Puppies and Kittens - The Veterinary Surgery

Bringing your new pet home

Your pet should be at least 7 weeks old before they leave their mum.

Now is the time to get everything ready and puppy/kitten proof the house!

Things you will need include:

Bed/Crate
Feed and water bowls
Toys
Litter trays(for cats)
Collars/leads

It is always best to find out what your pet has already been eating and continue with the same food to start with – if you wish to change the food, mixing the old diet with the new over a week is the best way.

Leaving their mum and litter mates can be a traumatic time for pets – they have never known being alone and so can take a little while for them to adjust and settle in (particularly at night) but they will!

Healthcare

Depending on when you get your new pet they may or may not have already started their vaccination course.

Puppy Vaccinations can be started from 6 -8 weeks of age. They require 2 vaccinations with a 2-4 week interval, the 2nd injection being given when they are atleast 10 weeks old.

Kitten Vaccinations can be started from 9 weeks of age, again they require 2 vaccinations with a 3-4 week interval.

We give all new pets a full health check prior to vaccinations to make sure they are in full health and allowing us to detect any possible conditions they were born wtih.

Microchipping is becoming ever more popular, especially with it now becoming a legal requirement. With the new mini chip it is a much smaller needle so less discomfort for your pet.

Worming treatment is a must for puppies and kittens, they should have been treated whilst with mum as worms can be passed on through feeding. It is recommended that puppies are treated every 3 – 4 weeks up until the age of 6 months. It is then recommended to worm every 3 months.

Flea treatment can be started fairly young depending on the need for it, most products it is recommended from 8 weeks of age. Each product is different but is usually repeated between every 4 -8 weeks.

When your new pet is slightly older we recommend neutering – spaying girls and castrating boys!

In cats this can be done from around 4-5 months of age.

In bitches it can either be done around 6 months of age before their first season, or 3 months after their season ends.

In dogs it is usually done from around 6-8 months depending on the breed and size of the dog.

Behaviour

With a new puppy or a kitten always comes mischief, whether it’s chewing, nipping, messing in the house, there is always something!

We want to be able to help you with any problems like these that you may have, we understand that it can become stressful if your pet is behaving in a way that you don’t want them to but with a little patience and time most pets can be trained out of it.

We always encourage puppy training classes with dogs, that will not only help socialise your puppy with other dogs and people but also help them to master simple commands such as ‘sit’ and ‘stay’

Socialising

Socialising is a MASSIVE part of a pets life. Most people do not understand the importance of socialisation, especially in dogs.

Socialisation is letting your pet face situations/things that it will come across in later life. Socialisation must be done whilst the pet is young, during the ‘socialisation period’ while they are still learning.

The aim of socialisation is to prevent anxiety of things/situations when the pet is older, hopefully preventing unwanted behaviour and aggression.

For more information about socialisation see the information sheet or ask one of us at the practice.

Insurance

We always recommend insurance! Puppies and Kittens can be very adventurous and naughty – leading to mischief and accidents! We recommend looking around for an insurance company prior to getting your pet and then starting cover as soon as possible after getting them.

Some breeders will cover your pet with 4 weeks free cover which you can then continue if you wish.

Our advice with insurance is to read the small print! It may be a cheaper monthly premium – but will they pay out what’s needed when it comes down to it?? We recommend to look for a life long policy as some are capped by either a time frame (e.g. 1 year) or a monetary amount (e.g£1,000) which is not so bad in the case of a one off but if your pet develops a life long condition it can mount up to be very costly.