The most common puppy problems!

Mar 23, 2024

Written by Luisa Stravino

It's no secret that here at PetBuddy, we adore puppies, we'd happily play with puppies day and night! But what are the most common puppy problems? What do new puppy owners find most difficult? I remember being a new puppy owner and in that the lovely bubble of having that amazing bundle of fur, but also being worried about them constantly.

So I'm here to give you the lowdown of the most common accidents and illnesses and what I learned along the way.

What are the most common accidents for puppies?

Eating things they shouldn't

The most common accident is when puppies eat things they shouldn't. Anything from the floor goes in their mouth so we need to be extra careful!

Why do puppies eat things that they shouldn’t?

Puppies are naturally curious and inquisitive and everything goes in the mouth. Puppies discover the world through their noses and mouths so it's very normal for them to do this. It gives them experiences of new textures, tastes and smells whilst they’re learning. Chewing too is a big thing for puppies and when they're teething, they do this more to help relieve their mouth pain.

Puppies also eat things they shouldn’t out of boredom, puppies don't know what is safe or dangerous to chew and eat, It's all fait fair game to a pup! It is our responsibility as their owners to watch, guide and train them. Their curiosity will get the better of them if we ignore it and they will just chew and eat anything they can get their mouths on to see what it's like. Bye by chair leg!

When should I take my puppy to the vet?

If you know your puppy has eaten something unsafe, toxic, or have eaten something they can't digest, you need to call your vet.

Toxic things for a puppy to eat include human medication, particularly ibuprofen, raisins, grapes, chocolate, daffodils.

Remember, In the early stages of your puppy having eaten something they shouldn't, there may be no signs but the earlier they are seen by the vets, the easier and quicker it is to treat them.

How can I stop my puppy from eating things it shouldn’t?

As owners, we need to be cleverer than our puppies and keep them well away from as many hazards as possible inside house or outside. We should encourage our puppies to chew safe things like long lasting natural dog treats, we have a great selection of these here at PetBuddy! It's always lovely to give lots of positive reinforcement when they chew things you want them to!

Separation training is so important so where. you do leave your puppy alone in the house, be sure to not leave anything they can get their paws on where they may miss you and get bored. Consider crate training your puppies so when they are alone they're in a safe place with no access to harmful objects.

Be consistent with their training and be sure to teach them to "leave it" and absolutely make sure they have iron clad recall so if you do see a potential hazard, and your dog approaches it you can quickly recall your puppy back before they get their chops round it.

Broken bones

Why do puppies break their bones more often than adult dogs?

Puppies bones are much more fragile than those of adult dogs especially the ends of their bones where their ‘growth plates’ are which are the weakest part and more prone to breaking. This is why over-exercising them can be dangerous.

Puppies break their bones normally after an accident, falling off sofas and beds or been dropped, or puppies that have taken a knock after playing with the big boys and girls.

As owners, we should always be responsible and mindful of how fragile they really are! watch them on the sofa and bed and don't let them on furniture unsupervised, As much as children love top play with puppies, they're not as careful we us adults so be mindful of letting children play or hold your puppy by themselves. Careful with playing with larger dogs too, bigger dogs don't know their own strength a a lot of the time and accidents can easily happen.

Training and behaviour

Why is it important to train a puppy?

To have a confident, well-behaved, well-mannered and well-rounded dog, you need to start training your puppy from very early on. It's amazing for mental stimulation and also builds a lovely strong bond with you.

Untrained puppies can be a terror and it can cause so many issues as they grow in to adulthood. There is a direct link between lack of training and many behavioural issues such as aggression, destructive behaviours and poor manners with other dogs.

Skin and paw injuries

What are some common skin and paw injuries?

Puppies’ immune systems in those early days aren’t fully mature so they can suffer from skin conditions caused by mites which isn't very nice at all for them.

All dogs can be prone to paw injuries and grass seeds in particular are a nightmare in the summer months. Especially if you have a dog with curly fur as they can get caught very easily a very common problem, but it can become severe as they can enter between the paw pads easily and then travel up the leg.

Fleas are very common in puppies sadly, pesky little things, prevention is always easier than cure so be sure to have them on a regular regime.

Never hesitate about seeing a vet if you notice any sore or swollen skin, or if your puppy is itchy or uncomfortable, or licking themselves a lot or limping.

How can I recognise pain in my pet?

We never want to miss when our pups are in pain so it's good to know the signs to look out for. Signs your dog is in pain include;

Limping or hobbling.
Seeming stiff after lying down or after a walk.
Slowing down on walks, lagging behind, scuffing nails on the floor.
Pacing around struggling to settle and get comfortable.
Lying down more than usual.
Panting without exercising.
Excessive licking over their joints .
Not being enthusiastic to jump into or out of the car, or go up and down the stairs.
Reluctance to exercise, to greet you, or avoid company.
Changes to appetite. Appetite can reduce or stop with painful conditions, however, most dogs will eat when they’re painful as eating is a survival instinct.
Howling or crying when a painful area is manipulated. But, a lot of dogs will not make a sound despite being painful!
Unusual aggression. Unfortunately, a common cause for aggression can be undiagnosed and untreated pain.

There you have it, I hope this has been helpful! We love to hear from our readers and if there arwe any topics you would like us to cover do let us know!

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