New Puppy

Most puppies carry roundworms. The eggs of these worms are not visible and are harmful to children. We recommend biweekly worming until the puppy is 3 months old, followed by monthly worming until your puppy reaches 6 months. As an adult dog worming is recommended every three months.

It is vital to get your puppy started on a food that is right for him/her from an early stage. There is a bewildering choice of foodstuffs and diets may vary a lot in quality. We recommend you start your puppy on Royal Canin Junior. The quality of the food you feed your puppy from day 1 will reflect its overall development. Sticking with a good diet from the beginning will minimise “fussy eaters” and “upset tummies”.

Puppies should not be allowed access to public places until they are fully vaccinated. This involves a series on injections beginning from 6 weeks of age and finishing at 10-12 weeks. They are vaccinated for many viruses including Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis and Leptospirosis. All of the above are potentially fatal diseases and can be prevented provided effective vaccination is carried out by a veterinary surgeon and immunity levels are maintained with annual boosters.

there is a lot of miss-information about neutering. We advise you to discuss this procedure with a member of staff. It is important to be fully and correctly informed as to the effects of neutering. FEMALES: We advise that if you have a female dog (bitch) and do not intend on breeding that you should get her neutered just before her first season. The first season usually occurs between 6months and 9-10months. Neutering will not make bitches snappy (all guide dogs are neutered at six months). Neutering your bitch will reduce the risk of breast cancer (a common cancer in older bitches) by up to 90% as well as eliminating the risk of womb infections, false pregnancies, heats and unwanted pregnancies. MALES: Male dogs should be neutered at 6 months old. This can help reduce wandering, aggression, mounting and marking.

We strongly advise that all puppies are microchipped as it is the LAW and it is the only permanent method of identifying your pet and linking the animal back to you should they get lost or stolen. A microchip is a tiny computer chip (about the size of a grain of rice) which has a unique identification number programmed into it. The microchip is simply injected under the skin of your pet usually in the ‘scruff’ or skin at the back of the neck The unique number is registered with a database that holds information such as your contact phone number and address along with your pet’s name, breed and age. It is also a very good idea for your pet to have a collar with a tag stating that your pet is microchipped.

We strongly advise that you insure your puppy. Huge advances have been made in veterinary medicine and surgery over the last number of years. While this leads to the successful treatment of previously problematic conditions, and in general an increase in the quality of care your pet receives, costs have also risen. Knowing that your pet is insured can give you the peace of mind that you are providing your pet with the best possible care without the financial burden. There are many different insurance providers out there so it is important to take your time to choose the best one for you and to understand the policy.