Puppy Healthcare....

Keeping a growing puppy healthy and safe are two of the biggest concerns when you take on a new family member.  Since we already had 2 rescues, (Maddie is not technically a rescue - she was the runt of her litter and didn't "sell" so we took her) expenses were a big factor as our budget is very tight.  One of my Daughters-in-law worked for Pet Smart when she was in college and was familiar with the Banfield care services offered in many of the locations.  With their puppy plan that is deducted each month, we decided this was the best way for us to go.

The day after Lucy arrived we took her to PetSmart for a secure crate to sleep in and to talk to the folks at Banfield.  They set her up for her first new puppy wellness visit for the following week.  We will get into the crating debate a little later.  :-)

Lucy's first visit pictured here went well and she was very relaxed.  She loved the cold table and relaxed and took a nap.  She weighed in at 4.6 pounds at 9 weeks and was deemed in great health by Dr. Gardner, our new vet.  They started her shots and set us up on the Puppy Plan.  This runs approximately $33. per month and includes her spay which is a very expensive procedure.   Check out their web site for all that this covers - it is an awesome deal.  We decided to let her have a Benedryl shot as well to lesson the possibility of her having a bad reaction to her shots.  We made an appointment for 3 weeks and were on our way with our sleepy baby girl.