HELPFUL TIPS
WELCOME TO COLLEGE PET CLINIC!
WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MY BRAND NEW FRIEND FEEL MORE AT HOME?
- Before your leave to pick up your new friend make sure to have their space set up, pick a place (like a laundry room or a kennel) and set up their new bed and toys ahead of time.
- As exciting as it is when your new friend comes home make sure you give them a little bit of time to themselves too, let them explore (with some supervision at a distance). The peace and quiet does wonders for helping calming anxiety levels when they first come home, and it gives you a chance to observe your new friend and learn how they tick.
- Make sure they have easy access to their new: food, water dishes, and places to go to the bathroom outside. Expect that there may be a few accidents as your new friend needs to get a lay of the land and adjusted to your schedule.
- Make sure to make an appointment with your vet, so you can make sure that your new friend has a clean bill of health, and you both can start off on the right feet.
WHAT CAN I DO TO GET MY PET AT HOME TO ACCEPT A NEW PET IN THE HOUSE?
If you are an older sibling, think back to when your parents told you that you were getting a new little brother or sister. There is a good chance that you didn't like the idea of sharing mom and dad, your pet may feel the exact same way. Here are some tips to make the experience all the more easier.
- Make sure you let the adoption agency know that you have another pet at home. They have a good idea of how a lot of the pets in their care will react and which pets are "one pet households" only.
- Take your pet to meet his new sibling and see how they act in neutral territory ( at the adoption center prior to adoption). Tail wagging and playing is a good sign.
- At home: your new pet needs a small place (with a door) to hang out and call their own, while their older brother or sister need to adjust to the idea that they have a sibling there. Let them smell each other under the door, and make sure to not ignore the older sibling.
Let them play with each other, but only under supervision during the first few weeks, they are still getting used to each other. And they need someone there to go to when everything gets to be too much.
ANY TIPS OR HINTS TO HELP MY PET NOT HAVE ACCIDENTS IN THE HOUSE ANYMORE?
- The best thing you can do is stick to a scheduled feeding and wait 20 minutes to take them outside, or to the litter box.
- Playing is exciting and can make you forget a lot of things, like going to the bathroom. Make sure you let your friend relieve themselves before they forget.
- Sleeping is a wonderful thing, make sure your new friend goes to the bathroom right before going to bed, and right after they wake up in the morning.
- If after all of this your new pet is still having accidents, there may be an underlying medical condition. So, make sure you schedule an appointment with your veterinarian, so your new friend can get the help they need.
DOG: GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Puppy’s first visit:
We all worry about this, but this is something that needs to get done. We recommend seeing our board certified veterinarian and getting you and your new friend off on the right foot.
Teething
Another question we always get is, “Why is my new puppy chewing on everything including me?” The short and simple answer is pain, adult teeth are growing in and baby teeth are falling out, a lot of different things are going on at once. Give your new friend a little time, and it will be over soon, just have patience.
Spaying and Neutering
We recommend Spaying or Neutering your new pet at 4-6 months old.
Flea treatment
We recommend reading the packaging, there are a lot of different medications out there, and each one of them have different minimal age requirements.
Adult Dog visit
We recommend a yearly wellness visit, even if nothing appears to be wrong, it gives us a good baseline to work from in case something does go wrong.
Blood work
The best thing you can do for your pet is to begin getting blood work done before anything goes wrong. This gives you and your doctor the best chance to hedge off easily preventable diseases at the pass.
Dieting
Now metabolism changes over time as a pet (an you) get older it is possible to gain an errant pound or two. These extra pounds can cause increased stress on joints and problems in the lower back, hips and knees.
Dental
Adult teeth need caring for, we know its hard, but brush their teeth and the both of you will be all the happier for it.
Senior Dog visit
We recommend a wellness visit every 6 months, as your pet ages a lot of different things can change. We recommend talking to our board certified veterinarian to get you and your friend comfortably into their golden years.
Bloodwork
As your pet reaches its senior years, blood work becomes even more important to complete every 6 months to a year (as recommended by your vet). This gives your bet more of a chance to help your friend live their remaining years comfortably.
CAT: GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Kitten’s first visit:
Everyone worries about their new kitten’s first experience, we recommend seeing our board certified veterinarian, so, you and your new friend can get off on the right foot.
Litter box training:
As a kitten ( approximately 3-4 weeks old) they learn how to use a little box via their mother. SO, by the time you get your new kitten there shouldn’t be too much more to pick up on. If you are having some issues try these tips first: 1) always have a 2 litter box per cat ratio, 2) keep them in relatively quiet easy to reach places, 3) make sure to keep them clean ( no one likes a dirty bathroom).
Spaying and Neutering
We recommend appearing or neutering your new friend at 4-6 months old, no one likes tom cat smell.
Flea treatment
We recommend reading the packaging, there are a lot of different medications out there. And they all have a variety of different minimal age requirements.
Adult wellness visits
We recommend yearly wellness exams, even is nothing appears to be wrong, cats are notorious for their ability to hide very serious diseases until its too late.
Blood work
The best thing you can do for your furry friend is to get blood work done before anything goes wrong. Felines in this age group are more likely to show early to moderate signs of renal disease, and other debilitating issues. Talk to our staff today to set an appointment.
Dental
Even though no one likes to admit it, there is nothing like a pearly white smile, even for your furry friend. Adult teeth need caring for, brush your pets teeth daily and you both will be happier for it.
Dieting
We know its hard to resist those sweet little eyes, and the cute button nose, and what’s an extra treat or two going to do anyways? The answer is a lot, talk to our staff today about how you can help your furry friend shave off those extra pounds.
Senior wellness visits
We recommend wellness exams every 6 months, as your pet ages a lot of different things can change. Talk to our board certified veterinarian so we can get you and your furry friend comfortably into their golden years.
Blood work
As pets get older blood work becomes even more important to complete every 6 months to a year (as recommended by your vet). This gives you and your vet more of a chance to give your friend a chance to live our their remaining years comfortably.