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New Puppy & Kitten Program

Welcoming your new bundle of joy to their forever home is such a wonderful time, and you’ll want to make sure they have everything they need.

Your Guide to Puppy Care

With so much advice out there, we want to provide you with a helpful guide that covers the key topics for your puppy’s first few months.

Your-Guide-to-Puppy-Care-crows-nest

Puppy Vaccination

We recommend a C5 vaccination to protect against Canine Parvovirus, Canine Distemper Virus, Infectious Canine Hepatitis and Infectious Canine Tracheobronchitis (kennel cough). An additional vaccine against Leptospirosis is available for at risk dogs.

During the vaccination consult, your veterinarian will perform a general health examination of your pet, and discuss important aspects of preventative care including diet, dental care and parasite control.

Puppies require a series of three vaccinations at ages:

  • 6-8 weeks
  • 10-12 weeks
  • 14-16 weeks

Adult dogs require booster vaccinations:

  • Every 12 months for infectious Canine Tracheobronchitis
  • Every three years for the remaining diseases (sometimes known as the C3)

If your puppy or dog is going into boarding kennels, doggy day care or grooming it will need to be current with these vaccines.

Puppy Parasite control

Fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and heartworm are all common parasites that can cause your dog or cat to become unwell. This can vary from mild to life threatening disease. Luckily these parasites can be easily prevented or controlled. In recent years there has been great progress in producing easy to use, effective and safe preventatives. There are topical, oral or injectable options depending on your preference. Please discuss options with the veterinary team. All in one products are now available and very popular.

Intestinal worms

Intestinal worms can cause diarrhoea and poor growth in puppies. Pups can be born with worms already inside them so regular treatment from a young age is recommended. Puppies must be wormed repeatedly as follows:

  • Every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old, then
  • Every month until 6 months old, then

Every 3-6 months for life (more often if associating with young children)

Heartworm

This parasite is spread by mosquitos. These worms can cause fatal damage to the lungs and heart of infected dogs. All dogs in Sydney must be protected against heartworm at all times of the year.

Puppies start heartworm protection at 10-14 weeks of age.

Options include an annual preventative injection, or there are oral products given monthly.

Fleas

Fleas are the most problematic parasite in the world.  They cause dermatitis and make your pet miserably itchy. Some dogs will be allergic to flea saliva and only a small exposure can be enough to trigger a severe problem. Anaemia can also occur in puppies that have not been protected. There are many safe and effective products that are easy to use to protect your pet against fleas.

Keep in mind that 95% of flea eggs, larva and pupae live in the environment and not on your pet at anyone time. That could be your carpets, beds, and sofas. Taking a proactive approach to flea prevention with your pets will also keep your home flea free too!

Year-round protection is required in Sydney.  The flea life cycle may slow down in winter but if you take a break from treating your pet it is likely you will experience a flea explosion in Spring and this will take time to get under control again.

Ticks

Paralysis ticks are common in many parts of Sydney, especially near bushland and water. They cause paralysis of all the muscles and if untreated, pets die from respiratory failure. Treatment can be expensive and involves the administration of an intravenous antitoxin. Severely affected animals may need to be placed on a ventilator to be saved. Ticks are most prevalent from August through to April, but they can be found all year round, and all year round prevention is recommended.

Newer preventatives in recent years have greatly reduced the number of cases of tick poisoning that require treatment. They are safe, effective and very easy to administer.

We also recommend checking you pet for ticks every day. This is done by running your fingertips over the skin, feeling for lumps. Most ticks are found on the head, neck and ears but you must check the skin all over the dog.

Early treatment for tick poisoning is important. The sooner they are treated, the less likely they may be to have life threatening complications. If you suspect your pet may have tick poisoning (even if you have not found a tick) please seek immediate veterinary attention.

Signs of tick paralysis may include one or more of the following:

  • Wobbly back legs
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Vomiting or retching
  • Change of voice or bark
  • Coughing or grunting sounds
  • Weakness climbing stairs
  • Reluctance to jump or even to walk
microchipping-crows-nest

Pet identification

All dogs must be microchipped by law, but in addition to the compulsory NSW register, you can have your pet registered on the national private database (the Australian Animal Register, AAR). Make sure your details are kept up-todate on both registers so that your dog can be reunited with you quickly if he/she is ever lost.

Pets are returned home faster if they always wear a collar with your phone number engraved on the tag.

feeding-crows-nest

Feeding

There are many commercial foods designed to meet the exact nutritional requirements of growing puppies. The brands do vary in quality, with the premium brands aiming to provide additional beneficial ingredients to the growing dog. Choose a “puppy” or “growth” variety until the pet reaches 12 months (small breeds) or 18 months (large breeds) when he/she change over to “adult” or “maintenance” food. For breeds expected to grow to more than 25kg we recommend you choose a “large breed puppy” formulation to reduce the incidence of skeletal problems such as hip dysplasia, in later life.

At 8 weeks old most puppies need to be fed 3 times per day. This can be reduced to 2 meals per day by 12-16 weeks, and then if desired you may drop to one feed per day after 6-12 months of age. Meal size guidelines can be found on the food label, but they are often overly generous. Any change of diet must be made gradually, over 3-5 days, to prevent your new puppy getting diarrhoea. We recommend Hills Vet essentials or Royal Canin.

Dental care

Your dog will require regular dental care throughout their life to maintain a healthy pain free mouth. Ideally this would combine a home care plan as well as intermittent visits to the “dentist” for a scale and polish.

A good home care plan might include tooth brushing, specific dental diets and appropriate use of dental chews. Different options will suit different dogs and we can help you decide what might work best for you and your dog.

Tooth brushing is the gold standard in homecare. Training you puppy for tooth brushing at an early age can be very beneficial. Introducing this slowly and with a reward makes it a positive experience.

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Desexing

Desexing puppies is important to reduce unwanted litters and reduce aggression and straying. It can also reduce a number of serious diseases including some cancers. Talk with your vets about the best time for this surgery for your pet.

Desexing is performed under general anaesthetic and requires a hospital stay which may be overnight. Pain relief is tailored for each patient for an optimal and smooth recovery following surgery.

pet-insurance

Pet Health Insurance

Pet insurance can be a life saver. Modern veterinary care is surprisingly advanced and we can offer a high level of care if your dog becomes seriously ill or injured. However, unlike the human health care system there is no government funding to help pay for the treatment, and it can become expensive.

A number of companies offer pet health insurance to help you give your pet the best care when they need it.

Your Guide to Kitten Care

With so much advice out there, we want to provide you with a helpful guide that covers the key topics for your kitten’s first few months.

Cat-vaccination-crows-nest

Kitten Vaccination

Several contagious diseases occur in cats in Sydney. Vaccination is the best way to protect your cat. We advise vaccination of cats against Feline Panleucopenia virus and the common cat flu viruses: Feline Herpesvirus I and Feline Calicivirus.

Kittens require a series of three vaccinations, performed 3-4 weeks apart, ideally done at: 8-10 weeks 12-14 weeks 16-18 weeks. Kittens will not be protected until 14 days after the final injection.

In order to get the best immune response, we recommend that the final kitten vaccination is performed no earlier than 16 weeks of age. Some kittens who start vaccinations earlier than 8 weeks old may be recommended to have 4 vaccines in total to meet this requirement. The current recommendation for most adult cats is annual vaccination against Feline Herpesvirus and Calicivirus, and vaccination every 3 years against Panleucopaenia. Newer “split” vaccines now allow us to vaccinate according to this protocol. However, if your cats’ living situation is deemed long-term “low risk” (purely indoor; solitary cats who don’t go into boarding) during a veterinary assessment, you may elect to reduce to vaccination for all three diseases once every 3 years. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukaemia Virus can be vaccinated against but these are not considered core vaccines.

Parasites

It is important to protect you feline friend from several common parasites. There are several topical treatments that provide protection against all of these in a single product. Please talk to the team for advice on which product is the best for your cat.

Intestinal worms

Intestinal worms can cause gastrointestinal disease in kittens and also lead to poor growth and condition. Kittens musty be wormed repeatedly as follows:

  • Every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old, then
  • Every month until 6 months old, then
  • Every 3-6 months for life

There are a variety of products available for worming. Preventatives come in several forms such as tablets or topical products.

Heartworm

This worm is spread by mosquitoes and can damage the lungs, however the disease is uncommon in cats and regular use of preventatives is optional.

Fleas

Fleas are the most problematic parasite in the world. They can cause severe skin disease (flea allergy dermatitis) and can be difficult to diagnose. A cat suffering from flea allergy may never actually be seen with fleas! All products must be used every month all year to be effective.

There are several new products available that protect against multiple parasites. Speak to your vet about which product suit your kitten or cat.

Check the label carefully when you buy a new flea product- some are safe for dogs but toxic if applied to cats. Please ask our vets if you are in doubt.

Ticks

Paralysis ticks are common in certain areas of Sydney, especially near bush land and water. They cause paralysis of all the muscles and if untreated, pets die from asphyxiation. Treatment can be expensive and involves the administration of an intravenous antitoxin. Some severely affected cats may need to go onto a ventilator to save them. Ticks are most prevalent from August through to April.

It is exciting we now have simple to use, effective and safe tick prevention for cats. We also recommend a daily tick check and this is done by running your fingertips over the skin, feeling for lumps. Most ticks are found on the head, neck and ears but you must check the skin all over. Signs of tick paralysis may include one or more of the following:

  • Coughing or grunting sounds
  • Difficult or fast breathing
  • Not eating
  • Reluctance to jump or even walk
  • Vomiting or retching
  • Weakness
  • Loss or change of voice (meow)
  • Wobbly back legs

Prompt and early treatment is important. See immediate veterinary advice if you suspect your cat may have tick poisoning. Not treated early enough there is a higher chance of complications.

There are many products available for parasite control in cats these days. We know it can be confusing but are very happy to help you choose the most appropriate product to use to keep your cat protected and healthy.

Cat-identification

Pet identification

All cats must be microchipped by law but in addition to the compulsory NSW register, you can have your pet registered on the national database (the Australian Animal Register, AAR). Make sure your details are kept up-to-date on both registers so that your cat can be reunited with you quickly if he/she is ever lost. Pets are returned home even faster if they always wear a collar with your phone number engraved on the tag.

Cat-feeding-crows-nest

Feeding

There are many commercial foods designed to meet the exact nutritional requirements of growing kittens. The brands do vary in quality, with the premium brands aiming to provide higher quality ingredients to the growing cat.

Choose a “kitten” or “growth” variety until the cat reaches 12 months old. At 8 weeks old, kittens need to be fed 3 times per day. From 4-5 months of age, this can be reduced to 2 larger meals per day. Meal size guidelines can be found on the food label. Any change of diet must be made gradually, over 3-5 day, to prevent your new kitten getting diarrhoea.

It is very important for long-term health to keep your adult cat in lean, muscular body condition. Please ask our vets to learn more about healthy body condition scores in cats. Diet and dental care

Your cat’s diet can influence the health of his/ her teeth and gums.

Never feed your cat cooked bones as these are much more likely to cause problems. An easier alternative to consider is a dental dry food, such as Hills t/d or Royal Canin Dental.

The “gold standard” in dental health is daily brushing with a pet toothpaste, and kittenhood is the perfect time to introduce this to your cat.

Cat-desexing-crows-nest

Desexing

Desexed pets are less likely to spray urine, wander, fight or get injured. Desexed cats are  protected from certain cancers and females won’t show noisy calling behaviour when on heat. We recommend male and female cats be desexed by 6 months of age. The pets come in to hospital in the morning (without breakfast), have their operation under general anaesthesia and go home the same evening (males) or following day (females).

Cat behaviour and training

If his/her basic needs are not met, your cat may feel stressed. Stress can affect both health and behaviour. This is particularly important for indoor cats. We recommend cats are kept indoors to protect them from fighting, car accidents and infectious diseases, and to protect the local wildlife.

The following hints will help your cat stay happy and healthy.

  • Place food and litter boxes such that another animal (or human!) cannot sneak up on the cat while he/she uses them, and away from noisy appliances. To keep them appealing to the cat, food and water should be fresh, and the litter box cleaned every day. Cats require at least one litterbox each!
  • Give your cat some special cat scratching furniture to help them keep their claws short and express normal behaviours acceptably.
  • Praise them profusely when you see them use the scratch mat or post to let them know that this is theirs to use.
  • Provide places to hide, to climb and to look out of windows.
  • Toys allow cats to pretend they are catching their dinner and can be as simple as crumpled paper balls, empty cardboard boxes or ping pong balls. String, foil or buttons are potential hazards and are not recommended.
  • If you ever see your kitten chewing on lily flowers/leaves please contact your vet as they are extremely poisonous to cats.
  • Cats respond to praise not punishment. Reprimands only work if you catch your cat “in the act”. If you do catch you cat making a mistake, it is better to create a distraction by making a loud noise or throwing something (NOT at the cat!) that will attract his attention, but not toward you.

Veterinary behaviourist Kirsty Seksel’s book ‘Training your cat’ is designed to teach you how to have fun with your new kitten as well as train them to become a well-behaved family member.

Cat-insurance

Pet Health Insurance

Pet insurance can be a life saver. Modern veterinary care is surprisingly advanced and we can offer a high level of care if your cat becomes seriously ill or injured. However, unlike the human health care system there is no government funding to help pay for the treatment, and it can become expensive.

A number of companies offer pet health insurance to help you give your pet the best care when they need it.

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