|
Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member! Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us. |
|
| LinkBack | Thread Tools |
06-25-2014, 09:24 AM | #1 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: USA
Posts: 11
| First Time Dog Owner Questions--Vets, Vaccinations, Pet Insurance, and Flea/Heartworm Hello! First I would just like to say--I am a first time dog owner, and I haven't found a Yorkie baby yet , but I would like to make sure I have the proper information before proceeding! There are a lot of questions below--be forewarned! lol Added information: The breeders I am currently looking at let their yorkies go at 12 weeks. I will be asking about costs, please have in mind that I would like to just get a general picture of how much I should be saving up in the future, not because I want to get the cheapest thing possible. My first question is about the vet and the first vet visit. I think I have found a great vet that lives nearby so everything is well in that area What happens during the first vet visit? Do any vaccinations happen during that first visit? How much does the first vet visit usually cost? From looking at other threads on the forum I see it is over $200...? This is all very new to me, so please bear with me My second question is about vaccinations-- would it be alright if I tell the vet that I would like to buy some of the vaccinations myself (if available on DrsFosterSmith.com) and apply? Or attend a vaccination clinic? Or should I leave it up to the vet? What types of vaccinations will a puppy need at twelve weeks and after sixteen weeks? From what I can tell, it is just parvo+distemper and possibly rabies. Is there any more? My third question is about pet insurance. Would you guys recommend getting pet insurance or just setting money aside? I am looking at Embrace Pet Insurance. My fourth question is about flea/tick preventment and heartworm preventment. What brands would you recommend the most? Any additional advice would be appreciated. |
Welcome Guest! | |
06-25-2014, 11:56 AM | #2 |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | Hi and welcome to YT ! How great to see someone who really wants to prepare for a puppy and get all the information up front -- you will be a great doggie owner. I'll answer your questions in order: 1) A first visit cost depends upon what's needed. Office calls are usually somewhere around $50, depending upon where you live in the US. The vet should do a full exam of your puppy - and make sure they check the knees for LP as yorkies are prone to this and you'd want to know if anything feels off right away. Vet should also check ears, eyes, teeth, temp, resps, heart rate, listen to heart/lungs, testicles if male, palpate legs/joints, body condition. Vaccines are only given if due - here is info on vaccine schedules: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...-overview.html. You may need to do deworming, so that'd be another charge. Here is more info on basic charges/costs of owning a dog: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/mis...wning-dog.html 2) Oops, you're asking about vaccines here - please see link above. I would *not* recommend giving the vaccines yourself - let the vet do or your humane ass'n or a vaccine clinic as long as the accompanying vet has emergency supplies on hand. At 12-16 wks, it's parvo + distemper. I try to hold off on rabies until 6mths old, at least; but you also need to check your rabies state law. DON'T get a rabies vaccine on a day that you're getting any other vaccines! Get it on it's own, 2-3 weeks apart from any other. 3) I didn't use to recommend insurance, but I'm a real believer now. I had PetPlan, but now have Healthy Paw for all 3 of mine. Get it as early as possible so there are no pre-existing conditions (this is also why you want to document that no LP is present in the knees at the first exam). 4) I don't do flea/tick, but give Heartguard for heartworm. Interceptor is another one I like and used to give and would give again. Hope that helps!
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |
06-25-2014, 12:53 PM | #3 |
YT 2000 Club Donating Member | Wylies Mom gave a great answer and some very good links for you. The breeders that you are looking at, the first good news is that they won't let pups go prior to 12 wks old. In our library here, there are articles upon how to find a responsible breeder. Going to the library has a whole wealth of info. Costs vary so much by State/Area Country. but In my Opinion in order of which should command the most "priciest pet dog" Offspring from both parents that are Championed and have Obedience titles or the most basic CGC, AND have all their health certifications done. That means at the bare minimum Chic'd, but have gone above and beyond that. These breeders will supply a meaningfull health warranty, and will make a commitment to support their pet owners for the lifetime of their progeny. They have a record of healthy pups and know the health lineage back at least 3 generations or more as fully as they can. All of the above, except one of parents does not have an Obedience title. All of the above, except two parents do not have an Obedience title All of the above except two parents do not have a Championship or obedience title. A healthy dog that is representative of the breed is what a pet owner should demand from a breeder. And should expect for purebred prices. But that does not mean you need to pay something like $4 or $5 or $6 thousand dollars for a healthy pet quality dog. And some breeders charge this. You need to look at the selling price with-in your area to see the range of prices. Where I live you should be able to get a healthy good quality Yorkie anywhere from $1500-$2000. And that from breeders in the two top tiers in my evaluation.
__________________ Razzle and Dara. Our clan. RIP Karma Dec 24th 2004-July 14 2013 RIP Zoey Jun9 th 2008-May 12 2012. RIP Magic,Mar 26 2006July 1st 2018 Last edited by gemy; 06-25-2014 at 12:55 PM. |
06-25-2014, 08:56 PM | #4 |
Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md
Posts: 23,247
| 1. The first vet visit really kind of depends on your area and what the breeder has done. 2. I would not give vaccines your self one you unless a vet or a vet tech you don't know how and you don't have the things if your pup has a reaction. I also would not do a vaccine clinic I have heard from people who work at them that the vaccines sit out and things. I would have your vet do the shots. 3. I recommended pet insurance wish I had gotten it when my baby was a pup. She has to have two knee surgerys on was $3,100 the other $2,000. Then there where a few other surgerys. 4. I use heartguard for heartworms. The only think that seems to work with ticks here is Advantix II I would not use trifexis because it is being said to have killed many many dogs.
__________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart! Last edited by Lovetodream88; 06-25-2014 at 08:59 PM. |
06-26-2014, 07:43 AM | #5 | |
T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England
Posts: 9,816
| Hi and welcome to YT! I love when people like you join us who want to be prepared for their new friend's arrival. I just know already that your puppy will be very lucky. I think cost can widely vary as to a good quality puppy. For example, a couple of our YT members, Amazing Yorkies and Magicgenie, are both show breeders and their puppies run around $1500-2000 depending. I think more than that is too much personally. As for the vet and vaccines, I use vets that follow the AAHA standards for vaccines and I only do core vaccines. I use Heartgard plus for heartworm prevention and I use Frontline Plus for fleas and ticks. I have Embrace Pet insurance. I have had it for a year, and have not met my deductible but in all my dealings w/ the company, I like the experience so far. I purchased the wellness rewards plus plan which allows you to submit $100 extra in wellness items (so basically it's like getting a free $100). I feel that this helps offset the actual premium of the insurance. Good luck with your new yorkie! Quote:
__________________ Washable Doggie Pee Pads (Save 10% Enter YTSAVE10 at checkout) Cathy, Teddy, Winston and Baby Clyde...RIP angels Barney and Daisy | |
Bookmarks |
|
|
Thread Tools | |
| |
|
|
SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart