FAQ

While vaccination is not a legal requirement, it is strongly recommended to give your dog the best protection. Our vaccines will cover your dog for Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza (DHPPi) and four strains of Leptospira (L4). If you wish to discuss only vaccinating for two strains of Leptospira, or want your puppy to have the Kennel Cough vaccine, please discuss this at the first appointment.

Puppies must have two vaccines, four weeks apart. They can have their first vaccine as early as 6 weeks of age.

We currently use Nobivac vaccines, if your puppy has previously had its first vaccine elsewhere, please ring the practice to check it is compatible.

While vaccination is not a legal requirement, it is strongly recommended to give your cat the best protection. Our vaccines will cover your cat for Panleukopenia, Calicivirus and Herpes virus. If you plan to let your cat outside – even just into the garden – we recommend also protecting your cat against Feline Leukaemia Virus.

Kittens must have two vaccines, 3-4 weeks apart. They can have their first vaccine as early as 8 weeks of age.

We currently use Nobivac vaccines, if your kitten has previously had its first vaccine elsewhere, please ring the practice to check it is compatible.

Generally, this depends on the product used and the lifestyle/risk factors of your dog. We use Milpro, a wormer that covers for roundworms and tapeworm, and recommend worming monthly until 6 months of age, and then every 3 months thereafter.

However, if you wish to talk about a more risk-based worming protocol please first look at the Parassess website and then ring to chat to a member of staff.

Generally, this depends on the product used and the lifestyle/risk factors of your cat. We use Milpro, a wormer that covers for roundworms and tapeworm, and recommend worming monthly if your cat is a hunter, or every 3 monthly if not. If your cat is an indoor cat and in a single pet household, their parasite risk is lower, and they may not need worming as regularly.

However, if you wish to talk about a more risk-based worming protocol please first look at the Parassess website and then ring to chat to a member of staff.

Fleas and ticks can be irritating, painful and can transmit nasty diseases to your pet. We do recommend flea treating your pets, especially in the spring and summer months. Whilst you can get flea treatment over the counter, many of these products are no longer as effective as in the past, due to growing resistance.

The products we provide are POMV (Prescription Only Veterinary Medicines) meaning your pet must have been seen in the last year in order to buy them. Our main product (Bravecto) lasts of 12 weeks and comes as a spot-on for cats or as a chew and spot on for dogs.

If your pet has previously had a reaction to flea / tick treatment, please let us know at the appointment.

Optimum castration time depends on the weight and breed of your dog. While some smaller breeds can be castrated no earlier than 6 months, we usually advise waiting until growth plate closure at 10 months. If your dog is a larger or giant breed dog, we may suggest waiting until 12-18 months before castration.

Please be aware that the temperament of your dog may also affect castrate timing – it is no longer recommended to castrate anxious and fearful animals.

Optimum spey time depends on the weight and breed of your bitch, alongside the timings of their seasons.

Speys are done after a bitch’s first season, but usually we advise waiting until after growth plate closure at 10 months, which may put this after their second season. If your dog is a larger or giant breed dog, we may suggest waiting until 12-14 months before speying.

Our policy is to spey at 8-12 weeks post-season, however in some instances we may suggest as early as 6 weeks post-season. If your bitch comes into season, please make a note of the end date to the best of your ability, and ring us to discuss timings.

If your bitch is overweight, we may delay speying her until she has lost some weight – this is because speyed bitches tend to gain weight and struggle to lose it, so weight loss before the procedure is advised. It will also make the anaesthetic more comfortable for your dog.

Do not worm your puppy/dog on the same day as a vaccination

Male and female cats can be neutered at 6 months of age, as long as they are 2kg in weight.

If you have both male and female kittens in your household, please chat to us regarding timings as we may consider castrating the male cat earlier to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Yes, we advise insuring your pet – we recommend taking out a lifelong policy, which covers you for the entire time you are with that provider. Shorter, annual policies may be cheaper, however may exclude certain conditions/treatments after the first year of claiming.

Whilst we cannot endorse any insurance providers directly, we can discuss insurance generally with you, so please contact us if you would like to chat further.