Dog care

Vaccinations are one of the most important things you can do for your dog.

Puppies can join ‘puppy preschool’ after their first vaccination at 6-8 weeks of age.
Puppies are free to socialize in public a week after their third vaccination.

Once the puppy course is completed, the first adult vaccination will be due at 18 months of age.

A reminder will be sent prior to your pets vaccination due date.

Annual Dog Vaccination

Canine Cough ( Parainfluenza & Bordatella)

Triennial Dog Vaccination

C3 Vaccine (Distemper, Hepatitis & Parvovirus)

Titre testing for vaccine immune response.

New research has revealed that many dogs are developing an immunity from the 16 week C3 vaccine that is lasting much longer than 3 years.

A blood test can be taken from your dog to determine if a three yearly vaccine is necessary or if your dog’s immunity levels are high enough to last another 3 years.

We recommend starting Titre testing at 6 months of age to check if your dog has responded to the course of puppy vaccinations, (a small percentage won’t), and then test every three years.

Your dog will still need the Canine Cough vaccination yearly as, like the our flu vaccinations, the immunity will only last for 12 months.

Heartworm Prevention

Monthly treatments can be started from 8 weeks of age or annual heartworm injections from 6 months of age.

Intestinal worms

Puppies should be wormed every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old, then monthly until 6 months of age and then every 3 months for life.

It is recommended to treat all pets in the household at the same time.

Flea Control

Monthly flea control should be started from 8 weeks of age. These products are best used as an ongoing programme.

After a few months of using these monthly flea products, you will notice there are no longer any fleas on your dog as the rest of their environment will also be cleared of fleas.

For these products to be effective all animals in the household need to be treated.

Veterinary care is a lot more advanced these days with the use of specialized equipment for diagnostic tests and treatment on par with human medicine. As such the costs for operations and general care are climbing.
For peace of mind we highly recommend that you take out pet insurance.

Pets can unexpectedly become sick or injured. By having pet insurance, you can take the financial aspect out of the equation and base your costly medical decisions purely on what is best for your pet.

Puppy school is fun for the puppies and their owners and it is essential for the social development of your puppy.

Puppies can start puppy school after their 8 week vaccination.

The school consists of 5 weekly classes lasting 1 hour. At the end of the course your puppy should be able to come, sit, drop and stay.

In Western Australia it is compulsory for all dogs to be microchipped for the purpose of identification and registration.

Microchipping is a safe and simple procedure where your pet’s permanent identification in the form of a tiny chip is implanted under the skin via an injection.

Registration details are kept with the Central Animal Records and can be updated if there is any change in owner details. So if your pet is lost, you will find it again.

All dogs are required to be registered with the local council

We recommend that all dogs that are not intended for breeding be de-sexed.

De-sexing in females will prevent unwanted pregnancies, mammary cancers and pyometras (a life-threatening uterine infection). Sterilization in males helps reduce unsociable behavior as well as preventing several testosterone related cancers.

New research has shown that if dogs are sterilized too early, then they may be more prone to certain joint disorders and some cancers.

For this reason we recommend that small breeds should be de-sexed at around 6 months of age, medium size breeds at 7-10 months of age, large breeds at 12 – 14 months of age and giant breeds at 18 months of age.
Feel free to speak to one of our staff if you are unsure as to what age is best for your particular breed of dog.

One of our vets will also examine your female puppy’s vulva area at the time of her 3rd puppy vaccination and may recommend that she has a season first before sterilization if she has an inverted vulva.

Admission to hospital for surgery link.

A balanced diet is extremely important during your puppy’s growth period to ensure proper health, development and growth.

Feeding specific formulated puppy food is the best way to ensue healthy growth.

Puppies should be fed four small meals a day up until 12 weeks of age, then three small meals a day until 6 months old. Feed 2 meals a day from 6 months of age until fully grown, then either stay with two smaller meals or one meal a day.

Certain breeds may require specific feeding regimes, which our staff can advise you.
The staff at the Halls Head Small Animal Clinic can discuss with you the best diet for your puppy.

Milk is unnecessary and can cause diarrhea in some pups.

Clean water must be available at all times.

Raw bones can be added to the diet once their permanent teeth are fully developed. Never feed cooked bones to your dog as they can splinter and cause internal damage.