Congratulations, you have a new puppy or kitten and you are so excited… and confused. The breeder told you one thing, the vet told you something else and when you googled what your new furry friend needs you are now left completely not knowing what’s best.
Of course, you want to give your new best friend the BEST start.
But where to start??
It can be very confusing becoming a new puppy or kitten owner as there are so many things to consider. I have summarised the most important things you need to consider, giving you a step-by-step guide that informs you so you can make the best choices to give your puppy or kitten the things they need to thrive.
1. Feed a species-appropriate and balanced diet.
Surprise… dogs and cats can’t cook. If you start them off on a raw diet they will be 10 steps ahead of the rest. Gut health is EVERYTHING. For more info on why to feed a raw diet check out my post here;
a. Support their gut health.
They may need some help transitioning on to raw food if they are currently on kibble. Fast them with bone broth for 12 hours (one meal of bone broth instead of other food – see my article on bone broth for more info) then onto a transition food such as Frontier which is a freeze-dried food (rather than being cooked at high temps like most kibble). Use the code; DRNAT10 for a discount (when you purchase $50 or more with your first purchase)
Ziwi Peak is another good option. This is air-dried, good for transitioning and also makes great treats. There are a few other air dried brands becoming available now such as eureka.
Alternatively a diet cooked at low temperatures – aka not highly processed – such as Lyka is also a good option (use my discount code DRNATS20 at the check out for 20% off your first order).
These foods can be used on going if raw doesn’t suit you or your pet. It’s nice to have a shelf stable back up or something more convenient when going on holidays.
b. Add in a probiotic during this whole process. My Restore digestion tonic is perfect for supporting diet change.
c. If there are any signs that your pet may struggle or is struggling with the transition add in slippery elm; 1tsp twice daily per 10kg. (Please note slippery elm is an endangered species so it is important to purchase from a sustainable source. )
d. Dr Nat’s Nourish pet tea is also super helpful for supporting and healing the gut during any dietary change or upset.
e. After a week or 2 you can introduce raw food.
f. Then after another week or 2 start feeding BONES! (as long as they can finish the bone in less than 20mins it’s safe). See my article on how to feed bones safely here.
See my article; how to change your dog over to a raw diet for more information.
2. Gastrointestinal worms;
Worm them; at least twice. Puppies and kittens tend to be pretty wormy. After a few treatments, you can then consider going natural if that’s what you prefer. Make sure you still do a stool test every 6 months if you are using herbal/natural prevention. Dr Nat’s Defend Immunity Tonic has been created to improve immune defence and make pets a less desirable host for these blood suckers.
3. Heartworm
Cover them for heartworm from 6 months old. This is more of a concern in north QLD Australia. Heartworm infection is fairly rare here on the Sunshine Coast and further south (especially in cats). You can choose to do natural prevention BUT make sure you do a heartworm test every 6 months just in case. This is a blood test.
4. Paralysis ticks
Ticks are the scariest thing in our local area on the Sunshine Coast. It is extremely important to cover for paralysis ticks in tick season (August – end of winter until the beginning of summer in the South East QLD region of Australia, however, this varies depending on where you live). After this assess the risk in your area. In high-tick areas, I recommend chemical tick prevention year-round. However, this may not be appropriate or necessary for you and your animal and there are some natural options around. Nothing beats daily tick searches. Dr Nat’s Shield Skin and Coat spray has had some great reviews for helping prevent these nasty crawly critters. It needs to be used before going out side on bushy adventures and repeated every 4 hours.
5. Fleas
Fleas are less of a concern. Pretty much anything that prevents ticks is going to prevent fleas. However when you get a flea infestation it can be very challenging to deal with. So firstly if you see a flea deal with it immediately. Preventing fleas is much easier than dealing with an infestation. The best natural preventions are a healthy raw balanced diet, vacuuming daily (if pets are indoors), washing bedding regularly and making sure their immune systems are super robust (eg: Dr Nat’s Immunity Tonic). Diatomaceous earth is a very effective parasite prevention and can be sprinkled on pets bedding and coats and even a little added to their food… HOWEVER it is also DANGEROUS if breathed in (similar to asbestos). So be very careful using it and consider wearing a face mask. Dr Nat’s Shield Skin and Coat spray is another helpful natural deterrent for these blood suckers.
6. Vaccines
At a minimum, you must give them their 12-week C3 (puppies) or F3 (kittens) injection.
Then you can choose to titer test after this at 16wks for both puppies and kittens.
For dogs continue to titer test at 1yr & 3 months then every 3 years after this. Or if you prefer you could vaccinate with a C3 at these times. I’m not so worried about kennel cough as generally, it’s not life-threatening and very treatable with herbal medicine. But dogs will still need a kennel cough vaccine yearly if they are going to stay in a kennel.
For Cats assess the risk and vaccinate with an F3 at 1yr & 3 months then every 3 years after this if necessary. An indoor cat may not require vaccinating. However, for Cats that are out and about and could get themselves into a scuffle, you also need to consider vaccinating for FIV (feline aids).
See my article here for more information on vaccines.
7. Behaviour
Puppies need to go to puppy school for socialisation. Puppies must be well socialised before 17 weeks old. Then after this, if there are any behaviour issues see a behaviourist. Two we recommend include Ultimatek9 on the Sunshine Coast and Jenny Golsby from the Complete Pet Company in Brisbane.
8. Skin and Coat health
Don’t bathe them too much! No more regularly than every 2 weeks. Only use a very gentle natural shampoo AND conditioner. A conditioner is important to put the oils back into the coat. Even better just rinse with water then condition them with Dr Nat’s leave on Shield skin and coat spray. This is especially good after a swim at the beach which can dry their skin and coat out.
9. Walking Equipment
Once they have learnt to walk on a lead get a well-fitting harness that allows natural movement so they grow and develop properly without any restrictions. One of the best harnesses around is the haqihana harness. This link also explains in depth why these harnesses are so good for comfort and movement.
10. Neutering
The latest recommendation for dogs is to wait until they are 1 – 2 years old for desexing due to the health benefits of hormones with growth (although it is still 6 months for cats). However, a female on heat can be quite the challenge and you don’t want your male dog getting out and knocking up the neighbour’s bitch! So make sure you can keep them well secured. Also, for those not sure if they want to desex at all… the one thing to keep in mind is a desexed animal is a better companion. They are more relaxed. They don’t get to perform their natural instincts and when not desexed some individuals are on edge and really hormonally driven. I think it’s kinder to neuter a dog than to tease them and frustrate them by keeping them entire. In saying that there are still other options you can consider such as chemical castration or a vasectomy (similar to what’s done for human men). In bitches you can do ovary-sparing spays. See my article here for more information.
Cats are a little different. There is no current evidence supporting delaying desexing in female cats and a lot of reasons to desex before their first heat including reducing their risk of mammary cancer by 91%. Thus I recommend that female cats are desexed from 5 – 6 months old.
Studies show that male cats benefit from their hormones allowing their genitals to mature until 7 months old (as opposed to 7 weeks old). Thus I recommend desexing male cats at around 7 – 9 months old ( as long as they are not allowed to roam before this time).
11. Vet Check and Insurance
Get your new adorable fur ball checked by a vet. For many reasons; they may have something wrong that you’re unaware of. I commonly find hernias, retained testicles, base narrow canines, luxating patellas and other joint issues, entropion… the list goes on and it’s best to know about these early and take the necessary steps to deal with them.
Then also you can sign up for a month of FREE insurance with Pet Plan within 24hrs of that vet check. Pet Plan is probably the best insurance but also the most expensive. This allows you to compare and consider insurance and how you want to choose to manage things when things go wrong. You will just receive an email at the end of the free month asking if you want to continue. I once had a pup break his leg during this free month of insurance and it was completely covered. This is worth taking advantage of.
That pretty much sums up EVERYTHING you need to know when you get your new pup or kitty.
Your welcome!
Enjoy.
Dr. Nat’s Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. Please consult the advice of your veterinarian for specific questions about your pet. Consult’s are available with Dr. Nat here.
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