OVER the years, I have seen many people who through no fault of their own have ended up buying pets from the wrong source, resulting in a poorly pet, heartache and expense; the pets most frequently involved being puppies, kittens, and reptiles.

Few people are aware that puppy farms are still operating in North Devon, along with the other necessary link in the supply chain, puppy dealers. I always think the term 'puppy farm' is extremely insulting to real farmers, bringing to mind as it does the picture of miserable animals reared in squalid conditions — exactly the opposite of what real farmers aim to do.

Dealers acquire their pups from puppy farms either locally or bought in from elsewhere, notably South Wales, where puppy farming was historically encouraged by the powers that be, as a way of increasing income in the area following the demise of the mining industry. All credit to the Welsh assembly then for recently promising to clamp down on the welfare issues surrounding unlicensed breeders in that country.

For years I was glad to see a message from the RSPCA in the 'Pets for sale' section of this publication, reminding potential buyers to 'always see the puppy with its mother'. Unfortunately, that message has still not been universally understood. Seeing the pups with their mother means that they have not been taken away early and possibly transported for hours to a strange place — all recipes for disaster for pups with an immature immune system.

Of course the bitch will interact with the pups and will have evidence of having suckled them — I heard very recently of a case where a dealer brought in an unrelated bitch and claimed that it was the mother. Sometimes there will be excuses for bringing a pup out without its mother, such as, "she's out exercising" or "she's not well".

Kittens can also be victims of bad breeding. I have seen cats that have been kept in filthy conditions and clearly allowed to inbreed randomly; resulting, unsurprisingly, in underweight, diseased kittens with a high incidence of congenital malformations.

Reptiles have a particularly bad time of it; but because they are not cute and cuddly, their suffering can go unnoticed. With reptiles, management (ie getting the environment and nutrition right) is everything. If the conditions are right from hatching for the particular subspecies involved, it is likely to be healthy; if not, it will suffer and eventually succumb to disease. Unfortunately, many reptiles will have been bred in suboptimal conditions and then reared in worse, so that by the time someone buys them, even if they get the conditions perfect, it may be too late. We are often asked to see these poor creatures; tortoises, water dragons, snakes, geckos and iguanas being the commonest. By the time we see them they are usually critically ill, because reptiles do not show much sign of illness until they are very sick indeed. By then it is often too late to turn things around. Medicine is not the answer — appropriate management is.

In order to avoid buying a pet which is likely to get ill and cause you an expensive heartache, bear the following points in mind:

Do your research — look for someone who has bred these animals for good reasons and not just as a money-making exercise. They will be knowledgeable about the species and the breed, cross or subspecies. They will have had the necessary health tests done on the parents if appropriate (ask your vet for more information) and they will have wormed the puppies or kittens regularly from three weeks old, and applied flea treatment if necessary.

On going to see the potential new pet, there should not be a house or kennel full of adults and young, there should be few enough to make sure they are all looked after properly. The environment, human and animal, should be scrupulously clean, because dirty conditions lead to disease, especially in young animals with immature immune systems.

As I said before, make sure you see the puppies or kittens with their mother. As well as making sure that they were bred on the premises, you can see how well the mother is looking and how she and the offspring react to you and to their owner.

Look for healthy, bright looking puppies who are friendly, confident and not trying to hide away; but bear in mind that the mother may look a bit less than her best, especially if she has reared a big litter. You often won't get to see the father, because the bitch may have been taken away for mating, but if you do then that is a bonus as you can assess him as well.

Ask to see the paperwork — properly signed certificates for any health tests or veterinary examinations; kennel club registration documents and pedigree if applicable (don't fall for the 'I'll send it on to you' story) CITES certificates in the case of many reptile species, as it is illegal to import many of these so they have to be bred in captivity.

Unfortunately, some pedigree and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) certificates seem not to be worth the paper they are written on; with no compulsory microchipping or other permanent means of identification, who is to say that the pup's or kitten's parents are who the certificate says they are? I have also seen CITES certificates for tortoises which were clearly not captive bred and have taken my questions to the highest level, finding that it is known to happen but nobody in this country seems to have any power to do anything about it. However, if everything else stacks up about the source of your pet, the certificate is likely to as well.

Do not be tempted to buy an animal because it is being kept in poor conditions and you want to rescue it. I fully understand this sentiment but unfortunately that just perpetuates the problem and causes more suffering for future pets they breed. Be strong, walk away, and if appropriate then report the establishment to the appropriate body — the local council, RSPCA, Trading Standards, etc.

The majority of people who breed and sell these pets are honest and trustworthy, and are doing their very best to provide for the welfare of the animals in their care. However, the very ignorant, or the downright dishonest, should be avoided by following the guidelines above and taking advice from your vet.

And don't forget that there are lots of lovely pets of all ages, shapes and sizes, looking for adoption from our local Dogs Trust, Cats Protection and RSPCA. These animals will all have been health checked and vaccinated so you know that you have done everything you can to ensure you take on a healthy pet which will be an important part of your life for many years to come.

Poorly pets from ignorant or dishonest suppliers need lots of veterinary attention. However, it is work and income that I, along with every other vet I know, would be delighted not to have.

Read more about veterinary and animal welfare related issues at www.argyllclinic.co.uk/blog

● Jo Dyer is a director of Argyll Vets, that have surgeries at Barnstaple, Braunton and Ilfracombe. She qualified as a vet 24 years ago and has worked in small animal veterinary practice ever since.