Giving your new puppy or kitten the best start: our Starter Packs explained
Welcoming a new puppy or kitten into your family is an exciting time. From choosing their name to watching them explore their new homeWelcoming a new puppy or kitten into your family is an exciting time. From choosing their name to watching them explore their new home, there is so much to look forward to. Alongside all those lovely first experiences, there are a few important things to organise to help keep your new arrival happy and healthy.
One of the most important is their first veterinary care, including vaccinations, flea and worming treatment, and microchipping.
At Milton Keynes Veterinary Group, we’re proud to be an independent veterinary practice, caring for pets and their owners across Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas. Our Puppy and Kitten Starter Packs bring together some of the essentials for those important first few months, making it easier to get your new family member off to a healthy start.
Why are vaccinations so important?
Just like people, pets can be vulnerable to infectious diseases, particularly when they are young. Vaccinations help prepare their immune system to recognise and fight specific infections, reducing the risk of serious illness.
Some of the diseases vaccinations protect against are highly contagious and can be life-threatening. Getting your puppy or kitten vaccinated at the recommended time is an important step in protecting their health.
Puppy vaccinations
Puppy vaccinations help protect against several serious diseases, including:
- Parvovirus: a highly contagious virus that can cause severe vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration.
- Distemper: a serious viral disease that can affect the respiratory, digestive and nervous systems.
- Infectious canine hepatitis: a viral disease that can cause damage to the liver and other organs.
- Leptospirosis: a bacterial infection that can cause serious illness, including kidney and liver damage, and can also affect people.
Puppies usually begin their primary vaccination course from around eight weeks of age, although the exact timing depends on the vaccine used and their individual circumstances. The course typically involves more than one vaccination, given a few weeks apart.
Our vets will check your puppy’s vaccination history and advise you on the most appropriate schedule, including when they can safely start enjoying walks and mixing with other dogs. In the meantime, there are still plenty of ways to introduce them to new sights, sounds and experiences safely.
Kitten vaccinations
Kittens also need protection against important infectious diseases. Their vaccinations commonly cover:
- Feline panleucopenia (infectious enteritis): a serious and potentially life-threatening viral disease.
- Feline herpesvirus: a cause of cat flu that can lead to respiratory problems and sore eyes.
- Feline calicivirus: another common cause of cat flu, which can cause mouth ulcers and respiratory symptoms.
Depending on your kitten’s circumstances, our vets may also recommend vaccination against feline leukaemia virus (FeLV).
Kittens usually start their primary vaccination course at around eight to nine weeks of age, followed by a second vaccination a few weeks later. The exact schedule will depend on the vaccine used and your kitten’s individual needs.
Once the initial course is complete, regular booster vaccinations help maintain their protection. Our vets can advise you on the booster vaccinations your kitten needs and how often they should be given.
What else does your new arrival need?
Vaccinations are an important part of early veterinary care, but there are other essentials to consider when welcoming a puppy or kitten.
Flea and worming treatment
Fleas and worms are common parasites that can affect young pets. Regular treatment helps protect your puppy or kitten, with the right product and dose depending on their age, weight and individual circumstances. As young pets grow quickly, their treatment may need reviewing to ensure it remains suitable.
Microchipping
Microchipping provides permanent identification and is an important part of responsible pet ownership. Dogs in the UK must be microchipped in accordance with legal requirements, and compulsory microchipping requirements also apply to cats. Our team can advise you if your new arrival has not yet been microchipped.
Regular weight checks
Puppies and kittens grow quickly, so keeping track of their weight is important. Regular checks help us monitor their development and ensure their flea and worming treatment remains appropriate as they grow.
They are also a great opportunity to ask questions and help your new arrival become familiar with visiting the vets from an early age.
Our Puppy and Kitten Starter Packs
We’ve brought together some of these important first steps in our Starter Packs, helping make your new pet’s early veterinary care straightforward.
🐶 Puppy Starter Pack — £80
Our Puppy Starter Pack includes:
- Full puppy vaccination course
- Flea and worming treatment
- Microchipping
- Four weeks’ free insurance, available on request
Your puppy can also join our monthly puppy weight checks with our veterinary nurses.
These visits help us monitor their growth, check that their flea and worming treatment remains suitable as they get bigger, and give you the chance to ask questions along the way.
🐱 Kitten Starter Pack — £90
Our Kitten Starter Pack includes:
- Full kitten vaccination course
- Flea and worming treatment
- Microchipping
- Four weeks’ free insurance, available on request
Your kitten can also join our monthly kitten weight checks with our veterinary nurses, helping us monitor their development and ensure their parasite treatment remains appropriate as they grow.
These regular visits are a great opportunity for your kitten to become familiar with our team and their surroundings, helping them build positive associations with visiting the vets.
With the essentials brought together in one package, our Starter Packs make it easier to plan your new arrival’s early veterinary care.
Please contact us for further details about the packs and insurance arrangements.
Why choose Milton Keynes Veterinary Group?
Milton Keynes Veterinary Group is an independent veterinary practice with a team of vets, registered veterinary nurses and support staff caring for pets across Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas.
With multiple sites, we offer a range of veterinary services to support pets throughout their lives, from their first vaccinations and routine health checks to ongoing preventative care and treatment when they’re unwell.
Our veterinary nurses play an important role in preventative healthcare, including weight checks, parasite control advice and helping owners understand their pet’s changing needs as they grow. As your puppy or kitten gets older, our team can also advise on neutering, dental care, nutrition and ongoing vaccinations.
Being an independent practice means Milton Keynes Veterinary Group is independently owned, with a focus on providing veterinary care for the pets and owners who visit us. Our team combines everyday preventative care with veterinary expertise to help keep your pet healthy at every stage of life.
Whether you’re bringing home your first pet or adding another four-legged member to the family, we’re here to provide the veterinary care they’ll need as they grow.
Ready to give your puppy or kitten the best start?
Getting the essentials organised early can help you feel more confident as you settle into life with your new companion.
Our Puppy and Kitten Starter Packs bring together key elements of their first veterinary care, with the added benefit of monthly weight checks with our veterinary nurses.
Contact Milton Keynes Veterinary Group today to register your new puppy or kitten and find out more about our Starter Packs.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you both!