• Fri 23rd Dec: 8am to 6pm
• Sat 24th Dec: CLOSED
• Sun 25th Dec: CLOSED
• Mon 26th Dec: CLOSED
• Tue 27th Dec: CLOSED
• Wed 28th Dec: 9am to 12pm
• Thu 29th Dec: 9am to 12pm
• Fri 30th Dec: 9am to 12pm
• Sat 31st Dec: CLOSED
• Sun 1st Jan: CLOSED
• Mon 2nd Jan: CLOSED
• Tue 3rd Jan: 8am to 6pm

Christmas & New Year Opening Hours is a post on the Very Important Pets website

This offer needs to be booked and paid for before the 30th November but the sessions can be used in any month.

Our doggie daycare centre in Wimbledon provides a safe, clean environment where your dog or puppy will be looked after by professional, qualified dog carers who will supervise his play and take him for walks.

Contact us by Nov 30th to take advantage of this promotion! Or you can read more about our doggie daycare service.

Doggie Daycare Promotion is a post on the Very Important Pets website

1. Get started early with socialisation – Take your puppy out and about every day from the day you bring him home. Let him experience the world. The earlier he sees smells and hears the world he will be living in the easier he will find life in general. Make sure you carry him if his vaccinations are not complete to protect him from disease. Also encourage people to visit your home to meet and greet with the puppy.
2. Find a good vet – Go and visit your vet early to meet and greet and make sure your puppy has a positive experience. Book in your puppy vaccinations and arrange treatment for fleas and worms. Also ask about neutering at the correct age.
3. You are what you eat – Source a good quality puppy food with a quality source of protein and avoid colorings flavorings and preservatives where you can. A poor diet can be reflected in your puppies’ behavior, coat condition and digestive function.
4. Ease teething – Your puppy needs to chew and he will find his own chew toys if you do not! Provide plenty of appropriate things for puppy to chew on. Include soft toys, raw hide bone and tough rubber toys too. Keep some in a cupboard and rotate the toys so that every few days they change maintaining their appeal.
5. Aid boredom – Put a whole meal inside a kong and feed it, this uses up a portion of the day, with a fun activity and also gives those chewing teeth an outlet and slows down those greedy gulpers aiding digestion.
6. Start training early – Training your puppy can start as soon as possible. Using modern kind methods of training means you can get off to a great start with obedience. Enroll on a good puppy training course to learn new things and see other puppies too.
7. Proof against theft and loss – Get your puppy identichipped. It is by far the best way to locate your puppy if he becomes lost.
8. Get yourself a puppy crate – Crate training is a great way to get quick and reliable results with toilet training. Contrary to many beliefs it’s not cruel to the puppy at all as long as it is used correctly. In fact it provides a safe ‘den’ for your pup to sleep in when he is tired and somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of a busy house. Keep puppy in his crate with something to do when he cannot be supervised and take him out to the toilet immediately after waking, playing or eating and every hour in between. Having a smaller area to rest in encourages bladder control and gives you the chance to catch toileting happening in the right place and reward it!
9. Prevent separation anxiety – Make sure your puppy gets used to being left for short periods of time every day. Dogs that are not used to being left alone can suffer terribly with anxiety. Even if you are at home all day get your puppy used to his own company as you never know what the future holds and life may change.
10. Reward all the good stuff – Always use positive training methods and reward everything that you like to see your puppy doing. Prevent the naughty things from occurring by supervising your puppy at all time when he is out of his crate. If you can stop it, it never happens!

Have you got any others tips you’d like to share with us? If so, let us know in the comments.

Top 10 Tips When Getting a New Puppy is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Rosie is a 6 month old, cream cockapoo. Very sweet natured, lively and loving. Rosie has been with us just under 4 months, and we’re looking for a new home for her as our existing 2 year old cockapoo isn’t too impressed with the new arrival and they’re not managing to settle down too well together. With our 4th baby arriving next month we’ve taken the very tough decision that it’s going to be too difficult trying to persist in making this work.

She is microchipped, fully vaccinated, very healthy and happy and very well socialised with other dogs and young children (my three are 5, 7 and 8). We don’t want any payment for her – we would just love to find her a new loving home.

If you may be able to rehome Rosie please contact Very Important Pets.

Cockapoo Puppy Needs A New Home is a post on the Very Important Pets website

On Friday we will now be open from 8am to 6pm. Previously we closed at 2pm on Fridays.

And on Saturdays we will now be closed all day.

If you have an emergency over the weekend you can get through to an out of hours number and leave a message. If it is something that can’t wait until Monday we will call you back at our earliest convenience.

Please check the contact page to see our opening times in full.

Change of Office Opening Hours is a post on the Very Important Pets website

1. NEVER leave your pet in a parked car alone even in the shade.
2. Always provide fresh cool water to keep them well hydrated and take water with you if you’re on the go.
3. On hot days, make sure they don’t over exercise. Early morning or and evenings are the best time to exercise your pet.
4. Watch for hot pavements; sensitive paws burn easily. Check your pet’s paws after a walk.
5. Swimming in a lake or pond is a great way for your pet to cool off. Just make sure you supervise your dog in the water. (A dog life jacket is a great safety item)
6. Wasps and bees are a problem in the summer months. There is no real way for your pets to avoid being stung but antihistamines can help. To neutralise a bee sting use bicarbonate of soda directly on the sting and for wasp stings use vinegar.
7. Pets can get sunburnt too. So, don’t forget to apply a pet sunscreen to your pet’s nose and ear tips. (Pets with light coloured noses or fur are more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer.
8. Fleas, ticks and other parasites may infect your pet more easily in hot weather. Your vet will be able to advise you on the best product to use to keep them away.
9. Do not over feed your pet in hot weather. Overeating can result in overheating which can be dangerous for your pet.
10. Travelling with your pet can be lots of fun, just make sure you spend time preparing for them as well as your family. If you are leaving them behind make sure you have recommended pet sitting service arranged for them. Ask your local vet for a recommendation or an animal loving friend.

Top 10 Tips to Prevent Pet Heat Exhaustion is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Unlike humans, most animals only sweat through the pads of their feet and by panting which makes it harder for them to cool off. Heat exhaustion occurs when the animal’s body temperature exceeds a safe range; which is generally defined as having a rectal temperature of more than 40.5°C (105°F) and this can quickly be reached on a hot sunny day.

Signs of heat exhaustion:

If your pet is showing any of the following signs, he/she may have or be well on the way to heat stroke:

• Difficulty breathing or excessive panting
• Bright red tongue and gums
• Collapse
• Weakness
• Hot skin
• Twitching muscles

What to do in case of heat exhaustion:

• Remove your pet from the heat immediately
• Lower your pets body temperature by wrapping him in a wet towel, use cool not freezing cold water so that further shock to the system does not occur
• Give him ice cubes to lick
• Give him a fan or air-conditioning to lie in front of
• If the case is severe, your pet will need to be hospitalised in order to receive intravenous fluids and other necessary medication

Preventing heat exhaustion:

• Always provide fresh, cool water to keep him/her well hydrated
• Never leave him / her in a parked car alone. The temperature in cars can quickly reach unbearable levels
• Always ensure that they have access to a cool place
• Do not over exercise them on a very hot day
• If they are spending any length of time outdoors on a hot day, periodically wet them with cool water to keep a level body temperature

Which pets are at greater risk of suffering heat exhaustion?

• Pets under 6 months of age
• Pets over 7 years of age if a large breed or over 14 years old if a small breed
• Overweight pets
• Overexerted pets
• Pets with heart disease, breathing problems or poor circulation
• Pets taking certain types of medications
• All brachycephalic breeds, characterized by being a pet with a short nose and a wide head. (E.g., Pugs, English bulldogs)
• Dehydrated or unwell pets

Looking after Pets in the Heat is a post on the Very Important Pets website

This, as the name suggests, is an area where you can search for our favourite vet in the areas that we cover. Each of the vets listed has a page of information about their practice so if you are looking for a vet this is a great way to select the right veterinary practice for you.

All the vets we have selected are vets that are working to a similar high standard as us and vets that we have met and we trust to look after our client’s pets. The favourite vets section is really easy to use, just pick an area from the drop down box and the map will show you the nearest vets to you. Or you can enter your postcode. Choose the vets you want to view by clicking on ‘Vet Info’ and you will be able to read all about that practice and the services they offer.

We will be adding more vets in different areas over the coming months so if you area isn’t there now it should be soon.

Our Favourite Vets in Your Area is a post on the Very Important Pets website

The doggie daycare centre has just had its1st birthday! Gosh how time flies.

We now have many regular dogs and puppies that visit us weekly and enjoy the centre.

The best thing about the centre is that it is a place where your dog can come and spend the day with other dogs to socialise and play.

We have many very happy doggies that come to us and there owners report back that their dogs are always happy and tired when they leave us.

Doggie Daycare Centre, Wimbledon is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Due to the success of our Wimbledon training school we will now be running classes in the Worcester Park area and one to one dog training in Cheam, Stoneleigh, New Malden, Sutton, Ewell, Epsom and the surrounding areas.

Our puppy training classes run for four weeks and cover three main topics: socialisation (other puppies, children and noises etc.), puppy problems (biting, mouthing, jumping up and house training), and good manners (sit, down, come, stay, stand, lead walking etc.).

Our highly experienced puppy trainers only use up-to-date methods of training – such as reward based training – that are kind and fair to puppies and are proven to work.

Dates to be announced soon!

Please contact us to express your interest.

New Puppy School Opening Soon! Cheam, Worcester Park, Stoneleigh is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Our puppy training classes are great fun for you and your dog and they’ll help you to develop a happy and rewarding relationship with your puppy.

Next puppy training classes start:

• May 17th to 7th June
• June 21st to 12th July
• July 19th to 9th August
• August 16th to 6th September

Please contact us if you’re interested in any of these dates.

New Puppy Socialisation Classes for the Wimbledon Dog School is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Zoe has been working as a dog and puppy trainer for over 9 years. After completing a degree in Biological Sciences and a post graduate diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counseling, she worked as a dog trainer for the assistance dog charity Canine Partners, and from there moved on to be Dog Supply Team Leader at Dogs for the Disabled. Since the end of 2008, she has been working as a freelance dog trainer in and around London, training dogs of all shapes and sizes, ages and breeds.

Zoe is a full member of the APDT (01080) meaning that she abides to their code of ethics and only uses kind, fair and effective training methods. She is also a volunteer for Labrador Rescue South East and Central.

Zoe will be a great addition to the team and we are excited to have her on board.

New Dog Trainer, Zoe Tomlinson is a post on the Very Important Pets website

We have added a client feedback form to our website which you can fill in after using our services. To help us reach our goal, please take a few moments to tell us how we are doing. Your opinion really is very valuable to us.

Client Feedback Form is a post on the Very Important Pets website

Our new website is aimed at being easy to use, informative, professional and friendly. We love our new look and we hope you like it too.

We are always interested in receiving feedback from our clients on our website and the things they like and dislike about it so please do email us if you have any comments.

We will be adding regular pet related articles and blog’s to the website to keep you updated, and all of our previous articles and Tula’s blogs from our newsletters can be found in our blog archive.

If you are already signed up to our newsletter, don’t worry, you still are. And if you haven’t and would like to be kept up to date then please sign up from our home page.

You can also sign up to the blog via email too! You will receive an email whenever we post a new article and you can unsubscribe at any time. You can sign up from this page or any of the pages on our blog.

Our New Website is Here! is a post on the Very Important Pets website

There are several different types of flea, but by far the most common is Ctenocephalides felis, also known as the cat flea. Though it is called the cat flea, it is the species most often found on dogs as well. Unless your pet has a severe infestation, he/she is probably not bothered by the odd flea, unless he/she has a flea allergy. However, since these unpleasant insects also bite humans we are, not surprisingly, somewhat intolerant of them. This article discusses how to tell whether your pet has fleas and, if they do, how to eliminate them from your house.

It is not always obvious when your pet has a flea problem. You may see an adult flea crawling around on your pets skin, especially if they have a pale coat. However, the easiest way to check for the presence of these pesky critters is to look for flea dirt. This is actually flea feces, and appears as tiny black specs near the base of hairs on certain parts of your pets coat, particularly around the rump (on the back, in front of the tail). Since fleas feed on blood, their feces is basically dried blood. When these little black specs come into contact with water, they turn reddish brown. So, try this: moisten a piece of white paper kitchen roll thoroughly and place it on a hard surface. Then, lift your pet above the paper and vigorously rub and scratch his/her back, going against the direction of hair growth, so that as much scurf and debris falls off you pet as possible. Afterwards, examine the wet paper closely. If your pet has fleas, the dried black flea dirt will have fallen onto the wet paper and turned into little red spots.

If you have seen a flea on your pet, or have found flea dirt as described above, then you have a flea infestation to deal with. Do not fear, the problem can be easily resolved by following these simple steps.

1. All pets in the house must be treated with an effective flea treatment.
2. The house must be sprayed to kill any fleas and flea eggs in the environment.

It sounds simple. However, I have lost count of the number of times clients say to me that they have done that already, when in fact they did not do it quite properly and so their flea infestation continued.

1) If one of your pets has fleas, you need to treat them all simultaneously. Your goal is to wipe out every flea in the house, so make sure there is no safe host for them to live on. Remember dogs and cats require different doses of flea treatment products.

Many owners believe that applying a flea product they have bought in a pet shop or supermarket will kill all the fleas in their house, or that a flea collar will provide adequate protection for their pet. Wrong. Purchasing these products is certainly better than doing nothing, but they are nowhere near 100% effective. They are comparatively weak compared to the products you can get from your veterinarian. There are many veterinary recommended products, here is a list of some of the best: Frontline, Advantage, Advocate, K9 Advantix, Program, Revolution, Stronghold. Most of these are prescription only medicines, meaning they can only be obtained from your veterinarian or with a prescription from your veterinarian. However, Frontline? has recently been granted a general sales license and so can be bought over the counter, or ordered via an internet store.

Once you have purchased one of these recommended products, it is important to apply it correctly. Part the fur on the back of your pets neck and empty the contents of the pipette onto the skin, to form a small puddle of liquid. Applying it to the back of the neck prevents your pet from ingesting it as this is the one place they cannot lick at whilst grooming themselves. Once it is applied, do not wash or bathe your pet for several days and do not let your pet go out in the rain or go swimming, or the product will wash off and be wasted. The liquid is absorbed through the skin and distributed around the body.

Generally these products provide protection for 1 month from the time of application. Frontline? for cats provides 1 month protection vs fleas whilst Frontline? for dogs provides 2 months protection vs fleas, but only 1 month protection vs ticks and so is often applied monthly nevertheless.

2) Spraying the house. This is equally as important as treating your pet, as the major part of the flea life cycle develops off the host, in the environment. Though adult fleas will spend most of their time on your pet, the flea eggs and flea larvae live in the environment, often being concentrated in or near pet sleeping areas. To eliminate the next generation of fleas, the environment must be sprayed thoroughly with an effective spray.

The commercial introduction of Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) represented a major breakthrough in flea control. These chemicals are highly effective at destroying flea eggs and larvae, and so complement the spot on treatments very well. They are readily available over the counter in many forms, and do not wash off the floor with water so have considerable residual activity; application is required only once every 6-12 months.

So, where and how should you use this household flea spray? The various stages of the flea life cycle are not found on tiled floors, or floors covered with linoleum. They are mainly found in carpets and in cracks of wooden floors. First of all, shut all of the windows in the house. Make sure the house is empty, if this is difficult then shut all of the pets in a room where they seldom go, which you can spray separately later. If you have an aquarium, move it outside or make it airtight as the flea spray can get into the water and kill the fish. Then, go round the whole house spraying anywhere where your pet(s) spend time, concentrating on where they sleep and their favorite lying spots. Remember to move furniture and spray underneath too. Hold the aerosol about 30cm from the surface you are spraying. Once you have sprayed everywhere, leave the house, with the windows closed, for 3 hours. On your return, open all the windows and leave again for a further 30 minutes. Then go back and vacuum clean the entire house thoroughly. Remove the vacuum cleaner bag or empty the container immediately.

Following this technique will ensure swift eradiation of the fleas both on your pet and in your house. Good luck!

David Brooks MRCVS is part of the veterinarian team at Pet Insurance Expert, the most comprehensive resource on pet insurance in the UK. Learn about the different pet insurance options and find the best pet insurance for your pet.

Fleas: How To Rid Your Pet Of Them is a post on the Very Important Pets website