13 Vet Checkup Requirements

By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, Jan. 6, 2023
Jay with Sea Monsters Puppy

Nine beautiful Sea Monsters puppies rose early today. I went out to check on them this morning. Their heads peered up at me when I peeked over the pony wall. Nine slanted eyes squinted in the morning light streaming through the nursery door.

The puppies looked happy and healthy. I sighed as my shoulders dropped. What a relief to see those tucked in legs snuggled up close to one another and beautiful bright, shiny peepers.

Today is puppy vet check day here at Dire Wolf Project headquarters.

That means all of the puppies traveling to their new homes via the DireWolf Express must see the vet for a wellness exam before taking their seats in the van tomorrow.

Five puppies will be heading out on the trip, so we took them to our main veterinarian, Dr. Dale, at Davenport Veterinary Clinic.

Dr. Dale doesn’t have the latest equipment so he doesn’t do everything we need, but he does a great job of checking over the puppies to make sure they are healthy in every way before they depart for their new homes.

Jay and I rounded up the brood and placed them in wire crates already set up for the trip.

The puppies were quiet and calm riding down the road. Some litters can fuss up a storm in a crate for the first time, but not this litter. Each one road quietly the entire 45 minutes it takes to get to the nearest town from our place.

Jay with Sea Monsters Litter

Dr. Dale checks over each puppy one at a time.

He goes down a detailed list to make sure every aspect of the puppy’s body has been thoroughly reviewed.

  1. No over or under bite, throat is clear.
  2. Two descended testicles
  3. No impacted or inflamed anal glands.
  4. Clean ears; no mites.
  5. Clean coat; no fleas, or ticks.
  6. Skin is intact; no scars, bites, or scratches.
  7. Eyes are responsive; no discharge.
  8. Heart beat is regular; no murmur.
  9. Puppy can walk normally; no joint issues.
  10. Nose and airways are clear; no discharge.
  11. Tail is free of damage; no crooks
  12. weight
  13. temperature

Because of the recent unknown sickness in one of our puppies a few days ago, it was particularly important for Dr. Dale to take temperatures to make sure no puppy presented a fever.

All of the puppies were normal, except one, Sedna, that had a slight temperature of 103. (Fyi: At this age, puppy temperatures are normal anywhere from 99 to 102.5.)

Out of an abundance of caution we brought her in the house when I returned from town. She drank turkey broth and water. No vomiting or lethargy. When we took her temperature later in the day it was 101.8.

Before tucking the puppies in for the night, Jay and I measured their temperatures once again. Everyone was within normal range. At this point, we are cautiously optimistic that the remaining puppies are not affected by whatever happened to Lorelei. We will make a final assessment tomorrow morning. If anything changes, we will let everyone know.

You can follow Jay in real time all along his journey around the country. All you have to do is download the free tracking app, PolarSteps, and follow: Jay Stoeckl. This is where he will post all of the videos, photos, and updates of the trip.

(If you are curious, you can also see all of the other trips we have taken over the last two years.)

We would like to send you a free gift for spending some time with us at the Dire Wolf Project.

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Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.