Congratulations on the new addition to your family! The following information will assist you in giving your new family member a healthy start. There are three main areas of concern that we at Galena Veterinary Hospital worry

about. They are congenital diseases, disease prevention, and behavioral training.

     Heart murmurs, hip dysplasia, portosystemic shunts, and hydrocephalus are all examples of the many congenital diseases that we occasionally see with puppies. Some of these congenital diseases are tragic and have no cure. But, many of them can be treated and/or cured. By doing physical exams throughout the puppy package, we will check for these diseases and make the appropriate recommendation to help your puppy.

     A major component of the puppy package is giving your puppy proper immunity to infectious diseases that are common or deadly. Through a series of vaccines, your puppy will gain immunity against parvovirus, canine distemper, parainfluenza, canine hepatitis virus type-2, bordetella, and rabies. We will also discuss other vaccinations that your puppy may need later in life. Puppy vaccinations are very important to prevent diseases that may be deadly to your puppy. Another area of disease prevention is in regards to parasites. At each visit we will be giving a dewormer that will treat or prevent many parasites such as roundworms and heartworms.

     The final component of a puppy's health that we will address is behavioral problems. One of the most common reasons that dogs are taken to the local animal control or humane society is behavioral problems. Most of these bad habits or problems are started during the first year of life. Through behavior recommendations and obedience training, we can avoid many of these problems.

     With our total health package for your puppy, we will give you the best start with your new family member.

We offer two packages here at GVH:

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Package A is for a puppy who has not received any vaccinations or who has received their first set of vaccines at 6 weeks of age or earlier.

1st visit (around 8-9 weeks old)

• Physical exam
• Fecal exam
• DHPP (1 of 2)
• Bordetella (1 of 2)
• Deworming (single dose of Heartgard)

  2nd visit (around 11-12        weeks old)

• Physical exam
• DHPP (2 of 2)
• Bordetella (2 of 2)
• Deworming (single dose of Heartgard)

3rd visit (16 weeks or older)

• Physical exam
• Rabies (good for 1 year)
• Deworming (single dose of Heartgard)
• 6 month supply of Heartgard*
• Microchip implant*

   5 - 6 Months

• Spay or neuter (25% discount on spay or neuter with puppy package)

Puppy Socialization Program

• We are now offering a puppy socialization program that consists of four weekly sessions. Within these sessions you will learn how to communicate effectively with your puppy. Click here for more details.

Purchasing the puppy package will save you 25% off of all the needed physical exams and vaccinations. (Versus not purchasing a package.)

Please remember your puppy is not fully protected until the vaccination series is complete. Do not take your puppy to the park or any public dog area until all vaccines have been given.

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Puppy package B is for a puppy that has had their first set of vaccinations at 8 weeks of age or after.

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*This may be done at this age or at a later date, for example when your puppy is spayed or neutered.

~Benefits of the Puppy Package end at the puppy's 1st birthday.