5 Goals of Pet Parenting
1. Vaccinations
What am I vaccinating my pet for?
Dogs: C5 Vaccination - Canine Cough (Parainfluenza & Bordatella), Parvovirus, Hepatitis, Distemper
Cats: F3 Vaccination - Herpesvirus, Calicivirus (cat flu), Feline Enteritis
For outside cats it is recommended to also vaccinate against Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
Why am I vaccinating my pet:
It is recommended to vaccinate your pet to help protect them from many highly contagious and infectious diseases. These diseases cause serious illness or even death. Factors such as contact with other animals, indoors versus outdoors, and time spent travelling or boarding all affect your pet’s risk of exposure to disease.
How often do I need to vaccinate my pet?
Puppies and Kittens need 3 initial vaccinations, 2 - 4 weeks apart, starting at 6 - 8 weeks of age. An annual booster vaccination is then required, this vaccination also includes a full health check to ensure your pet is fit and healthy for their vaccination.
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2. Preventatives
What parasites do I need to prevent?
Both dogs and cats need to be given preventatives to protect their pet for fleas, ticks, heartworm, and intestinal worms such as roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm and whipworm.
Why do I need to give my pet preventatives?
Having your pet on year round preventatives is important to prevent them from serious illness and even death. It also maintains good health inside and out. There are a wide range of different products out there for dogs and cats.
How often do I need to give my pet preventatives?
Every preventative product for cats and dogs is different with what it covers and how often it needs to be given. So how can you decide what preventative option is the best for you and your pet? Speak to your local vet team about what product will be right for you.
Monthly products like Nexgard Spectra (dogs), and Bravecto Plus (cats) cover most parasites, and it is very important to strictly treat on the one month schedule.
If giving your pet something monthly is difficult to remember, then giving your pet preventatives that only need to be done yearly and quarterly may be the best option. Products such as heartworm injection yearly (with annual vaccination) allows you to give your pet a flea/tick tablet and an intestinal worming tablet every quarter (3 months).
3. Insurance
Why should I get pet insurance for my pet?
There is never a way to anticipate what will happen in the future, and owning a pet comes with many uncertainties. We love our pets, and pet insurance is one tool that enables us to care for them without financial burden. Pet insurance is a way to have peace of mind at all times knowing that no matter what happens in the future your pet’s veterinary care won’t be determined on money but instead what is best for your pet.
What does pet insurance cover?
There are many different types of pet insurance policies, all covering a wide range of things. Most pet insurance companies will offer a few different insurance options to choose from, such as accidental injury & illness, and ultimate comprehensive cover, also including extras such as routine care, alternative therapies and dentistry.
What insurance company should I choose?
Choosing an insurance company can be hard as there are so many different companies to choose from. When figuring out what company will be best for you and your pet, there are a couple of questions you may want to think about - What do you want covered? Do you want to pay an excess every time you claim? What percentage of your claim do you want back? These are just a few questions to help you decide. There are also multiple compare pet insurance websites available to help such as, Compare the Market, Choosi, and Finder.
4.Quality Pet Food
What is a good quality pet food?
Just like humans, pets have nutritional requirements that need to be met. Good nutrition is essential when it comes to keeping your pet fit and healthy. Investing in a complete and balanced, age-specific, premium pet food will help to maintain a strong immune system, support growth, and prevent issues around skin, coat, and teeth.
How do I know what food is good quality?
A good quality pet food will include a protein source (beef, pork, lamb, chicken, fish etc.), grains, fruits and vegetables (these are not fillers, they are a valuable source of essential vitamins, minerals and fibre). A good quality pet food will meet the nutritional needs of your pet. During different stages of your pets life (adolescence, adult, senior) a different food with specific nutrition is required. Young pets such as puppies and kittens will require different nutrition to adult pets and different again to senior pets. Smaller pets will require different nutrition to larger breed pets.
Why do we recommend feeding premium brands such as Hills Science Diet and Royal Canin?
Premium brands have a high standard of testing to make sure they meet the correct requirements to be whole and balanced, and have correct feeding amounts listed for your pet. Hills and Royal Canin also use a fixed formula, which means that unlike supermarket brand pet food which change ingredients per batch, they use the same ingredients at the same amounts in every bag. This makes it easier for your pet to digest and means less chance of an upset tummy. Premium brands are also energy dense, which means your pet can eat a smaller meal while still receiving all their required nutrients. More easily digestible ingredients also means a smaller amount of poo to pick up! By feeding high quality ingredients, these premium diets promote healthy pets.
5. Desexing
What is desexing my pet?
Desexing your pet is what we call a routine surgery, the procedure involves removing the reproductive organs from the pet under a general anaesthetic.
In male pets: this procedure is called castration, it is where both testicles are removed. This procedure prevents testicular cancer, reduces the pet's chances of getting prostate problems, and prevents unwanted roaming and pregnancies.
In females pets: this procedure is called speying, it is where the uterus and both ovaries are removed. This procedure avoids life-threating medical conditions such as pyometra, reduces the changes of mammary tumours, prevents seasons/heats, and prevents unwanted pregnancies.
For more information on desexing and your pet, check out our 'Desexing' Page.
