Are you ringing in 2020 with a new addition to the family?
Puppies and Kittens are cuddly and lovable but they also have different needs to that of our adult pets.
The first year of a puppy or kittens life is incredibly important for their development. Lots of love alongside good nutrition and healthcare plays a vital part in the way they grow.
Part of good healthcare for your new pet is ensuring they are protected against fleas, ticks and worms. There are numerous options for flea, tick and worm control however it is important to note that as your puppy or kitten grows their weight will change so ensuring that you are using the correct weight range on your pet will keep them protected.
For puppies, they require worming every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks of age, monthly until they are 6 months old and then every 3 months thereafter. However for kittens, worming is only required at 6, 8 and 12 weeks and then every 3 months thereafter.
Parasite protection is important for our pets, so it’s important to ensure your pet is protected against everything. Make sure the products you choose protect against fleas of all ages, ticks – especially paralysis ticks, as well as intestinal worms, roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworm.
In the first few months your new additions immune system is the most vulnerable, so ensuring that you keep up to date on vaccinations is important to keep your furry friend safe and healthy. The core vaccination schedule is important to ensure that your pet is protected from serious and potentially fatal diseases.
Puppies and Kittens should receive their first vaccination between 6-8 weeks of age. Their second vaccination should take place between 10-12 weeks for puppies and at 12 weeks for kittens. Their third and final vaccination should be given at 16 weeks. Following this, new owners will have to wait 10 days before taking their new pet into the big bad world (such as dog beaches, parks, etc) to ensure their pets are completely protected.
Your puppy or kitten will then need to continue an annual booster vaccination to ensure protection against diseases such as parvovirus, infectious hepatitis, distemper, canine cough, feline aids, feline herpes, panleucopaenia and chlamydia. These diseases are most dangerous to a young pet, however it’s important to keep vaccinations up to date as these dangerous and potentially fatal diseases can also affect adult pets.
Good nutrition provides puppies and kittens optimal growth and life long health. Feeding a high quality balanced diet is important to ensure that your puppy or kitten is getting all the nutrients that they require to grow into healthy and happy adults.
When bringing a new pet home, it’s important to slowly introduce them to a high quality diet as to minimise the risk of any stomach upsets! Finding out what your new pet was fed prior to you picking them up is important, as you will need to gradually change their diet if you wish to.
Feeding puppies and kittens age specific diets is important, as they require different nutrients than adult cats and dogs, so it’s always best to check with your vet to ensure your pet is getting exactly what they need to grow!
Don’t forget that your new pet also needs a microchip!
Microchipping is a way of protecting your pets if they are ever stolen or lost. Chips can be easily read using scanners at all vets and rescues to help reunite you with your furry friend!
Microchipping is the only permanent way of identifying your pet. It’s simply a small chip, approximately the size of a grain of rice, is implanted in the loose skin on the back of the neck. The chip contains a unique number that is registered on a central database, where your contact details and pets details are stored.
In Queensland all cats and dogs between 8 and 12 weeks of age must be implanted with a microchip, and microchips can only be implanted by an authorised veterinarian.
