HEALTH CARE

• new arrivals
• puppy socialisation
• worming
• fleas and ear mites
• nutrition
• microchipping
• neutering
• vaccination and annual health checks
  
• dental care
• euthanasia

Posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007

New arrivals:

• Advice on worming and flea control
• Professional advice on diet and nutrition
• Information on vaccines to prevent dangerous infectious diseases
• Discussion of pet insurance
• Information on identity chipping to identify your pet permanently
• Comprehensive advice on neutering

Puppy Socialisation:

Please ask a member of staff about the puppy parties.
These are run to help give your puppy essential socialisation and mixing skills which are essential for your puppy before the age of thirteen weeks.

These puppy parties can be riotous but are great fun!

Worming:

Puppies and kittens
Puppies and kittens are often infested with roundworms from birth. This can inhibit their growth and in severe cases can result in stunting. It is also possible for the worms to migrate through the body and cause damage along their way.

There are many worming products available. Many products contain very old drugs and are not very effective. Modern products are more effective, easier to administer, safer and need less frequent dosing. As a guide, puppies and kittens will usually need dosing every three weeks.

We would be very pleased to advise you on the best worming product to use for your pet and to draw up an individual worming programme.

Adult dogs and cats

Dogs and cats can be infested with both roundworms and tapeworms. Modern multi-wormers will deal with both groups. The current recommendation is that pets over six months of age should be wormed 4 times per year (i.e. every 3 months).

Risk to human health

Dog and cat worms can prevent a risk to humans. This risk mainly applies to children and can be minimised by teaching children good pet hygiene practice in addition to regularly worming your pet.

Fleas and Ear Mites:

Fleas are the single largest cause of skin disease in dogs and cats and can also bite humans.
The saliva deposited by the flea when it bites provokes an itch response that can cause great discomfort. Your pet may scratch or nibble at these areas and can cause considerable self harm.
The fleas do not need to live on the pet and indeed live and breed in our HOUSES!
Flea control is recommended for all pet dogs and cats. Some products available at retail outlets are relatively ineffective, so please seek advice from our trained staff.

Ear mites are also common, particularly in puppies and kittens. Any pet that is showing signs of ear irritation (e.g. head shaking, scratching) should be examined. This will prevent any self harm being inflicted and making the problem worse.

Nutrition:

We are all aware of the importance of eating sensibly and this applies to our pets also. We can provide comprehensive dietary advice for individual pets. We sell an extensive range of lifestyle and prescription diets, sold at the manufacturers’ recommended retail price. Our staff will offer free advice to ensure the best nutrition for your pet.
We offer free obesity clinics for those pets who could do with losing a few pounds! Please ask our staff for an initial appointment.

Microchipping:

Microchipping is a modern way of identifying your pet and helps reunite lost pets with their owners. The process involves an injection under the skin with a needle just slightly larger than a normal hypodermic needle. The chip is left under the skin and is about the size of a grain of rice. The chip holds a unique number and this is stored on a central database with all your details. Most police stations, rescue centres and vet surgeries have scanners to detect these chips. In this way, if your pet becomes lost and is handed in to any of these places, you can be traced and reunited with your pet. For more information, or to book your pet in for microchipping, please contact the practice.

Neutering:

This is generally recommended for all dogs and cats not intended for breeding purposes.
There are significant health benefits to neutering, for both male and female dogs and cats, which our staff would be happy to discuss with you. Did you know that neutered male cats live on average two to three times longer than entire toms?
In addition, neutered animals generally make more manageable pets – they are often less aggressive, less inclined to stray, have no seasons and much more!

Rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs also benefit from being neutered.
We can discuss neutering in more detail with you and also advise you on the best time to perform this for your pet.

Vaccination and Annual Health Checks:

Regular health check-ups are important for the long term health and welfare of all pets. Routine examinations allow us to take a pro-active role in preventive health care. Actual or imminent health problems will hopefully be spotted earlier and appropriate treatment or preventive action taken.

This is an ideal opportunity to discuss any aspect of your pet’s health or well being (for example teeth/weight problems) that are of concern to you. If appropriate, further investigation (for example blood tests/x-rays), may be suggested. It is, of course, possible to perform health examinations at times other than the annual vaccination. We often recommend more frequent check ups for pets with chronic problems (for example arthritis). Remember: one human year is equivalent to seven for a dog or cat!

Vaccination protocols

Puppies
Puppies are routinely vaccinated against distemper, leptospirosis, parvovirus and hepatitis. These are very serious, infectious diseases, which can prove fatal if contracted. The initial course is two injections two weeks apart. The first injection can be given at eight weeks of age allowing your puppy to “socialise” from twelve weeks. Booster vaccinations are then given annually.
Dogs can also be vaccinated against kennel cough (Bordatella bronchiseptica). This is most effective if given one to two weeks before going into a “high risk” situation such as kennels, dog shows and such.

Kittens
Kittens are routinely vaccinated against the agents which cause “cat flu”, enteritis and feline leukaemia. These are very serious infectious diseases which can prove fatal. The initial course is two injections three weeks apart. The first injection can be given at nine weeks of age, allowing your kitten to “socialise” from fourteen weeks of age. Booster vaccinations are then given annually.

Rabbits
Rabbits can be vaccinated from six weeks of age against myxomatosis. They can also be vaccinated against viral haemorrhagic disease from twelve weeks of age. These are both very serious, fatal diseases and vaccination is highly recommended. Booster vaccinations are given annually.

The value of vaccination
It can be tempting to skip booster vaccinations for your pet. There are always plenty of other things making demands on your budget and aren’t boosters just an unnecessary expense? After all, aren’t all these diseases very rare now? This is a very risky strategy. The widespread reduction in the levels of these largely fatal diseases has arisen from the use of vaccination protocols and is only maintained by their continued use. Reduction in the use of vaccination protocols will lead to increased outbreaks. The annual cost of vaccinating pets is pence per week and is insignificant compared to the cost of feeding them. The cost is comparable to buying a can of pop or two cigarettes a week and isn’t even enough to cover the cost of a pint of beer a week!

Dental Care:

Regular dental check ups and preventive dental health care is an important part of your pets wellbeing. Our nurses are trained to advise you about dental care.

Euthanasia:

This is a very stressful and difficult time. We can visit your home or arrange to see you during a quiet time at the surgery

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