Puppies

We are always happy to advise you when you are considering a new puppy or dog.

We can help you to decide on a suitable breed for your plans and circumstances, and advise on whether to choose a pedigree puppy or a rescue dog.

If you are purchasing a pedigree puppy, a short chat with our staff can help to point you in the direction of a reputable breeder, and give you some pointers to check for when you go to see the puppy.

Choosing the right puppy and ensuring that it has a good start in life will give you and your dog the best chance of enjoying a long and happy relationship. In particular we can help with advice on temperament, and socialisation of puppies, feeding and early health care.

Vaccinations

The health and lifespan of pet dogs has been greatly enhanced since the widespread introduction of vaccination.
We routinely vaccinate against 5 diseases, several of which are often fatal. They are:

We can also vaccinate against the following:

Worming

An important part of your puppy's preventative health care is regular worming. The most important worm in puppies is the roundworm Toxacara canis This is extremely common, and unless a pregnant bitch has undergone a special worming routine virtually all puppies will be infected at birth. Infection of the puppies with worm larvae occurs in the womb and through the bitch's milk.

Heavy worm infestations will cause disease and death in puppies, but even puppies which don't show any ill effects of a worm infestation will pass hundreds or thousands of eggs in their faeces. Our major concern is that these worms are zoonotic - they can infect people, and in particular children. In most cases infected humans will not show signs of illness, but the larvae which hatch from worm eggs migrate through the body and may cause disease and damage. The best known form of disease caused by the worm larvae is eye disease, and in extreme cases this may cause blindness. There may be evidence to suggest that worm infestation in children is associated with the development of asthma.

It is simple to prevent any problems for your puppy or your family. Puppies should be wormed from 2 weeks of age. Once a puppy is in its new home, we advise worming at regular intervals. It is important to use an effective wormer from the surgery. Older types of wormer only kill a relatively low percentage of worms with each dose, and some fail to actually reduce the number of eggs passed in a puppy's faeces.

Fleas

It is never too soon to start a flea control problem, and fleas are far easier to prevent than to eliminate. These days fleas are a year round problem, as they appreciate centrally heated houses. Female fleas can 15 to 20 eggs a day, and up to 600 in a lifetime. You can see that a couple of untreated female will soon cause an epidemic.

The easiest method of flea control is by spot on preparations, applied to the skin of the back of the neck. We have a choice of safe, easy to use and effective products. One will even treat worms and mites as well.

Microchipping

We implant microchip identification in many pets now. A small device about the size of a large grain of rice is implanted under the skin of the neck. This has a unique code detected by a scanner. The puppy's details and your contact information are stored on a central computer for life. This provides a long lasting, unique and tamper proof method of identification.

For pets undergoing the Pet's Passport scheme, it is a prerequisite to have had a microchip implanted.

Feeding

Nutrition is an important part of a puppy's healthcare. A correct diet will ensure a good rate of growth, a strong skeleton and teeth and an efficient immune system. A good start in life will pay dividends later in your pet's life. Our vets and nurses are qualified to advise you on the correct diet for your breed and size of dog. Remember that much advice you will hear elsewhere has more to do with tradition and folklore than with actual science. We will be happy to give common sense advise.

Socialisation

A big step forward in understanding dog behaviour has been the realisation that there is a golden period for puppies to learn about interacting with other dogs and with people, and to learn to cope with unusual and possibly stressful experiences. This period extends up until 16 weeks of age for puppies. Experiences as different as barking dogs, hissing cats, large men, men with hats, loud noises, thunderstorms, fireworks and fields of cows. All are best experienced when young, and then an adult dog is far less likely to become irrationally fearful or aggressive when it has an unusual encounter in adult life.

To help achieve good socialisation we are able to complete a vaccination course by 10 weeks of age (not so long ago a puppy's last vaccination would have been at 16 weeks).We strongly advise participation in puppy classes, which not only introduce the rudiments of training, but allow plenty of interaction with other dogs and people. We can supply you with details of local classes.

Insurance

Veterinary medicine has advanced at an almost unbelievable rate in recent years. Our clinic is similar in many ways to a small hospital. We can conduct laboratory work, xray and ultrasound investigations, heart work ups, cancer investigation and treatment, a full range of dental procedures and a wide array of surgical procedures including orthopaedic and ophthalmological procedures. We rarely have to refer cases to outside experts, but when we do, we have access to leading specialists in their fields.   Pets now have a much increased lifespan and enjoy better health during their lives.

Such a comprehensive service is expensive to provide, and this will inevitably be reflected in veterinary bills for unusual or complicated cases. We believe that the cost of veterinary treatment reflects very good value for money, but it may well place a strain on the pocket. Since there is no NHS for pets, we recommend that you look upon veterinary care as a form of private medicine and consider health insurance.

Pet health insurance is available from an increasing number of providers, but we would recommend that you talk to staff before committing yourself. any cheaper policies may look like good value, but you should look at the small print and ask if the insurance will provide good enough cover.

Many people think of pet health insurance as a back up for serious accidents or major illnesses. The list shows the top ten conditions which Pet Plan, the largest pet insurers, settle claims for. Conditions such as arthritis or heart disease may well need monitoring and treatment for many years. Be sure that your policy won't leave you in the lurch.

We now only keep brochures for Pet Plan because we are familiar with them and feel that they provide a good service. We can supply you with vouchers for 4 weeks free insurance.