Puppies
Vaccinations
Puppies should be vaccinated against:
- Canine Distemper
- Canine Parvovirus
- Hepatitis
- Leptospirosis
An initial course of vaccinations for puppies comprises of two injections two to four weeks apart. The first of these is usually given when the pup is 8 weeks old and the last after 10 weeks old. Vaccinations thereafter are required annually, and will include a through health check.
Parasite control
Ticks, fleas, worms, skinlice and mites can be a particular problem for pups and there are some infections that pups can pass on to the people at home, so we strongly encourage regular and thorough parasite control. Parasite control may be formulated according to specific needs and circumstances but in broad terms our advice would be to treat all pups with a monthly dose of Advocate to eradicate and prevent fleas, lice, mites, hookworm, roundworm, threadworm and especially lungworm. In addition to monthly Advocate treatments, we would also advise administering a dose of tapeworm treatment every six months.
Of particular concern at the moment is lungworm. Please see our section on this for more information.
Socialisation
Every year, many dogs are euthanased or rehomed because of behavioural problems which may have been avoided if the puppy had been given the opportunity to develop social skills while still very young. The experiences the puppy has in the first 16 to 20 weeks of their life will lay the foundations for their personalities for the rest of their lives.
Social skills in dogs, just as in human beings, must be learned and if they are not learned in these crucial first weeks of life (this is called the imprinting period), the puppy may never be able to acquire these essential skills. We strongly advise socializing puppies as soon as they join your family. How and when you can socilize them depends on where they are in the process of their primary vaccinations. Please discuss this important aspect of caring for your puppy with any of our vets or nurses.
To optimize the development of social skills in puppies, we strongly advise taking your puppy to training classes. This will allow them to meet other families and puppies of all shapes, ages, and sizes in a fun and rewarding environment for both you and your puppy. These classes will be structured around basic obedience training but the main reason they are there is to learn how to get along with people and other dogs. Training with your puppy will also help build a very close and strong relationship with them. Please contact us if you have any concerns about your puppy.
Nutrition
What we feed puppies and how fast they grow is incredibly important for puppies, especially the large and giant breeds. Our vets and nurses are always ready to discuss what to feed puppies and how much to feed them.
As your puppy grows, we will arrange regular puppy checks, just like regular health checks for children, to monitor their growth, social development and to answer any questions you may have.
A further benefit of regular puppy checks is that they soon associate visits to the vets with lots of fun, cuddles and treats. This sets their attitude towards visiting the vets for the rest of their lives. A puppy who enjoys visiting their vet will grow into an adult who sees visits to us as a great day out. This means that neither you nor your dog will find future visits to our practice stressful and allows our staff to forge strong relationships of trust with all our patients. We also offer a steady stream of tasty treats for visiting puppies and dogs to appeal to all the canine foodies out there to win their hearts and minds.
Kittens
Vaccinations
The full course of vaccinations for your kitten can start at 9 weeks of age and will protect them from:
- Feline Enteritis
- Cat Flu
- Feline Leukaemia
The full course of vaccinations consisis of two injections with a gap of 3-4 weeks in-between each one. We then recommend a booster vaccination once a year for the rest of their life.
Parasite control
Unfortunately, your kitten may bring a few unwanted additions into your home and treatment for fleas and worms is very important. We recommend treatment for fleas and worm treatment every three months. There are also monthly treatments now for ear mite cure and prevention.
Neutering
Both male and female cats can be neutered from the age of 4 months. Please see our section on Neutering under Services to read more about the benefits of neutering your cat.
Nutrition
Kittens should be fed several meals a day of a small quantity. In the wild, they would catch and eat up to 20 mice, so they are designed to eat little and often.
We recommend a mixture of wet and dried food. As cats don’t drink as frequently, much of their fluid intake can come in the form of wet food.
It is important to have a water source in a separate area to their feeding area, and a large dog sized bowel to encourage them to drink and reduce the incidence of cystitis.