New Year, new pet?
According to the Dubai-based veterinary hospital, British Veterinary Hospital, January has the highest number of new pet registrations. They also said that 2018 started off with a particularly large number of new pets coming in.
Registering your pet is mandatory. However, this involves processes that are great for your new friend. Medical check-ups, vaccines and micro-chip embeds protect you and your pet against diseases, unnoticed complications as well as loss or theft.
Dr. Sara Elliott, director at British Veterinary Hospital, tells us what to do if you get a pet in Dubai:
1. Organise your pet’s first veterinary visit as soon as possible. With a new puppy or kitten, the hospital will perform an initial physical exam to look for any signs of illness or disorder, along with a variety of other tests to ensure your new pet starts off on the right ‘paw’.
2. Register your pet with Dubai Municipality. If your new pet goes missing, the Municipality's veterinary section has a central database which will enable your pet to be returned to you via your pet’s microchip. Pet registration is in fact mandatory and required to be updated annually.
3. Annual vaccinations for Dhppi/L and Rabies for dogs, Flu/Enteritis and Rabies for cats are important vaccinations for your new pets, these too are annual and compulsory.
4. Wellness plans offered by some hospitals are a cost-effective way to reduce large vet bills and are structured to cover routine care expenses.
Regular vet check-ups and diagnostic tests can detect health problems early before they become life-threatening for animals.
British Veterinary Hospital provides a special package for new pets, and it includes: health check examination, Municipality registration, micro-chipping, initial vaccinations including kennel cough, leukaemia, ehrlichia and FIV/FeLV tests (tests for viruses) along with other services.
