Summer is a common time of year for families to get a new puppy or kitten, and following lockdown this is truer than ever before. This week’s article is a summary of pointers we at Coquet Vets feel is important to cover for your new family pet.

1.    Come and Meet us!

We would love to see you and your new addition and offer free puppy/kitten health checks. It is a very useful experience for your pet to visit the vets for a health check, as in the beginning vets aren’t scary and this massively helps their socialisation and gives you peace of mind that your pet is healthy. 

2.    Vaccinations

It is important we ensure that your pet receives their core course of vaccines at the correct intervals to ensure their protection is maintained as the antibodies from their mothers fall. Depending on the breeder your new pet may have already had a trip to the vet and received vaccinations. Certain vaccine manufacturers are not cross compatible, so it’s important we have a chat to make sure your new pet is fully covered. Until your new pet has received their full vaccination course we strongly advised that they are kept indoors.

3.    Flea and worming treatment

Again, ensuring your pet is covered against pesky parasites is important. Young animals can easily carry a parasitic burden so getting a fresh weight and the appropriate treatments on board is key.

4.    Microchipping

It is a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped in the UK, however, this is not the case for cats. We believe that microchipping is important for all pets as it is really the only way your pet can be returned to you if they get lost. It is important that as owners you always keep your details up to date in relation to your pet’s microchip.

5.    Insurance

There are many insurance companies available on the market and it can seem a daunting task going through them all. We strongly recommend insurance is taken out for your new pet, the individual policy in itself is down to you. Through a provider we offer 4 weeks free insurance following a health check with one of our vets.

6.    Socialisation

Your new pet is learning all the time, so exposing them to different stimuli is very important. This can range from meeting family members to playing with their feet and ears to brushing their teeth! The more you do now the easier it will be when they are older.

Here at Coquet Vets we run the ‘Coquet Pet Club’, which is a monthly plan covering vaccination, flea and worming, microchipping, and so much more. Please speak to us if you are interested or visit our Coquet Pet Club website page for more information.