PUPPY FACT SHEET

Congratulations on your new arrival!! Owning a puppy can be a very rewarding experience. Watching it grow and develop its own little personality can bring lots of joy to your home. Along with teaching it how to behave and interact with other people it is also your responsibility to ensure your pet has a healthy start in life. Throughout every life stage from puppy to geriatric dog, it is important that your pet undergoes a prevention routine from certain parasites and viruses. This will help to keep your pet healthy and also from passing parasites and disease onto other animals or even people.

This care sheet is designed just to give you a little information about the sort of things we can offer your pet.

VACCINATIONS

Why vaccinate your dog? Dogs are susceptible to many viruses and disease some of which can be termed 'zoonotic'. This means that some viruses that your dog can catch can be spread to humans, therefore putting you and your family at risk. There are several variations of vaccines but most will include vaccination against Distemper, Parvovirus, Canine Hepatitis, Para-Influenza and Leptospirosis. All viruses which can seriously affect your pets health. We would recommend giving your pup its 1^st vaccination at 8 weeks of age and then a 2^nd vaccination is required at 10 weeks of age. After this initial course of vaccines you are then required to bring your dog back yearly for a booster vaccine. We also offer a separate Rabies vaccine which would be required if you were to take your pet abroad.

FLEA TREATMENT

Fleas are the most common parasite of domestic animals. The cat flea, despite the name, can infest dogs just as much as they can infest cats! Fleas breed in huge numbers, with each female laying around 200 eggs. These eggs then fall off your dog and into your home. The eggs can then live deep in your carpet, soft furnishings and pet bedding where they will wait to hatch. Fleas can easily be transmitted from something as simple as your dog having brief contact with another infested dog/cat. If your dog isn't protected fleas will bite him and can cause irritation or allergy. They can also bite you too causing skin discomfort.

Preventing your puppy from fleas from the beginning you will avoid the problems they can cause and also stop your home being invaded by these unwanted parasites. At this practice we have some spot on applications which can be easily applied to the skin on the back of the neck. This preparation should be applied once a month. If your pup should unfortunately get fleas then it is a good idea to also treat your home with a household spray.

WORMING

Dogs should also be wormed regularly especially if they are prone to hunt or 'scavenge'. Most worms live in your pets intestines feeding on the guts contents or your pets blood. A worm infestation can make your pet ill and cause symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting as well as weight loss and a poor coat. There are several different types of worms your pup should be protected against. Tapeworm and roundworm are the most common that you will see. Hookworm, heartworm and lungworm can also be controlled with worming treatments. Your puppy should ideally be wormed every month if using a spot-on treatment or every 3 months if dosing with tablets.

INSURANCE

It would be wise to take out insurance cover for your pet. Although we don't like to think about it, sometimes our pets will need vet attention for something other than routine treatments. This could prove costly if your pet needs ongoing treatment or treatment for the rest of their lives. There are many different insurance companies offering different levels of cover.

NEUTERING

From 6 months of age your puppy can be neutered. Neutering your young male dog can help to curb aggressive behaviour, straying and territory marking. Castrating your dog will prevent testicular tumours and reduced the likelihood of hormonally influenced tumours such as anal adenomas. Castration can also prevent prostate problems later in life.

Speying your bitch will obviously prevent unwanted pregnancy as accidents can and do happen. Occasionally entire bitches can develop an infection in the womb (pyometra), which if left untreated can prove fatal. Speying your bitch will also reduce the risk of developing mammary tumours.

Once neutered your pet can be prone to putting on weight due to changing levels of hormones. However dietary adjustments and sufficient exercise will prevent this from happening.

If you have any queries regarding any of the above or would like to discuss other topics relating to your pet please do not hesitate to contact us at the surgery.