Choosing a Christmas Reindeer

Christmas is almost upon us and children have by now finished their Christmas wish lists. I thought it would be appropriate to give parents some guidelines as to how to choose the perfect Christmas reindeer.

Selecting the right family reindeer can be a daunting task. There are so many sources of poor quality reindeer, that one must do their homework to prevent ending up with a “dud” reindeer. Most sources of reindeer do not allow exchanges or returns after Christmas. Children become attached quickly and it will become harder to exchange a misfit reindeer even if the reindeer source will allow it. Find a reputable breeder. The absolute best source would be from Kris Kringle himself. He has been doing this for generations, and his breeding stock is unmatched in quality and temperament. Mr. Kringle’s reindeer command a higher price, but his reindeer are of the highest quality and temperament, and can fly. The ability to fly is also something that is only seen in the reindeer raised by Mr. Kringle. Most reindeer cannot fly,  but this does not detract from their pet qualities. I would definitely stay away from Craigslist or ebay reindeer. These tend to be older reindeer, with pre-existing problems. Humane Societies and animal shelters tend to suspend reindeer adoptions during the holiday season so people don’t adopt them for the wrong reasons. Demand a current health certificate from a veterinarian experienced in reindeer medicine. A good source of names is the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association ) directory.

Descendents of one of his most popular reindeer, Rudolph, are the most expensive. The fluorescent, glowing nose is a recessive trait that is only seen every couple of generations. It is also a sex linked trait so only the males have the shiny, red nose. The ability to speak is pure fantasy folks, so don’t be disappointed if your reindeer cannot speak.

I do not recommend reindeer as house pets as they can be very difficult to house train. The tropical Florida climate is not ideal for reindeer, but one can look for the subspecies Reindeerensis floridensis, which have adapted well to our warm climate.

Reindeer do well with pelleted deer feed and good forage. It may be difficult to find deer feed, but most local feed stores can special order them for you. Do not give candy or table scraps as this can lead to diabetes. There is nothing worse than giving twice a day insulin shots to a reindeer. Been there, done that, not fun.

Dr. Kelly and his pet cow Norma, December 2013

I hope this helps and you enjoy your Christmas reindeer. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!

Christmas is almost here and many of you will receive puppies as Christmas gifts. I have a series of tips I give to all my new puppy owners to ensure their new family members get off to good and healthy starts.

The most important step is to get your new puppy checked out by a veterinarian as soon as possible. The veterinarian should perform a thorough examination to ensure you have a healthy puppy free of any diseases or congenital abnormalities. I always tell my clients that the most important visit they will ever have is that first visit so we can get that puppy on a good healthy start to life.

Feeding
Puppies should be fed puppy food. This is a no brainer, but you would be surprised what some people feed their dogs. There are many good quality puppy foods available on the market. I have no preference of dry vs. canned, but there are some advantages of feeding dry food. Dry food is cheaper, better for their teeth and doesn’t smell if not consumed immediately. I generally recommend to feed as much as a puppy will eat in 30 minutes, then pull the food up and do this two to three times a day. The toy breeds may need to eat three times a day to avoid hypoglycemia. Following this schedule will accomplish two things:
Housetraining- puppies poop after naps, meals and playtime, so what is going to happen if the puppy is allowed to free feed all day long?
Obesity prevention- puppies that free feed as puppies will free feed as adults and when they stop growing vertically, they will grow horizontally and have obesity issues.
Do not feed table scraps, people food. This can cause pancreatitis and metabolic bone disease in growing puppies.

Vaccinations
We normally vaccinate puppies with the core distemper, parvo vaccinations at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. At 16 weeks, they are given a rabies vaccination. This is the time we normally spay or neuter, and microchip. Spaying a female puppy before her first heat cycle virtually eliminates any chance of developing breast cancer at a later date.

Heartworm Prevention
We start puppies on some form of heartworm prevention on the very first visit. Mosquitoes transmit heartworms and they will not respect the fact that these are puppies,  and not bite and transmit heartworm disease. The longer one waits to start heartworm prevention, the greater the chance that they will contract the disease. There is a six month incubation for heartworms, from the time they get bitten, until it shows up in the blood, so puppies younger than 6 months of age are not tested prior to administering heartworm prevention.

Parasite Control
We ask that all new pet owners bring in a fresh fecal sample, even if the puppy has been dewormed. It would be a mistake to assume that just because a puppy has been appropriately dewormed, it is parasite free. We outline flea and tick control both on the puppy and in the environment before a problem arises. It is always easier to prevent a problem, than it is to treat one.

Housetraining
Puppies that are on a feeding schedule are much easier to housetrain. Do not spank or put the puppies nose in it’s mess. They do not know better and need to be educated. That is our job. Puppies are not that much different than children. I don’t think anyone would argue that infants are not spanked if they soil their diapers. My wife got our kids out of diapers with an M & M reward program. If they pottied in the little potty, they got 2 M & M’s. If they went in the big potty, they got 4 M & M’s because Mommy and Daddy did not have to clean the little potty. When a puppy has an accident in the house, take them to it and say no in a firm voice. Pick the mess up and take puppy and mess outside, place it on the ground and make a big deal and reward the puppy as if he/she had done it. Carry treats to reward the puppy when they go outside correctly. Positive reinforcement is the best way to housetrain a new puppy. We do not recommend crate training until a puppy is at least 12 weeks of age, because their sphincter muscles cannot hold in their urine or feces for longer than 2 hours.

Following these simple steps will help ensure that your Christmas puppy gets off to a good, healthy start.

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