Bicester vets

Buying a puppy or kitten?

kittenBringing home a new pet will be a very exciting time for the whole family. A little research and forward preparation can ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Don’t forget if you need any advice or help – just give us a call at Bicester Vets 01869 252077.

Health Checks
Bicester Vets advise you to bring your new arrival for us to give a thorough health check.
This can often be arranged to coincide with the 1st Vaccination, however, if the vaccination isn’t due you can book in for a FREE New Puppy or Kitten Check.

Vaccinations
All puppies and kittens should be vaccinated against certain very serious diseases which can be life threatening. The vaccination programme consists of an initial vaccination and health check, followed by a 2nd vaccination. An annual booster is given thereafter starting 1 year after the initial course.

* Puppies are given their first vaccination from 6 weeks

* Kittens are given their first vaccination at 9 weeks

Sometimes your pet will have had some or all of the vaccinations before you collect them from the breeder. Please call to find out when best to bring your new pet in to be checked. For more information read our page on vaccination here.

Parasites
Puppies and Kittens are commonly host to a variety of parasites. These can include worms, fleas and ear mites.

It is very important to control these parasites because, as well as being able to cause serious diseases in your pets, some can cause serious disease in people, especially children.

Insurance
We recommend that you take out pet insurance. This provides for the unexpected expense of emergency treatment. Insurance tends to cover illness or injury but not all insurance policies are the same so read carefully and ask us for advice if you need it.

Microchipping
As of April 2016 it is compulsory for all dogs to be microchipped by the time they are 8 weeks old. We recommend that all pets are “chipped” to provide a permanent means of identification. The chip has a unique code which is registered against your details on a national secure database so that if your pet is found it can be scanned to find out the owner’s contact details.

Feeding
It is important to ensure that your puppy/kitten is fed correctly, especially while they are growing.
At Bicester Vets, we recommend that pets are fed on the Royal Canin Vet Nutrition range of diets.

Socialising
The ideal period for socialisation is between 5 and 12 weeks of age in puppies and between 2 and 7 weeks of age in kittens.

During this period, it is important to ensure that your pet is handled frequently and gets used to a variety of environments and other animals.

It is important to be aware that your pet will not be vaccinated at this age and so should not come into contact with other animals of the same species of unknown vaccination/disease status.

We will do our best to accommodate your busy schedule

Please note that you do not have an appointment until you receive confirmation from us. Thank you

RCVS accredited small animal hospital
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