Puppies' Vet Visit (Six Week Check-Up)

The pups visited the vet this morning for their six-week-old check-up, routine de-wormings, vaccinations, and micro-chipping.  And all survived:

Initially, they weren't thrilled about riding together (all three) in one crate.  In the picture above, Master Red is front and center; Master Blue is top right climbing on his brother; Master Green is bottom right underneath Master Blue.

They settled down, though, and relaxed for the car ride.  No fussing at all!

Then we got to the vet's office, and of course our people-loving puppies wanted to come out and greet everyone (but Gramma Joan wouldn't let them; she's super protective).

Everyone stood well for weighing, and here's what their weights are (as of this morning):  Master Blue is the lightest at 12.4 pounds; then Master Red at 13.3 pounds; and (no surprise here) Master Chunky Monkey Green weighed the most at 13.8 pounds.  All three are solid and healthy.

They received their standard six-week-old vaccines (DHPP -- for Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvo, and Parainfluenza).  They also received their first deworming (oral Strongid), and will receive their second dose of Strongid at eight weeks right before they leave us for their forever homes.   All three were microchipped as well and handled the big needle for the chipping without protest (well, Master Red wiggled).  The chips were wanded before insertion to make sure they worked, and then again after insertion to make sure they were located where they were supposed to be (between the pups' shoulders high on their backs). Everybody's chips made the wand beep when wanded so we know their chips are in and active. :O) 

Master Green was the most timid on the table, but he relaxed in time (above).  Dr. Wagner checked the pups over well, and all "feel" great to him; their joints seem sound; their ranges of motion are good; their hearts and lungs sound fine; their occlusions (jaw alignments) and palettes look good; and their eyes and ears are all as they should be. They do all have umbilical hernias as we suspected (Red's is biggest), but our vet isn't too concerned. He does want us to watch them, however, and the new owners will have to as well, but we're hopeful that the hernias will self-correct in coming weeks.  If the hernias do not self-correct, the treatment is a simple surgical procedure that can be done at the same time as pups' neutering surgeries. So it's all good. 

After the "trauma" of their exams, vaccines, and micro-chipping, the pups were more subdued.  They were quiet for the ride home.

All were quite happy to return home to the security of their familiar "den" in our kitchen.

And they were quite hungry!

They ate well as soon as we returned.

And then they settled in for a long winter's day nap.

Sweet silly puppies.  Our vet thinks they're gorgeous and doing very well.  They look good and have their clearances to go to their forever homes.  Now we"ll just love them and work with them over the next two weeks, and then they'll leave us for their new families.

Wow!  It's hard to believe they're six weeks old already!  So far so good.  Let's hope we have an uneventful final two weeks.

'til next time,
Joan