By Crossroads Vets

It’s the start of the New Year and the perfect time to organise your pet’s annual ‘M.O.T.’

You might be thinking ‘I wouldn’t go to my doctor if I wasn’t ill, so why should I take my pet to the vet?’ – Good question.  Well, pets are a little different to us, in that they can’t say when something hurts or tell us when they are just feeling a bit ‘under the weather’. They are also experts at hiding signs of pain, discomfort and disease. Particularly cats and smaller prey species, like rabbits. Therefore, a routine check-up is a great way to ensure your pet is in optimum health and can allow your vet to detect signs of problems that are on the horizon, possibly sparing you the trauma of an emergency visit later on. It is also a great time to ensure that your pet’s preventative health plan is up to date, including vaccines and anti-parasite treatment.

Vaccinations help protect your pet from potentially fatal diseases. Kittens & puppies require a ‘primary course’ when they are young which involves multiple injections at specific timings to prime their immune system. Puppies are routinely vaccinated against: distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis and canine hepatitis. Kittens are routinely vaccinated against: cat flu, feline enteritis and feline leukaemia virus.

Following the primary course your pet will require annual ‘booster’ vaccines to keep their immunity at a safe level. Without boosters their immunity will wane and they are at risk of contracting diseases. Your vet always checks your pet’s records to see what has been given over the last few years.

Familiarising your pet with visits to the vet is important. Coming to the vets need not always be about illness. It can be a fun and social event!

FREE nurse clinics are a great way to get your pet used to coming in, without associating every trip with   needles and procedures.

These ‘socialisation visits’ are essential for puppies and kittens, so they grow up to be confident and relaxed, but animals of all ages can benefit from visiting regularly!  It is also a nice opportunity for both you and your pet to get to know the practice team better!

Leaving your pet at the vets can be a really stressful experience, so wouldn’t it be nicer if you got to know the staff and who will be looking after your pet beforehand? From our perspective it is lovely to get to know owners and their pets better, and we welcome the opportunity for you to come in and get to know us too.