PREPARATION

Visiting the vet can be a stressful experience for your puppy or dog.  Here are a few tips on how best to prepare for this:

1. Practice an examination at home (regularly)

Your vet may examine your puppy/dog in ways and places it is not accustomed to, such as the mouth/teeth, nose, ears, eyes and its behind.  If you regularly examine these areas during playful/bonding time with your dog, it will be more comfortable and less stressed when your vet performs similar examinations.  If you need to have your dog vaccinated against kennel cough, a good way of practicing for this is to hold a damp cotton pad at its nostril several times on the run up to visiting your vet.

2. Familiarise your puppy/dog with your vet and the environment

Early on in your puppy’s life it is a good idea to visit your vet sporadically just to familiarise your puppy/dog with the surroundings and your vet.  Bring some of your puppy/dog’s favourite treats for the vet to give it – this will create a relationship of trust for when you actually need to bring your puppy/dog to the vet for health reasons later on.

3. Drain pent-up energy (only for fully vaccinated pups!)

Pent-up energy may be troublesome for you in the waiting area/consultation room so ensure to bring your dog for a brisk 30 – 45 minute walk (depending on its fitness level), before you enter the veterinary practice.  This will ensure that the puppy/dog is in a relaxed state before its consultation.

EMERGENCY VETERINARIAN SERVICES

Under Irish law, a vet is obliged to provide his/her clients with emergency care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Please make sure that you only contact your vet outside surgery hours if it is an emergency.  Remember, as with visiting your G.P. it is usually necessary for a medical professional to see a patient in person in order to diagnose a problem.  So whenever possible,  if you are concerned about your dog's health, bring the dog or puppy to your vet during surgery hours.

NEW PUPPY'S FIRST VISIT (before you bring your puppy home!)

The first thing you should do before bringing your new puppy home for the first time is visit your vet.  This will confirm that your puppy is in good health and also help to identify any health issues immediately.  Be sure to carry your puppy in to the practice – do not let it walk on the pavement under any circumstances before being fully vaccinated!

Unfortunately there are a significant number of puppy farms in Ireland, where dogs have been severely in-bred and mistreated and sometimes even abused.  If you inadvertently purchase your puppy from one of these farms it is important to identify any health issues immediately. 

Also, there will be a strong possibility that the puppy is not socialised, therefore it is vital that you get professional help to avoid behavioural problems (which are almost guaranteed in this case) from a qualified professional.

Luckily, most breeders are very caring and responsible and should provide you with records of previous vaccinations or medical interventions the puppy has had.  Bring these along to your vet.

WORM DOSES

Remember to get a worm dose for your puppy from the vet at the same time as getting vaccinated.  Generally good quality worm doses are prescription only and should be purchased directly from your vet on a regular basis.  It is preferable to avoid purchasing low quality (ineffective) worm doses from large scale supermarkets.

Back to Vet Advice...