed your hound at a convenient height as this will aid digestion
i.e. for his head to be about the same height as his elbow is about right. DO
NOT feed immediately before or after exercise; allow him half an hour to
rest before feeding.
Energetic exercise should be avoided for two hours
after feeding.
It is recommended that dry food be fed semi-moist.
Soften with warm milk or water. A large intake of dry food would expand into a
large mass in the stomach when the hound drinks the water necessary to digest
it. This large bulk in the stomach of a deep chested hound may cause Torsion (Bloat). This is
a serious condition where gasses trapped in the stomach expand causing
distension. Immediate veterinary attention is necessary.
A rawhide bone or a hard biscuit each day will help
keep his teeth clean. Fresh water should always be available
Toilet Training
It is never too soon to start toilet training. Put
newspaper down on the floor near the puppy's bed in case of accidents - there
will certainly be some, especially overnight. It is best if the papers can be
placed between the puppy's bed and the backdoor. The newspaper should gradually
be moved nearer to the backdoor so that the puppy gets used to the idea of
going to the door when it needs to go to the toilet. Puppies will nearly always
go when they wake up, so take your puppy outside as soon as it wakes up, then
give it lots of praise when it does what's required. Puppies will also usually
want to go after a meal, so go through the same procedure after meal times.
Take him out as early as possible in the morning and as late as possible at
night. Don't shut him out alone. Stay with him until he relieves himself and
then praise him lavishly. If he makes a mistake in the house a stern no and
putting him outside for a short period will help. Never slap the puppy or stick
his nose in what he has done. This is cruel - he will think it is what he has
done and not where he has done it that is the crime.
Some Do's and Don'ts
Do ensure your puppy has adequate rest, without disturbance (especially
from young children).
Do be consistent, fair and firm in your commands,
training and treatment of your puppy.
Do check your garden fences for holes or gaps.
Do be prepared to clear up if your dog fouls in a public place.
Do train your dog - an obedient dog is a happy dog and a pleasure to own (a
local training class will be a help to both owner and hound, and is great for
socializing your puppy
Don't throw balls or sticks for your dog to catch - these
could get lodged in his throat.
Don't over-exercise your puppy or young dog.
Don't allow small toys which could choke your dog - balls
should be bigger than a tennis ball.
Don't leave a choke chain on your dog. It can get caught up
in things with disastrous consequences.
Don't leave your dog tied up outside shops etc. there is,
unfortunately, a market for stolen dogs.
NEVER leave your dog in a car in warm or hot weather - this
can be a killer.
Oh! did I mention chewing ?. Ah! well, it's a
rare puppy that doesn't chew the occasional slipper, but a wolfhound puppy is
quite capable of chewing the leg off a chair. Our own puppies have made some
quite interesting alterations to our furniture and garden. So, be prepared. Try
not to leave him alone for long periods, and if you must leave him, ensure he
has plenty of chews and toys of his own to play with. A bored puppy will look
for something with which to amuse him - you may not be so amused!
Try to forgive him, his LOVE, LOYALTY and
COMPANIONSHIP will be worth it.
We have done all that we can to ensure the puppy we
have sold you is fit, healthy and happy. However we do recommend that you take
him to your own vet for a general health check as soon as possible.
If for any reason you are not happy with your puppy
please return him to us and we will give you a full refund of the purchase
price.
Finally, in the event that you may not be able to keep
your puppy or dog (at whatever age) please contact us. There will be no
recriminations, just help and advice.
HAVE FUN!
The bursae sacs are located
in joints to cushion the bones and prevent them rubbing together. In wolfhounds
and other large breeds these sacs can swell and produce unsightly looking lumps
(golfball to baseball sized) called hygromas hanging from the elbows and hips.
These swellings are best left to themselves NO MATTER WHAT the veterinarian
tells you. If left alone, they go away. If treated, they come back again and
again and cause you misery and cost you pounds.
The general concensus is that dogs that "flop" onto the floor
get them, more graceful dogs do not.
Deep-chested dogs
are susceptible to gastric torsion; the dreaded "bloat"
Symptoms - Abdominal distention, salivating, and retching are the
hallmark signs of GDV. Other signs may include restlessness, depression,
lethargy, anorexia, weakness, or a rapid heart rate.
Cause - A typical scenario for onset of GDV starts with a
large, deep-chested dog, usually fed once daily. Take into account the common
habit of bolting food, gulping air, or drinking large amounts of water immediately
after eating, to this feeding schedule and then if you add vigorous exercise
after a full meal you have the recipe for bloat.
(Simple gastric distention can occur in any breed or
age of dog and is common in young puppies that overeat. This is sometimes
referred to as pre-bloat by laymen. Belching of gas or vomiting food usually
relieves the problem.)
Of course, the fact that not all bloats happen in just
the same way and the thought that some bloodlines are more at risk than others
further complicates the issue. If this condition occurs more than once in a
predisposed breed, the veterinarian might discuss methods to prevent bloat,
such as feeding smaller meals or giving Reglan (metoclopramide) to encourage
stomach emptying. Some veterinarians recommend, and some owners request,
prophylactic surgery to anchor the stomach in place before the torsion occurs
in dogs who have experienced one or more bouts of distention or in dogs whose
close relatives have had GDV.
Prevention -
Clearly, prevention of GDV is preferable to treatment.
In susceptible breeds, feed two or three meals daily and discourage rapid
eating. Do not allow exercise for two hours after a meal. As previously
mentioned some owners feel that certain bloodlines are at greater risk and
choose to have gastroplexy performed as a prophylactic measure.
While the genetics of GDV are not completely worked
out, most breeders and veterinarians feel there is some degree of heritability.
Therefore, while prophylactic gastroplexy will probably help an individual dog,
it makes sense not to breed dogs who are affected or who are close relatives of
those suffering from GDV.
Treatment GDV is a true emergency. If you know or even suspect your dog has bloat,
immediately call your veterinarian or emergency service. Do not attempt home
treatment.
Do take the time to call ahead; while you are
transporting the dog, the hospital staff can prepare for your arrival. Do not
insist on accompanying your dog to the treatment area. Well-meaning owners are
an impediment to efficient care. Someone will be out to answer your questions
as soon as possible, but for now, have faith in you veterinarian and wait.
Initial diagnosis may include x-rays, an ECG, and
blood tests, but treatment will probably be started before the test results are
in. The first step is to treat shock with IV fluids and steroids. Antibiotics
and anti-arrythmics may also be started now. Then the veterinarian will attempt
to decompress the stomach by passing a stomach tube. If this is successful, a
gastric levage may be instituted to wash out accumulated food, gastric juices,
or other stomach contents. In some cases, decompression is accomplished by
placing large-bore needles or a trochar through the skin and muscle and
directly into the stomach.
In some cases, this medical therapy is sufficient.
However, in many cases, surgery is required to save the dog. Once the dog's
condition is stabilized, surgery to correct the stomach twist, remove any
unhealthy tissue, and anchor the stomach in place is performed. The gastroplexy,
or anchoring surgery, is an important procedure to prevent recurrence, and many
variations exist. Your veterinarian will do the procedure he feels comfortable
with and which has the best success rate Recovery is prolonged, sometimes
requiring hospital stays of a week or more. Post-operative care depends on the
severity of the disease and the treatment methods employed and may include a
special diet, drugs to promote gastric emptying, and routine wound management.
Costs may run $500-1000 or more in complicated cases.
The physiology of bloat Torsion and
volvulus are terms to describe the twisting of the stomach after gastric
distention occurs. The different terms are used to define the twisting whether
it occurs on the longitudinal axis (torsion) or the mesenteric axis (volvulus).
Most people use the terms interchangeably, and the type of twist has no bearing
on the prognosis or treatment. When torsion occurs, the esophagus is closed
off, limiting the dog's ability to relieve distention by vomiting or belching.
Often the spleen becomes entrapped as well, and its blood supply is cut off.