New Pets:

Getting a new pet can be a wonderful experience, but it can also be overwhelming. We've put together some information that will hopefully answer many questions you may have, give you an idea about what to expect and introduce some of our recent puppy school graduates!

Desexing:

We strongly recommend desexing all animals, generally at around 4-5 months for both dogs and cats. Desexing is a routine surgical procedure performed at the Belmont Vet Centre. By spaying or castrating your pet before they reach sexual maturity, they have a reduced risk of many medical problems later in life, have reduced risks of behavioural problems, avoid the risk of undesired pregnancies and the procedure itself is simpler, quicker and safer for your pet.

Puppy Preschool:

We run a Puppy Preschool program here each tuesday night under the guidance of on of our nurses, Aimee Begg. Check here for more information.

Microchips:

Cats jump over fences. Dogs dig under fences. But they always want to get back to you. You can help them find their way home by giving them a microchip. They are small implants, about the size of a grain of rice, that have a unique identifier when scanned at vet clinics or shelters. This identifier is linked in a database to information you supply, so when your pet goes walkies, we can find you for them.

Parasite and disease control:

All pets need a regular parasite and disease control program. During our new pet consults with you, we will discuss your pets individual requirements for vaccination, worming control, heartworm prevention and other issues as appropriate. Vaccination is one of the big ways you can safeguard your pets health, and we are committed to staying up with all advances in vaccines. Depending on your pets lifestyle, there may be additional vaccines, treatments or preventatives that are needed.

Pet Insurance: 

While everyone always hopes that pets will stay healthy, accidents happen and things go wrong.

For these reasons, we strongly recommend that pets have health insurance just like humans. There are a number of different providers, and it may be worth checking if your current human health insurer or house and contents provider have the option of pet coverage as well. Depending on your level of cover, there may also be coverage of preventative medicine such as vaccinations, blood tests or routine dental procedures, to help you get maximum value for your pets. The best way to find the best policy to suit your needs is to "shop around" - taking in to account the age and health of your beloved pet.