How do I care for my new puppy once I get it home?
When you first take your new pup home please do not give it free run of your home. For the pups safety please confine your pup to a small area. Be sure in this area the pup has a bed to sleep in, and can see its food and water dish. You can put newspapers or house training pads down in this area for your pup to go potty.
I recommend free feeding your little puppy. This means to make sure your pup has food in his/her dish at all times. These pups have very small stomachs and eat a little bit at a time. Toy dogs are what you call nibblers. When a pup comes to a new home sometimes they can get a little stressed out.
It is very important to care for your new Maltese puppy properly. They require alot of your attention and love to get them through their transition to a new home.
Tiny Maltese' can have hypoglycemic attacks if not taken care of properly. This is when their blood sugar goes down. This is very serious and could cause death. A hypoclycemic attack can be brought on by stress or poor eating. You must make sure that your puppy has adequate food and water available to him or her at all times. Make sure you keep your puppy calm and as free from stress as possible during the transition period to the new home. I suggest new puppy owners keep a tube of Nutri-Cal available just in case. This is a brown sticky, sweet substance in a tube which can be found at your local vets office. Just give your puppy a finger full in his mouth as soon as you realize he or she may be having an attack; and contact your vet right away. Safety of the puppy is always first. I do not guarantee against hypoglycemia and you will not find a breeder who will guarantee against hypoglycemic attacks. This is something that can be a prevented by good care-giving by the buyer. This also would mean not leaving your new puppy 10 or 12 hours alone. Leaving your puppy alone for long periods of time would be stressful until he or she can make the transition to their new home.
Take your new puppy to the vet regularly and keep your puppy up-to-date on all shots. Make sure he or she is given deworming medicine to keep them from getting any type of worms. Also be sure to put Frontline Plus on your new puppy to keep him or her from getting fleas and ticks.
Love and Cherish your new puppy for a Lifetime!