Welcoming a new four-legged family member is such a fun and exciting time, but it’s also important to give your new puppy or kitten the best possible start. There’s a lot to consider, but don’t be daunted! Come in and see us and we’ll talk through all that’s required and together we’ll come up with the best plan to suit your and your new pet’s needs.

For Puppies

Vaccinations: Puppies need a vaccination at 6-8 weeks with a booster at 10-12 weeks, and they’re not fully protected against disease until 10-14 days after the final vaccination. Boosters are also required.

Heartworm: This parasite is spread by mosquitoes so it’s essential to protect your new pup. A prevention program should be started by 12 weeks of age, either by injection or monthly products and continued for life.

Fleas: No one likes an itchy puppy, especially the puppy! So we recommend a routine, monthly treatment to prevent fleas becoming a problem.

Feeding: Good quality food is vital to your puppy’s health. We’ll recommend the best diet, as well as the frequency of meals to suit different life stages.

Desexing: This procedure is performed between 4 and 6 months of age – older for some larger breeds. It prevents pregnancy and can reduce wandering, anti-social behaviours and the incidence of many medical conditions.

Microchip: If your pet goes missing, a microchip is the best way to identify them, and get them safely returned to you. It can be done at any age, but new animals older than 12 weeks must be chipped before they can be registered with your local council. Remember to update your details with the registry if you move or change phone numbers.

Insurance: Unfortunately you can’t add Fido to your Medicare card, but you can take out insurance to help minimise unexpected costs associated with treating illness or injury.

Puppy Preschool: Up until 16 weeks of age, puppies are developing and they are learning the social skills which will help shape their personalities and behaviours. Puppy preschool is a great way to switch on your puppy’s brain.
interact with other pups and for you to learn some basic training skills and commands. We highly recommend attending the classes run by Underdog Training at our clinic on Wednesday evenings at HEV and Thursdays at KVC. You’ll learn so much and your pup will love them!

Our team of professionals are here to help make pet care easy. If you have any questions or concerns about your pet's health, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We love talking about animals and we’re more than happy to help! If you would like to make an appointment you can book online or give us a call to arrange a suitable time.