'We believe strongly that having your dog microchipped will help to ensure a safe return, should they ever become lost or stolen...'

Vaccinations

Puppies can and do become seriously ill/die from infectious diseases that could have been prevented through vaccination. We vaccinate your puppies against Parvo, Distemper, Leptospirose, Hepatitis and Parainfluenza and advise the following vaccination programme:

1st vaccination at 6 weeks of age minimum
2nd vaccination at 10 weeks' old or 4 weeks after 1st vaccination

Vaccination protects your cat from infectious diseases such as Cat Flu, Feline Leukaemia Virus, Chlamydophila and Feline Infectious Enteritis.

For kittens, we recommend:

1st vaccination at 8 weeks
2nd vaccination at 12 weeks

If your kitten is older than 8 weeks at their first vaccination, they'll need the second vaccination 3 weeks later.

Your cat needs a yearly booster to keep their immunity up to date.

For taking your cat abroad, we can start the Rabies vaccination at 12 weeks of age. For more information, see our Travel page.

Fleas

Thanks to our heated houses, fleas exist the whole year round. They transmit tapeworms, cause skin irritation and in severe cases, can make your puppy anaemic. We have strong and effective flea killers available, which you can safely use on puppies from the age of 3 days onwards. Please ask us for advice on the best product for you and your puppy.

Worming

Worms are parasites which live in a puppy's intestines, affecting how they digest food and how much goodness they can extract from it. They are also contagious for us, especially for children. Therefore, a regular worming regime should be started as soon as you collect your puppy.

We advise starting treatment at 8-9 weeks with a suitable wormer, then continuing monthly from 12 weeks to 6 months, after which three-monthly is usually sufficient. We also recommend protection against lungworm by using spot-on treatment. The appropriate worming regime depends on each individual dog's circumstances and thus should be tailored to your dog's requirements.

During your first visit, our vet will discuss the best worm treatment for your puppy.

For kittens, we advise worming from weaning onwards, every 2 weeks until 8 weeks of age, followed by monthly worming until 6 months of age. An adult cat should be treated for worms every 3-4 months.

Microchips

We believe strongly that having your dog microchipped will help to ensure a safe return, should they ever become lost or stolen. We can microchip your puppy from an age of 12 weeks and onwards. They'll then be registered with Petlog. You will be sent a certificate confirming your ownership, address and how to amend your details, should you move home.

Neutering

Depending on the breed, we can neuter your puppy from 6 months onwards. Our vets will discuss it during your visit.

We advise you to neuter your cat, as cats who are not neutered:

Are more likely to wander and risk having an accident
Can have up to 3 litters a year
Can spray indoors to mark their territory
Can develop certain tumours
Are more likely to protect their territory or get into fights with other cats - Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) are transmitted through fighting.

Male cats should be castrated from 5 months of age. It is a small operation and they can go outside the next day. Female cats should be spayed from 5 months of age. To protect the wound from the operation, they should stay in for 1 week afterwards.

Insurance

It is wise to insure your puppy. The treatment of a nasty skin infection can cost hundreds of pounds and the treatment by an orthopaedic specialist for a broken leg can cost over a thousand!

Pet insurances vary greatly from company to company. Some policies only pay claims for 12 months; some limit the amount you can claim per condition. Some will restrict cover for elderly pets or even cancel your policy when your pet gets too old! Policies like these are often inexpensive but don't always provide the level of cover that you expect.

For any information or advice, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the practice and speak to one of our staff.