Vaccinations
Like us, our pets also require vaccination against preventable diseases. We vaccinate dogs against Parvovirus, Hepatitis, Distemper and Canine Cough.
Parvovirus, Hepatitis and Distemper all have the potential to be lethal if contracted. Canine cough is almost as common as a cold and is passed between pets and from affected areas.
Our vaccination guidelines adhere to the following vaccination protocol as outlined by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA).
- 1st Vaccination at 6-8 weeks
- 2nd Vaccination at 10-12 weeks
- 3rd Vaccination at 14-16 weeks
Your dog will require yearly boosters of Canine Cough, and three yearly boosters for Parvovirus, Distemper and Hepatitis. Failure to have your adult dog’s vaccination boosters could result in their becoming infected with one of these life-threatening diseases.
For more information on vaccinations, please follow this link.
Desexing
Desexing is a routine procedure that removes the organs associated with driving sexual behaviour in dogs. This procedure has a large range of benefits and is a legal requirement for standard, non-breeding dogs and cats when registered with your local council.
The benefits of desexing include:
- Preventing unwanted litters
- Behavioural benefits such as reduced marking/spraying, fighting and escaping/wamdering.
- Greatly reducing the potent smell of a dogs urine.
- Females: nullifying the risk of life-threatening womb infections (known as pyometra) and minimising the development of mammary tumours.
- Males: reduced prostate disease, testicular cancer and perianal tumours.
Desexing is a day procedure and will require a rest and recuperation time of 7-10 days post operatively. If you have any questions or would like to book in for your pet to be desexed, please contact us.
New laws for dog and cat owners have come in to effect as of 1 July 2018. The laws and rules include mandatory desexing of dogs and cats born after the 1 July 2018 if they are not to be breeding individuals; and mandatory microchipping of all dogs and cats. All breeders who sell dogs and cats are to be registered with the new statewide database, called Dogs and Cats Online (DACO).
Click here for a link to the Good Dog SA for more information.
Microchipping
Microchipping is a permanent form of identification placed under the skin between your puppy’s shoulder blades. It can never be lost or removed, increasing the chance of them being returned to you should they ever be lost or stolen. Microchipping can be done anytime in a consultation and we will register the number with the national database before you leave. As mentioned previously, mandatory microchipping has become a council requirement since 1 July 2018. If you have any further queries, please contact the clinic.
Parasite Control
Parasite control is a life long responsibility for all pet owners, and can cause serious health issues if ignored. Intestinal worms can be passed between dogs and humans; heartworm is lethal, and passed by mosquitoes thereby putting any dog at risk; Fleas can cause nasty skin problems, and even death in unwell or young dogs.
Puppies require treatment against gastrointestinal worms at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of age. From 12 weeks they should be wormed once a month until 6 months of age, then every 3 months for life, depending on the parasite preventative you choose.
We will be able to advise you on what product suits you, your pet and your budget. We also stock the safest, effective and most clinically tested products available. For more information on parasites and the options available, please check out the parasite prevention options here.
Diet
A high quality diet is important, particularly in growing puppies. We as veterinarians, use and recommend super premium diets (such as Hill’s Science Diet and Royal Canin) for your pets as they are made from the highest quality ingredients.
Dry food formulas are the most effective way to provide the very best for your new puppy. These diets are specialized, fully balanced and made from premium grade ingredients, and are available in veterinarians and pet shops only. They are highly concentrated meaning less mess to pick up for you, and are not packed with artificial colours, preservatives, flavours and fillers.
If you are unsure as to what you should be feeding your new addition, please contact our friendly team for details.
Insurance
Pet insurance is becoming more popular and is readily available through many sources including human private health institutions, supermarkets and welfare organisations to name a few.
As new advances in veterinary medicine becoming available, we have more possibilities for treatment options should your furry friend require it. Unfortunately for many owners, cost is often a limiting factor and may mean life or death for many patients. By having your pet insured this will give you peace of mind to be able to offer the best level of care, and have most if not all of your costs reimbursed.
By law, we are unable to offer recommendations on which company to choose. We would recommend researching some of the various companies and speak to their customer service officers for more information.
The most valuable advice we can offer is to ensure you start your policy prior to your first vet visit. Unfortunately should your puppy require a consult for any illness (whether it be a skin condition, or tummy upset) or a genetic condition is picked up at their first check over (such as heart problems) these ‘pre-existing conditions’ will restrict your claims for these issues in future.
Should you want to make any enquiries about Pet Insurance, the Canstar website is a good place to start.
Bathing
You can bath your puppy from six weeks of age with a high quality medication-free dog shampoo. Flea shampoos are not suitable and should never be used, even on adult dogs due to the toxic nature of the ingredients. Also do not use human shampoo (even baby shampoo), soap or laundry and cleaning liquids as they are the wrong pH balance and will affect your puppies sensitive skin.
Puppies and adult dogs should not be bathed anymore than once a month. More often can strip the natural oils from your pets coat and result in an increase in odour and skin disease. If you have concerns about your pets hygiene, we stock a number of leave in conditioners and deodorisers which can be applied as often as required.
Puppy Playschool
Puppy playschool classes provide your new baby with the best start to training and socialisation that you can give them. At our clinic we offer a 5-week course run on Tuesday evenings, covering all you need to know about how to cope with problem behaviours and introducing basic training. For more information please phone the clinic. In order to secure your spot, payment for Puppy School will be required up front.
The aim of Puppy Preschool® classes are to :
- Socilaise puppies with other puppies and people in a safe and controlled situation
- Teach basic force free, reward based training methods
- Identify any behavioural problems at an early age
- Teach and reward puppies for ( calm ) behaviour
Educating Owners on :
- Normal puppy development
- Body language
- Dog behaviour
- Basic health care
- Common puppy problems
- Environmental enrichment
- Guide puppies to develop into well behaved and socially acceptable companions
