Advice For Dogs

Primary Vaccination Course
The initial vaccination course for puppies consists of 2 injections given between 2 and 4 weeks apart. The course is normally started at 8 to 10 weeks of age. We prefer you to have had your puppy for at least a week before starting vaccinations, to ensure that he or she has a chance to settle in with you and is not incubating any illnesses.

Your puppy is not fully covered by his vaccinations until 7 days after his second injection. Before this time, it is not safe for him/her to mix with other dogs or go where other dogs have been. He/she will be fine in your own garden, provided this is fenced off from stray dogs, and also with other fully vaccinated dogs in your household.

The vaccinations provide protection against distemper, adenovirus (infectious hepatitis), parvovirus, parainfluenza and leptospirosis. Booster vaccinations must be given every 12 months to maintain protection. After the primary vaccination course has been given, we will issue a certificate containing a record of your puppy's vaccination. Please keep your own record of when the annual booster is due; we try to send out booster reminder cards but inevitably a few do not reach their destination.

Worming
Virtually all puppies are infected with worms at birth, mostly transmitted via the bitches milk. Regular worming is essential. If your puppy has not been wormed since you have had him, please ask the nurses to dispense wormer for him/her. We recommend prescription wormers as these are highly effective and have minimal side effects. Your puppy should be wormed every month until he/she is 6 months old, after which routine worming is recommended every 3 -4 months. If we see your puppy regularly (eg. for his/her yearly check-up and booster vaccination) you will not need to see the veterinary surgeon before purchasing prescription wormers.

Diet
The main part of your puppy's diet should be a specific puppy food. These differ from adult dog food in that the balance of proteins, vitamins and minerals is designed for growth. Puppy food should be fed until your dog is fully grown (this varies according to breed). We recommend the higher quality puppy foods (eg. Hills, Pedigree Vetplan, Eukanuba) as providing the best nutrition for your puppy. Complete, dried diets are often useful as crunching on the dried food helps keep teeth free from tartar.

Neutering
We recommend neutering any dogs not intended for breeding use. This is done from 6 months of age onwards. In bitches, spaying is advisable before the first season as research has shown that this very much reduces the incidence of mammary tumours. If your bitch does have a season, it is best to spay 3 months after her last season. In dogs, castration will prevent problems in later life such as prostate problems, testicular tumours and tumours around the anus. There is no upper age limit for neutering a healthy dog/bitch. Neutering is also important to prevent unwanted puppies, and behavioural problems associated with being oversexed.

Teeth
Dental problems are common in older dogs. It is advisable to start on a programme of routine brushing as soon as possible; please ask the nurses for advice.

Fleas
An ever-increasing problem. Effective flea control is available only on prescription; if we have seen your puppy within the last 12 months you do not need to see a veterinary surgeon to purchase this. Please ask the nursing staff for advice on routine flea control.

Insurance
We strongly advise that you insure your puppy. Currently, PetPlan are offering 4 weeks free insurance to healthy puppies between 6 and 16 weeks old at their first vaccination, after which you will be given the option to continue insurance at the normal rate. Please ask the reception staff for a free insurance certificate when your puppy has his/her first vaccination.

Identichipping
A microchip is available which is implanted under the skin above the shoulders. This carries an individual identification number, held on a nationwide register, enabling your pet to be identified should he/she become lost. Currently, we are implanting microchips at a reduced rate if your pet comes into the hospital for an anaesthetic (eg. for neutering).Please ask at reception for further details.

Behaviour
We will be happy to give you information regarding puppy training classes, some of which are held at the surgery. Please ask the reception staff for further details. If your puppy has a specific behaviour problem (eg. hand-biting, toilet training problems etc.), Please ring the surgery to arrange a behaviour consultation.