Congratulations! You've found your new best buddy. Dogs need care on every level-physically, emotionally, mentally and socially.

Puppies and dogs, need a little extra attention to get the best possible start for a long, healthy life. If it seems overwhelming, don't worry; this blog is here to give healthy tips and preventive care advice.

A regular physical exam preformed by your veterinarian is an essential step in keeping your dog healthy.. These exams provide a chance to detect and prevent health problems early.

Your dog can't tell you if something's wrong, but they can let you know in other ways. If you dog has an illness of other health problem, it's always best if you catch it early. If you have any concerns, or notice any of the following:

• ​Unusual aggression or lethargy
• Unusual discharge from the nose or eyes
• Increased or decreased appetite
• Excessive head shaking, scratching or licking
• Swelling, abnormal lumps
• Foul breath, excessive plaque or calculus deposits on teeth
• Changes n urination or drinking habits
• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing
• Repeated coughing or gagging
• Reduced ability to exercise or reluctance to play​​

In the same way you need time to learn your dog's personality, your dog needs time to learn yours. Build a bond with them by:

• Playing to build trust and friendship
• Following daily routines
• Exercising to keep them engaged and active
• ​Training to create mutual understanding

Pick out a clean, quiet area where your dog's food and water bowls will be consistently placed (be sure to clean both regularly). 

Once your puppy has had all his/her required vaccines, and it is safe to play with other dogs, your new puppy/dog will need time to adjust to their new environment and make new friends. Gradually socialize them by:

• Introducing them to neighbors
• Explore dog parks
• Take them for obedience classes

The following things should be in your house when your dog arrives and items your dog may need:

• Bed
• Bowls - water, food
• Collar, leash
• Toys, treats
• Training Pen/Crate
• Nail trimmer
• Shampoo
• Toothbrush, toothpaste
• Waste bags, holder - for walks

Lastly, many household items, including common foods, can be life-treating to your puppy/dog! Keep the following toxins out of reach, where they can't find them:

• Insecticides, rat poisoning
• Household cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, laundry detergent
• Plants - lilies, sago palms, amaryllis, chrysanthemum - just to name a few
• Prescription medicines
• Antifreeze and liquid fuels
• Onions, grapes, raisins, chocolate, moldy/spoiled foods, chicken bones, products containing xylitol (artificial sweetener) - just to name a few

----------IN A POISONING EMERGENCY--------
If there's any chance your dog has ingested something poisonous, call your veterinary clinic or poison control. DO NOT wait - contact them immediately!

This article provided by,
​ASPCA

The process of testicular development and descent into the scrotum in the embryonic and neonate in young puppies and kittens.

Cryptorchidism is the result of failure of normal testicular descent into the scrotum.

To understand what cryptorchidism is one must understand how the Testicle forms early in embryonic life and then descends into the scrotum during late foetal life- in  the womb or early neonatal life- soon after birth. (short version)

Cryptorchidism is not caused by any failure of testicular formation, however it is the result of failure of descending into its proper placement. Testicles and ovaries are formed when the animals kidneys are developing and it is during the last stage of development these organs called mesonephron that results in a mature functioning testicle.

The testicle, now large and formed will start to hang from the abdominal cavity by mesenteries - membranes - similar to the intestine. The testicle will slowly start to migrate towards the animal's rear being pulled caudally by the gubernaculum - tight band of connective tissue, which links one end of each testicle to the region underneath the animals perineal skin. In order for the sperm to be fertile for reproduction the testicles must relocate to a cooler site within the animal's hot body. They must relocate to a special testicle-holding pouch that sits right behind and under the skin of the penis, which is called the scrotum.

This process is called testicular descent. The path of the gubernaculum (band), from the testis (gonads) to the scrotal site, passes through a hole - the inguinal canal - in the muscular wall of the animal's abdominal cavity, somewhere in the region of the animals groin area. The role of the gubernaculum is to contract and draw the testis from the abdominal cavity through the inguinal canal and into the scrotal sac. During this process, some of the lining of the abdominal cavity also gets dragged into the scrotal sac along with the migrating testis.

Knowing that much of the scrotum is essentially continuous with the animal's abdominal cavity is important:

1. It explains why a cryptorchid or undescended testicle can be discovered.
2. It also explains why some animals develop scrotal or inguinal hernias - called testicle hernias.

When the gubernaculum finishes its contraction, having drawn the testis into the scrotal sac, it completely regresses - shrivels up to just a small bleb of scar tissue that resides at the bottom of the testicle. Prior to complete regression, it is possible for the testicle to slide back and forth between the abdomen and the scrotal region, but after gubernaculum regression, the testicle is fixed within the scrotal sac and therefore unable to move out of it.

In canine puppies, the process of testicular descent normally occurs shortly after birth - within 5-10 days of birth - and most male pups will have readily palpable testicles within their scrotal sacs at around 10-14 days of age. It has been notated that "most" male puppies have readily palpable testicles in their scrotum by the time they reach 8 weeks old. Because the gubernaculum may not be fully receded and contracted down in some pups, it is likely that their testicles will still be mobile and able to slide back and forth between the puppy's abdomen and the scrotum.

Puppies will often retract their testicles back into their abdomen when "excited or nervous", as a result, some pups aged 8 weeks and earlier are wrongly diagnosed as being cryptorchid. The timing of testicular descent has not been studied in every individual breed of dog and there are some breed variations in the timing of testicular descent.

Cryptochidism is defined in most textbooks as a failure of normal testicular descent. In the dog, the definition has been refined and is a condition whereby one or both testicles are not present within the scrotal sac of the animal by the age of 8 weeks. Some textbooks say that you can not 100% diagnose a dog or cat as being cryptorchid until it has reached puberty:

• 6 months for cats and smaller dog breeds
• ​12 months for large breeds
• 18 months for giant breeds

​It is stated that certainly by the age of 1 year old - if the animal's testicles have not descended by that age, then it should be considered that they unlikely will. The reason is that occasionally you will come across the rare dog or cat that descends late.

Cryptorchidism is divided into two subgroups:

1. Unilateral - is the condition whereby only one testicle is within the scrotal sac, but the other one is undescended. Unilateral is easier to diagnose and most common.
2. Bilateral - is the condition whereby neither testicle is within the scrotal sac, both are undescended.​​

1. Anorchism - is the condition whereby a male animal has been born completely without testicles.
2. Monorchism - is the condition whereby a male animal has been born with only one "single" testicle.

​​Both Anorchism and Monorchism are very rare in comparison to Cryptorchidism.

Conclusion:
It is recommended by veterinarian's that an animal that has not had the descending of the testicles by 1 year for a small dog breed and 18 months for a large dog breed, then that dog should be neutered because the undescended testicle or testicles can become twisted, which is painful and/or develop cancer from the heat of the core body temperature of the dog itself.