Useful information on caring for your new puppy as they settle in and throughout their life. If you have any questions or specific concerns, please ask.
As well as treating pets who are unwell, we try to prevent health problems wherever possible. This includes vaccinations, parasite treatment, neutering, a good diet and good socialisation.
Vaccinations are important to prevent outbreaks of infectious disease. The core diseases we vaccinate all dogs against are distemper, infectious hepatitis, parvovirus and leptospirosis. These diseases make dogs seriously unwell and can be fatal. Treatment isn’t always successful, which is why prevention matters.
We recommend vaccinating your puppy at 8 and 10 weeks of age. The initial course is two vaccinations 2–4 weeks apart, and your puppy must be at least 10 weeks old for the second. Your puppy isn’t protected until 7 days after their second vaccination, so they shouldn’t go outside or meet unvaccinated dogs until then. The first annual booster is very important to make sure your puppy develops good immunity, and they’ll need annual boosters after that.
Before vaccinating, we give your puppy a thorough health check to make sure they’re well enough. We repeat this every year at booster time so we can spot and treat any health problems early.
Vaccinations are needed before your dog can stay in licensed boarding kennels and may be needed for dog training, dog walkers or doggy day care. Some insurance policies won’t cover a disease that vaccination could have prevented. You’ll be given a signed record of your dog’s vaccinations, so please keep it safe. We send reminders when vaccinations are due as a courtesy, but occasionally these go astray and it’s your responsibility to keep vaccinations up to date.
Despite the success in reducing parvovirus cases, there are still occasional outbreaks. Most dogs respond well to vaccination and are well protected, but a small number fail to develop immunity after their second vaccination. Rottweilers and dobermanns are known to be particularly at risk. We stock a parvovirus vaccine that can be given as a third vaccination between 16 weeks and one year of age. It isn’t needed for kennels, but it’s an option if you’d like the extra reassurance.
Kennel cough can be caused by a number of viruses and bacteria. It’s airborne and very infectious. It doesn’t usually cause severe disease in healthy dogs, but it can lead to chest infections. Despite the name, dogs can catch it anywhere they mix with other dogs, such as puppy classes or out on a walk, as well as in kennels. Infected dogs should stay at home until they stop coughing, which can take up to 3 weeks, to prevent local outbreaks. We therefore recommend vaccinating your dog against kennel cough.
The vaccine goes up the nose and is given as a single dose each year. It protects against the most common viral strain and the most common bacterial strain. Vaccinated dogs can still catch kennel cough because of the other strains, but the disease is milder and usually doesn’t last as long.
The kennel cough vaccine can be given from 3 weeks of age, and it’s discounted when given at the same time as other vaccinations. Full immunity takes 3 weeks, so ideally give it at least 3 weeks before high-risk times like going into kennels.
The vaccine contains live, weakened strains of the virus and bacteria. Vaccinated dogs shouldn’t be in contact with people with weakened immune systems for 6 weeks afterwards. This may include people having chemotherapy or who have had an organ transplant.
Yes, although like any treatment there’s a small risk of side effects. We offer vaccinations to prevent diseases that pose a serious risk to your dog’s health, so the risks should be weighed against that. Most reactions are mild and clear up quickly without treatment, and severe reactions are very rare. If you’re worried about your dog after a vaccination, please phone the practice.
Your puppy needs the same brand of vaccine for both injections, because there’s no evidence that mixing manufacturers will protect your dog. If your puppy’s first vaccination was a brand we don’t stock, you can either restart their course with us or find a practice that has the vaccine you need.
We recommend the L2 vaccine, which protects against two strains of leptospirosis, for dogs that don’t travel abroad. We believe this gives good protection. For dogs that travel abroad we recommend L4, which protects against four strains, including those more common abroad. The L4 course is two doses 4 weeks apart. You can talk to a vet about the best option at your appointment.
Yes. After their first annual booster, your dog will be immune to distemper, infectious hepatitis and parvovirus for 3 years. Immunity to leptospirosis only lasts a year, so it needs an annual booster. We therefore give leptospirosis vaccines every year and the distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus part every 3 years.
Yes. There’s a short grace period, but after that your dog will need two leptospirosis vaccinations, 2–4 weeks apart, to make sure they’re immune.
Rabies isn’t present in the UK, so if your dog doesn’t travel abroad there’s no risk and vaccination isn’t needed. If you plan to travel with your dog, they’ll need a rabies vaccination as well as travel documents. Please book an appointment well before you travel to discuss this. See our pet passport service.
It’s a legal requirement for all dogs in the UK to be microchipped by 8 weeks of age, unless a vet has decided it should be delayed. Your puppy should have been microchipped by the breeder. Make sure the contact details on the chip are yours and keep them up to date. We’ll check the microchip is present and working at your vaccination appointment, and we can check the number matches your documents.
If your puppy isn’t microchipped, we can do it at their first vaccination appointment.
Fleas are small parasites that live on your dog’s skin and can make them itchy and cause skin disease. They can be hard to spot because they only visit our pets to feed. They lay eggs in the home, especially in carpets, soft furnishings and between floorboards. It’s much easier to prevent an infestation than to treat one, so we recommend regular preventative treatment.
There’s a wide range of products, including flavoured tablets you can give like a treat, and spot-ons. Prescription flea treatment is usually safer and more effective than supermarket or pet shop brands. How often you give it depends on the product, but it’s generally monthly. All products work by killing fleas shortly after they come into contact with a treated dog, which stops them laying eggs.
It’s important to worm your dog regularly throughout their life. Again, products from a vet are safer and more effective than pet shop or supermarket brands. Adult worms are rarely passed in faeces and the eggs can only be seen under a microscope, so your dog may have worms without you knowing.
Dogs can pick up worms from hunting, eating raw meat and soil. Fleas can pass on tapeworms, and dogs catch lungworm by eating slugs or snails. Puppies can pick up worms while nursing from their mothers.
The most common worms we see are roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms. Lungworm is most common in the south east of the UK, and we only see occasional cases locally. Roundworm is a particular concern because it can also infect people. Households with very young children or vulnerable people should take extra care with worming and hygiene.
Puppies should be wormed monthly from 8 weeks to 6 months of age. After that, the standard advice is every three months, or more often if your dog is at high risk or there are concerns about infecting people.
Neutering means surgically preventing pets from reproducing. In males the operation is called castration and in females it’s called spaying. Neutering can be an important way of keeping your pet healthy and preventing unplanned litters. It’s one of the most common procedures vets carry out, and it’s done as a day case, so your dog comes home the same day. There’s always a small risk with any anaesthetic and surgery, but neutering is very safe.
Our general advice depends on whether your puppy is male or female, and we can give specific advice to help you decide. Please book an appointment to discuss it, or read more about neutering.
For health reasons, we generally advise spaying all female dogs not intended for breeding. Spaying prevents pyometra, a common and potentially life-threatening infection of the womb, and if done early it reduces the risk of mammary (breast) cancer. It also stops your dog coming into season and having phantom pregnancies.
We advise spaying 12 weeks after her first season. It can be done earlier, at 6 months of age, but we don’t believe there’s enough evidence yet to recommend early neutering of female dogs. It can also be done 12 weeks after later seasons, but the reduced risk of mammary tumours gets smaller with each season and is lost after 3 seasons.
The benefits of castration include preventing unwanted mating, sexual behaviour and straying, and it can reduce aggression between males. It also prevents testicular cancer and some prostate conditions, although castration can be used to treat these later in life if needed.
Castration doesn’t help with behaviours like anxiety and fear aggression, and in some cases it can make them worse. If this is a concern, we advise talking to a qualified behaviourist before deciding, and we can refer you.
Small breed dogs can be castrated from 6 months of age. There’s some evidence that early castration in large breeds (over 20kg) may increase the risk of joint problems such as cruciate disease or hip dysplasia, so we recommend waiting until at least 12–18 months in these breeds.
Non-surgical options such as hormone implants are available and may suit some dogs. They’re temporary, so they need repeating and are an ongoing cost. Please speak to a vet if you’d like to discuss this.
A good diet is essential for your dog’s health. Puppies should eat puppy food, which is made to support healthy growth. Switch to adult food once your puppy reaches maturity – earlier for small dogs (around 9–12 months) and later for large breeds (12–16 months) and giant breeds (up to 24 months).
Feed puppies small meals often. We suggest four meals a day until 4 months of age, then three a day until 6 months, then two a day. Read the feeding guide on the food carefully and divide the total daily amount into the right number of meals. Choosing a diet is a personal choice, and we’re happy to give advice.
If you change your puppy’s food, do it slowly, because a sudden change can cause an upset stomach. Start while you still have some of the old food, mix the two and increase the proportion of new food over a few days.
Gum disease is the most common dental problem in dogs, and most dogs have it by the time they’re 3. As in people, plaque builds up on the teeth and your dog’s immune system reacts, gradually breaking down the attachment between gum and tooth. Early signs include bad breath, tartar on the teeth and a red line along the gum where it meets the tooth.
As it progresses, teeth become loose and painful, bacteria get into your dog’s bloodstream and bone is lost from the jaw, weakening it. Treating gum disease needs a general anaesthetic for a thorough dental clean and often means removing teeth.
Gum disease is preventable. The most effective way is to brush your dog’s teeth once a day, and we have a separate guide on how to do it. Start from around 5 months of age, as your puppy’s adult teeth come through. It’s easier to get younger dogs used to it. You can start sooner by getting them used to having their mouth handled and seeing a toothbrush.
Socialisation is how puppies learn about the world during their first year. It means meeting people (including children) and other dogs and getting used to the places and situations they’ll meet throughout their life. A well socialised puppy is more likely to grow into a happy, confident dog. Poorly socialised puppies can be more anxious and fearful and are more likely to develop behaviour problems later.
Puppy classes are a great way to socialise and to learn skills such as walking on a lead, recall and basic commands.
Very young puppies tend to approach new things without fear, but by 12 weeks they start to become more cautious, so introduce new experiences early. Remember your puppy isn’t protected until a week after their second vaccination, so avoid unvaccinated dogs and places they may have been. You can still take your puppy out if you carry them. Introduce everyday household noises like the television, hoover and washing machine, and get your puppy used to being handled. Don’t overwhelm them, but try to carry on as normal. Children are bound to be excited, so encourage them to be calm when handling the puppy and to let the puppy move away if they’re worried.
Things to include in socialisation:
Some puppies are naturally shy and anxious, so watch for signs they’re unhappy. Be patient and give them time to get used to new situations. Avoid bad experiences, as these are likely to make them anxious. Pheromone collars can help your puppy feel more confident and secure as they settle in. Please ask if you’re interested.
Pet insurance can cover the cost of treatment if your dog has an accident or becomes unwell. We recommend insuring your puppy as soon as possible.
Ready for your puppy’s first vaccination? Book online, call us on 01723 513119 or message us on WhatsApp (we check it during opening hours). You can spread the cost of vaccinations, flea and worm treatment with our Pet Health Plan.
