If you have found a stray puppy and have decided that you want to keep them, you may be equal parts excited and unsure about taking in a stray. There are many steps that you should take when you are planning to adopt a stray puppy that you have found. Get to know some of those steps. Then, you can be sure you are doing what is right for the new puppy in your life. 

Have Them Checked for a Microchip 

Before you officially adopt the puppy that you found, it is important that you have the dog checked for a microchip. Microchips are small chips inserted beneath the skin in dogs and cats. They are essentially identification numbers that are connected to the owner's information. 

If the puppy has a microchip, it means it already belongs to someone and that you should try to contact the person and/or return the puppy as it may just be lost. Go to the animal hospital and have the puppy scanned for a microchip. If it doesn't have one, then the pup may not have ever had an owner. 

Get Them Dewormed

One of the next steps you will want to take when you are bringing a stray puppy into your life is to have them dewormed. Deworming puppies should be done regularly when puppies are young. Generally, it is recommended to deworm puppies every two weeks until they are 12 weeks old. Then, they can be dewormed at 6 months to a year. 

However, you may not know how old your newfound puppy is. Talk to the veterinarian at the animal hospital. They can guesstimate the age of the puppy. They will also give them a dewormer regardless of their age because they are a stray and talk to you about setting up their deworming schedule. 

Get Them Vaccinated

Vaccinations are also an important part of taking in a stray puppy. Be sure that, while you are at the animal hospital to get the dewormer and to check for a microchip, you also get the puppy vaccinated. Core vaccines for puppies include vaccines for rabies, distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and canine adenovirus in most areas. Bordetella vaccines are also often recommended. 

Have the vet at the animal hospital at least do the core vaccines on your new puppy to ensure that they are as healthy and safe as can be. They will need regular boosters for these shots in their early months and years, so have the veterinarian print you off a vaccination schedule so you can keep track of when to bring the puppy back in for additional vaccinations. 

Now that you know some of the steps you should take when you are adopting a stray puppy, you can get to the animal hospital as soon as possible for the services your new puppy needs. 

To learn more, contact a resource like Apple Valley Animal Hospital.

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