I saw a lovely puppy the other day for his first vaccinations. Let's call him Ben. Bright and active, I could see he looked the picture of health as his proud 10-year old owner carried him through the door. I gave him a full clinical examination and confirmed he was as healthy as he looked, then discussed with the owner's Mum, all the information you need as a new puppy owner. Worms, fleas, microchipping, socialisation, insurance.....the list seems endless but if sorted out in the first few weeks of the puppy's arrival in the home, pup will be on course for a healthy life and a happy relationship with his owners.

During our discussion, I asked the owner for the paperwork which the breeder had provided for Ben. I was relieved, but not surprised, to see certificates of test results for inherited conditions in the parents; details of previous worm and flea treatment; vaccination certificate (he had received his first one along with a veterinary examination, at 8 weeks old with the breeder before going to the new home); and certificate of 6 weeks insurance. There was also a sensible diet sheet with details of what Ben had been fed from weaning onwards - important to avoid dietary upsets in the new home. Fortunately the days of 'Give him weetabix with milk for breakfast, boiled tripe for lunch, mince for tea and a raw egg for supper' seem to have almost disappeared with the development of excellent proprietary puppy foods!

He had been reared in a family home with lots of people around, including children, so his socialisation had started at a young age.

Sadly, not all pups are as well brought up as Ben. The next patient in was also a puppy, let's call her Elsa. She looked small for her reported age, her coat was dull and her abdomen had a pot-bellied appearance. Her owner said that the breeder had informed them that her vaccinations were 'up to date' as was her worming. Needless to say, there was no paperwork of any sort, other than a receipt for the several hundred pounds paid for her.

I think most cases where the person breeding the litter gets it wrong are due to ignorance, not an attempt to cut corners or make more money; but if people are more aware of what they are looking for when they go to buy a puppy, and questions to ask on the phone, then maybe animal welfare would improve and these pups would get off to a better start. A litter can bring in several hundred or even thousand pounds, so you can see why people decide to breed their bitch, without having the first idea how to do it properly.

In some cases, however, there is definitely 'dodgy dealing' going on. Last year I saw a collie puppy that the owners had acquired by meeting someone at a motorway service station. They had found the pup on the internet and the breeder had offered to 'meet them halfway to avoid them having a long journey'. Sadly the pup was already ill with parvovirus when they got it...which they didn't realise at first, just thinking it was nice and quiet. After a week's intensive treatment with us, she did recover......but unfortunately I discovered later that she ended up being rehomed as the owner couldn't cope with her behaviour.

I have also seen pups so riddled with lice, fleas and worms that they were profoundly anaemic and on the verge of heart failure. In some of these cases, the compassionate people who go to see them, end up buying them out of pity and to get them away ... I can totally understand why they do this, but unfortunately it just perpetuates the problem by rewarding the behaviour.

Of course, we also see kittens in very variable states when they come for their first vaccinations...some of them bright, active and healthy; some underweight, dull and ill. There is very little money in breeding moggies, so the poorly kittens are due to ignorance once again.

I'm going to do a factsheet on what to look for when thinking of buying a puppy or kitten; including things to ask over the phone before you even go to see them; because once you've seen them you will probably buy, and we want you to get the right one.

It seems to me that selling puppies is one of the most unregulated sales in the UK, and the Latin adage caveat emptor (buyer beware) applies more than ever.