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| Victoria Vets Resource | |||||||||||
Vaccination Worming Neutering Fleas Identichip Feeding Insurance Key Points Puppies can be vaccinated from 6 weeks of age Puppies require two sets of injections to get full protection Your puppy is not protected until 2 weeks after the second injection Booster injections every year are very important Vaccinations are given to provide protection against highly infectious and life threatening diseases. A separate vaccination against Kennel Cough is important if your dog goes into kennels, attends training classes or regularly meets other dogs One of the most important things you should do to help your new puppy is to make sure that a full course of vaccination injections are given. These can be started at 6 weeks of age, with a second injection being given as early as 10 weeks of age. The aim of these injections is to provide protection against the following major infectious diseases; Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza. Full immunity is reached 2 weeks after the second injection. It is important to realise that your puppy will not be fully protected until this time, so make sure that you don’t expose your puppy to unnecessary risks. You should not take your puppy out for a walk until 2 weeks after the second injection. It is very important to have your dog’s immunity boosted each year. We send out booster reminder cards before your pet is due, so watch out for these in the post. When you receive the reminder, make sure you phone the surgery to make an appointment. Your dog will also have a thorough routine annual health examination at the time of this injection when you will have the opportunity to discuss any problems. If you are planning to put your dog into kennels or take part in training classes, please phone the surgery to make arrangements to have the additional Kennel Cough Vaccine. This vaccine is given as drops into the nostrils. It needs to be given at least one week before the visit to the kennels. This vaccine only last 6 months, so boosters for this should be given twice a year if your dog regularly goes into boarding kennels. Puppy: Panacur Almost all puppies are born with roundworms. The puppy becomes infected from its mother whilst in the womb and via her milk. Worm larvae are passed to the puppy, which form cysts in the body from which adult worms will continue to develop. The best way to ensure that your puppy is free from the infectious worm larvae is to use an effective wormer every 4 weeks until the age of 6 months. The wormer will kill the worms as they emerge from the cysts throughout the body. The best wormer to use is Panacur as it kills both the adult worm and the immature larvae. Panacur needs to be given to puppies as a three day course. It is important to check your puppy's weight and dose correctly. Panacur is very safe and can be given in either a liquid, paste or granule form. None of the wormers sold through shops are as effective as Panacur at killing larval stages of worms, so beware! Adult: Drontal Plus When your puppy is 6 month old, you should change the wormer to Drontal Plus. Drontal Plus is a single dose multi-worming treatment. It is highly effective at killing both roundworms and tapeworms. Drontal Plus is very safe, is easy to administer, and can be given with food. We recommend that you worm your dog at least twice a year, but if you have children we would suggest every 3 months. This is the most effective way of keeping your dog fit and free from worms. It is particularly important that your dog is regularly wormed if you have children in the family, as one of the roundworms can be transmitted to people. Just because you don’t see worms does not mean that your dog is worm free. The worms live in your pet’s guts, and usually only shed eggs in the faeces. These eggs are tiny and can only be seen under a microscope. You will usually only see worms if your dog has a very heavy infestation. No matter how clean your house or dog, at some stage you will face the problem of fleas! The sooner you get on top of this potential problem, the sooner you ensure your pet is flea free. Fleas are small, brown insects that feed on your pet. They spend most of their life living in the carpets, bedding, and any warm cosy environment. They only spend about 5% of their life on animals. Each flea can lay about 500 eggs every month, and each of these eggs can develop into an adult flea in as little as 3 weeks. Fleas are an all year round problem, especially when your house is heated. Fleas cause irritation to the skin which can lead to inflammation and infections. In young animals it can cause anaemia. Dog and cat fleas can bite humans. The most effective flea treatments we use are Advantage spot on drops, Frontline drops and spray and Program tablets. Your dog can become infected with one type of tapeworm by swallowing fleas during grooming. If your dog becomes infested with fleas, it is also important to treat the house with an effective environmental insecticide. We recommend Acclaim Spray which kills flea larvae as well as the adult flea. Advantage Spot on Drops These are extremely safe as they do not get absorbed into the blood stream, and should be used from 8 weeks of age. They are simple to administer and are highly effective at killing fleas on your dog within 24 hours. Each treatment lasts a full four weeks, so you only need to treat your pets once a month. Frontline Spray Frontline is a highly effective spray which can be used safely from 2 days of age. It is applied on dogs only once every 3 months, and remains effective even if your dog gets wet. Frontline is also effective at killing ticks. Program Tablets Program is a safe and effective treatment used to control the way fleas reproduce. It prevents flea eggs from hatching, so stopping the flea life cycle in its tracks. It is one of the most effective treatments available at preventing fleas from becoming a problem. This must be given monthly with food to all cats and dogs in the same household. Acclaim Spray This must NOT be used on animals. It is only for use in the house to kill the living fleas and flea larvae. It should be used in conjunction with a flea product on your pet if you know your dog has become infected. Acclaim also inhibits the development of fleas for 7 months. Neutering is mainly recommended for the medical benefits. Neutering won’t change your dogs character, but may help with certain undesirable traits such as aggression and dominant behaviour. Neutering your dog is the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Male dogs are castrated Bitches are spayed. Bitch Spay We recommend spaying your bitch mainly for medical reasons. Your bitch is unlikely to develop breast cancer if she is spayed before her first season. She will also be saved from life threatening womb infections (pyometra). The bitch spay operation involves a general anaesthetic and the removal of both ovaries and the uterus. She will never come into season again. The operation is best performed before she has her first season, and should be carried out at around 6 months of age. Dog Castration The medical reasons for castration are to prevent testicular tumours, cancer and disease of the prostate gland, cancer of the glands around the anus and hernias in the anal region. Dogs are best castrated between 6 and 12 months of age. The operation is carried out under a general anaesthetic, and involves the removal of both testicles. After castration, your dog will be less likely to roam and may develop a better temperament. The General Anaesthetic We are all concerned about anaesthetic safety, and at Victoria Veterinary Centre we take every effort to make sure that the procedure is as safe as possible. We recommend performing a blood test before the operation to check that the internal organs and blood system are healthy and can cope with the anaesthetic. We use a range of anaesthetic monitoring systems during the operation to safeguard your pet throughout. Your dog will have a health check before the operation. Sedative, pain-killing and antibiotic injections are also given at the same time. Most dogs will be home the same day! 95% of all dogs will have dental disease in their lifetime What is dental disease and
how does it start? Hide chews and dental toys are excellent ways of helping to remove plaque whilst providing enjoyment for your dog. Remember that even though you
may brush frequently, plaque and tartar still build up
with time and regular check-ups at the vet are important. Most vets recommend feeding dogs, from a puppy, through to old age, on the Hills range of foods. This is not a coincidence. There are many benefits of feeding this food compared to most other commercial products. For puppies, we suggest feeding Canine Growth, particularly in the dry form. Its main advantages over other foods are: Helps Prevent Kidney Disease: The levels of protein and phosphorous in the diet is carefully controlled to prevent damage to kidney cells. Many other diets are too rich in both protein and phosphorous and therefore overload the kidneys. Helps Prevent Heart Disease: The levels of salt are significantly reduced compared to most other foods. This helps to prevent fluid retention and so prevents hypertension and heart disease. Reduced Risk of Some Bone Diseases: The levels of calcium are just right. Neither too much nor too little. This helps reduce the chances of some joint and bone diseases found in certain breeds. Easy To Digest. No Waste: The quality of the ingredients used is very high and consistent, unlike many other pet foods. This reduces the amount of waste as more of the food is used. Balanced Diet: The levels of nutrients, vitamins and minerals is exactly balanced for the needs of your pet, no matter what age or size. All Stages of Life are Provided For: There is a large range of different foods specifically made for different ages of animal. This is because the needs of your pet vary according to their age and lifestyle. Make sure you are feeding the correct diet. Easy to Store: The dry food is very easy to keep and feed. The food does not go off if left in a bowl all day. 100% Guarantee: Your Pet Likes It Or We Buy It Back! Costs Less Than You Think: The cost per day is often very much less than you think. For example, an adult 20kg dog on Canine Maintenance would cost less than 45p per day. Good For The Teeth: By feeding dry food, the teeth are kept clean longer. We see significantly less dental decay in animals that are fed purely on a complete dry food. The cost of veterinary care for your pet can be expensive these days. The costs of running a well equipped veterinary centre with professionally trained staff and up to date facilities is high. Advances in veterinary medicine and surgery allow us to help your pet more than ever before. These days animals are often referred to specialist centres for the most up to date treatment. It is not unusual for an operation at a specialist centre to cost in excess of £1000! For just a couple of pounds a week you can get comprehensive insurance for your dog covering veterinary fees up to £4000 per condition per year! The fear of not being able to afford treatment need not be there with insurance. There are many different insurance companies offering pet insurance. We find that Pet Plan offers perhaps the most comprehensive and reliable policy. It does cost a little more than some others, but from our experiences this company gives us confidence that for most situations, you know your pet is comfortably covered. They also settle their claims quickly. We can usually offer you immediate cover for your puppy, free of charge for the first 4 weeks from vaccination. If you have not received your cover note, please ask a member of staff. Insurance does not cover for neutering operations, vaccinations or preventive treatments. In this modern age, your dog can be permanently identified with a small microchip injected under the skin. The microchip contains a unique number that identifies your pet. Once registered, you can be assured that if ever your dog becomes lost anywhere in the country (or Europe), then with the aid of a scanner (used by all vets and dog rescue homes), your own personal details, including address, telephone numbers, vet and important medical information can be traced 24 hours a day. The microchip lasts for life, and there is only the initial cost of the implant to pay. This costs at present £23.50. We strongly recommend you get your dog microchipped. It is a painless procedure that can be carried out during a consultation, and involves a simple injection . It is essential to have your pet Microchipped if you are considering taking your pet abroad. |
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