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Choosing a New Pet

An exciting time!

When you decide to get a new pet there are a thousand things to think of when deciding what pet is right for you and your family. Where you live, your work commitments, the age of your children - all just a few of the important factors you will no doubt be considering. One thing that we can never know is the future health of our new pets, but we can arm ourselves with the knowledge of what we could be potentially getting in to. Did you know for instance that West Highland Terriers make wonderful family pets, but are prone to lifelong skin problems? Or that Degu's need a zero sugar diet?

Some of the conditions that our companions may suffer from are genetic and therefore passed down in their genes. It is a good idea to research the breeder and see the parents of  the pet you are considering before selecting an individual pet as this gives you a good idea of the genetic make up of the individual you end up getting.  Welfare problems in companion animals is a very serious and topical issue and as responsible pet owners we should all do our best to know as much as we can about possible problems before they happen.

A very useful website has been developed by the Universities Federation For Animal Welfare (UFAW) and can give you guidance for many breeds of dog, cat and small animals, to help you make an informed decision.

We hope that this information helps, if you would like any more guidance in choosing a new pet then any member of the team will be happy to help you. Between us, we have more than 30 pets including skunks, parrots, cats, dogs and Rodents so we are well equipped to share our experiences with you.
 

Useful Links:

The Kennel Club website has tons of information that will help you when it comes to looking for a new dog.

The Dogs Trust website, outlines the latest guidelines of how to avoid buying from puppy farmers, provided by the dogs trust.

The Cats Protection League is a great website for all kinds of information on cats.

If you are looking for advice on keeping exotic species, please contact us for advice. Specialist advice can be found on line from exotic pet vets and a number of informative forums. The R.S.P.C.A is a great place to get started with all the basics.

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