Friday 8 January 2021
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The Weekend Sun
Puppy and kitten season is here
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Summertime in the veterinary industry also means puppy and kitten season.
If you are thinking of adding a new pet to your household, or have recently acquired one, it’s important to educate yourself on the responsibilities of being a new pet owner. Vaccinations It is strongly recommended that all puppies and kittens be fully vaccinated, as this will help protect them from potentially fatal diseases. They will require rounds of vaccinations, starting at eight weeks, then 12 and finally 16 weeks of age. De-sexing If you don’t plan to breed your puppy or kitten, there are good medical and behavioural reasons for desexing. We strongly recommend speying and neutering. Behaviour A puppy or kitten’s long term behaviour is influenced by their parents characteristics, their environment and what they are exposed to during their critical ‘socialisation period’. This period is between three to 12 weeks in puppies and two to seven weeks in kittens. Nutrition Putting some thought into what you are feeding your
new pet is part of giving them a great start to a long life. If fed poor quality foods they may fail to thrive, be more susceptible to disease and could have permanent issues later in life. Microchipping Microchipping and registration is quick and painless and ensures your pet’s safety; and is a council requirement for dogs. This can be done at the time of vaccination and is just another simple procedure. If you have a new puppy or kitten, give us a call or come in and see us - let us help. Our kitten and puppy packs include discount vouchers for 20 per cent off de-sexing, discount vouchers on selected food and flea treatment plus lots more goodies.
Infections and immune support Recent times have highlighted the importance of health, the absence of disease. Covid-19 has forced us to learn behaviours like social distancing to ensure that we don’t become infected with this pathogen (germ) and that we minimise its spread to ensure our communities’ health. With any infection, there are two main factors facilitating progression. Firstly, the virulence (ability to cause disease) of the pathogen and secondly, the susceptibility of the host. Do you know that there are strategies that add additional layers of defence against disease and can help to boost the immune system as well as support the body’s inherent ability to heal? For our pets, these include minimising stress (impairs the body’s ability to heal and can suppress the immune system), regular exercise, optimal
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nutrition with biologically appropriate food, avoiding food with foreign chemicals and carcinogens as well as including optimal amounts of important nutrients such as anti-oxidants. There are several scientifically proven immune system boosting herbs and therapies like intravenous vitamin C, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, and others that can be invaluable. For some diseases, vaccination can also be a very useful tool to help prevent infections. By respecting natural principles and supporting health, many infections may be prevented and resolved, adding quality of life and increasing longevity.