Care information for dogs
Care advice
Whether you’ve had your dog since it was a puppy, or just re-homed it from a rescue centre, they will need regular check-ups with us to keep them in optimal health. We advise that all dogs have annual vaccinations, and each year we will talk to you and make an individual decision to tailor any vaccinations to your dog’s specific needs.
We advise that all adult dogs are fed a complete balanced dry food (such as Hills Science Plan), appropriate to their lifestage and health status. We know there is a bewildering array of commercial diets available nowadays, but our qualified and experienced veterinary nurses are always more than happy to discuss your pet’s requirements with you if you need a little more information.
One of the most important pieces of advice we can give to anybody with one or more pets, is to take out pet insurance. This provides peace of mind that in the unfortunate event of an accident or illness, the costs of any investigations or treatment will be covered by your insurers. Even if your pet needs referral to a specialist for a complex operation, or for critical care, you don’t need to worry about whether you can afford it or not. The fact that the majority of our vets and nurses insure their animals with Pet Plan should give you some idea of how vitally important pet insurance is. We can provide you with four weeks free insurance from Pet Plan to get you started, which gives you immediate cover from the minute you walk out of our door!
We recommend that your dog is regularly treated with a product to prevent fleas – there are lots of different tablets, spot-on preparations, and sprays available, so come in for a chat with us to decide which preparation is most suitable for your dog. Similarly, we advise that adult dogs are wormed at least four times a year (see BSAVA recommendation above) with a safe, effective multi-wormer. We strongly believe that products you can buy in pet-shops are often not as effective, or as good value as the Milbemax range that we sell. (We stock alternatives for dogs that don’t suit Milbemax). If your dog has a penchant for eating slugs and snails, then come in and talk to us about lungworm protection.
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New Puppy
Are you thinking of buying a new puppy? Have you already chosen one from a litter? Are you worrying what to feed, how to toilet train, or when to vaccinate? Whatever stage of the process you’re at, please feel free to call us for some advice. We’ve put below some of the most important information you should know.
When choosing a new puppy, always make sure you see the mum! If she seems unhealthy, or is especially unfriendly, then puppies from that litter may not be the best idea. Please don’t meet somebody in a service station on the motorway and buy the puppy from the boot of their car – that’s how puppy farms stay in business.
BEWARE – is your puppy docked??? It is now illegal to dock the tails of any puppies in England unless the procedure is done by a veterinary surgeon who has seen evidence that the puppy is going to be a working dog, and who will then use appropriate anaesthesia and pain relief. If this is the case, your puppy will have been microchipped, and will have been issued with a ‘Certificate of Docking’.
You can take your puppy home any time from six weeks old – but bring him/her in to visit us for a check-up as soon as you can!
Good quality puppy food gives a really good start in life, correctly balanced for growing bones, teeth, skin, immune systems and everything else. The requirements are also often different depending on size and type of puppy. We believe that the higher quality ‘Premium’ foods such as Hills Science Plan really are better for them, and we advise feeding purely dry biscuits, with fresh water available.
Your puppy needs worming with a good-quality (ideally fenbendazole) wormer, every two weeks until they are three months old, then every month until they are six months old. Thereafter they should be wormed at least every three months (British Small Animal Veterinary Association recommendation). They should also be treated with a product to prevent fleas.
We usually vaccinate your puppy at eight and ten weeks of age, and advise you to wait a week after the second vaccination before taking your puppy out for walks, or to play in the parks, fields, etc. In some cases a later third vaccination will also be suggested.
We strongly recommend that you take out pet insurance as soon as you get your new puppy, to protect yourself against unexpected vets bills should any accident or illness occur. We can provide you with four weeks free cover from Pet Plan (conditions apply).
All of this information and lots more is covered in our six-week ‘Puppy Party’ class – find out when our next class is running and sign up when you bring your puppy in for their first check-up
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Practice Plan
Join our Practice Membership Scheme to get substantial discounts!
Spread the payments and reduce the cost of your pet care now!
Our aim is to provide the best possible health care for your pets, in a pleasant and friendly environment. We are committed to keeping abreast of the latest developments in modern veterinary practice and providing high quality treatment. To help pet owners keep their animals fit and healthy, and to spread the cost of routine treatments, we have designed our own practice membership scheme – the Lucas Practice Plan.
See the benefits to you and your dog of our Practice Plan
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Pet bereavement
Pets are part of our families, so losing them can be a terrible shock and a lasting pain. Unlike with human bereavement, this is often not understood by others, making your loss more difficult to cope with. We do recognise the distress that may be experienced, and our trained staff are here to provide support and counselling
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