Essential Wellness Care for Young Pets
If you’ve brought home a new member of your family, congratulations! Now is the time to soak up all the love, cuteness, and bond with your new puppy or kitten. If you are wondering what comes next for their health care, we’ve put together a guide to use when it comes to vaccines, spay/neuter procedure, microchipping, and more.
Caring For Your New Puppy or Kitten
Bringing a new puppy or kitten into your family is a source of joy for all. But in between gushing over their cuteness, it is crucial that you schedule appointments for veterinary care. Young animals have special veterinary requirements, for example, they need more shots than adult animals.
Establishing a positive relationship with our veterinarians at a young age will also make it easier for your pet to visit us when they are older. This will minimize fear and anxiety, and give your pet a chance to become comfortable with our doctors and staff, and visiting our facility.
Puppy Wellness Exams
Puppies should have a wellness exam during these ages: 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks.
During your puppy’s visit, we will perform a physical examination, fecal exam, and administer core and non-core vaccinations.
Puppy Vaccinations
Before your puppy has received vaccines, we recommend that you keep them confined to your own home or backyard. Otherwise, they could possibly contract or spread potentially fatal diseases. Dog parks, kennels, and play dates can be dangerous for puppies who are not inoculated. Their immune systems are at risk.
Here is a list of core vaccines for dogs: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, Rabies, Leptospirosis.
Bordetella (kennel cough) and Canine Influenza are additional vaccines we may recommend for your puppy, depending on their lifestyle and other factors.
Kitten Wellness Exams
Your kitten should have a wellness exam during the ages of 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks.
During these exams we will administer their shots and test them for any potential diseases or parasites.
Kitten Vaccinations
The core vaccines we recommend for kittens are Distemper, Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Rabies.
Additional vaccines that we may recommend for your kitten based on their lifestyle and other factors include Feline Infectious Peritonitis, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, and Feline Leukemia.
Prior to receiving their vaccines, your kitten should be kept in your home to prevent them from contracting potentially fatal diseases.
Multi-Cat Households
If you are introducing the kitten to a multi-cat household, we recommend that the new kitten is tested for leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus prior to physical contact with other cats.
Confining your kitten to one area of the house separate from other cats is a good idea for not only health but behavioral reasons. Cats can be territorial, and they are not as naturally social as dogs. Warming them up to each other slowly will help ensure that they will get along for the long run.
We would love to discuss tips on introducing your new kitten to your household. Please ask one of our staff members!
Spay/Neuter Procedure
We highly recommend spaying and neutering your pet for their health and safety, as well as your own convenience. Intact animals are more likely to run away or escape in attempt to seek out mates. Neutered and spayed animals tend to have longer life expectancies for a myriad of reasons, including less likelihood for disease or infection. Neutered or spayed pets are also easier to care for because the procedure decreases unwanted sexual behaviors. In addition to making life easier for you and your pet, spaying and neutering is key to controlling the pet population and decreasing the amount of adoptable animals in shelters.
Our team is expertly trained in spay and neuter procedures. During both the surgery and recovery period, we strive to make sure the dog or cat is kept as comfortable as possible. We will closely monitor them for as long as they are in our care.
Neutering refers to the surgical removal of the testicles of male animals. It can lessen aggressive behaviors and the desire to roam, and decrease the chances of contracting prostate or testicular cancers. Prior to the surgery we will perform a pre-operative physical examination and blood work to ensure that the pet will be given a precise and safe dosage of anesthesia. Recovery after neutering is typically easy and involves minimal aftercare.
Spaying refers to the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus in female animals to eliminate heat periods and the potential for pregnancy. This operation is preferably performed between 5-12 months of age, prior to the the puppy or kitten’s first heat. In addition to preventing pregnancy and heat periods (which can be burdensome to deal with), spaying can prevent uterine infections, ovarian and uterine tumors, and other diseases related to the reproductive system. It can also decrease the risk of malignant breast cancer by up to 90% if performed before their first heat! As with spaying, we will perform a pre-operative examination to prepare for optimal safety for the anesthesia and surgery.
Microchipping
No matter how careful you may be, even the best pet parents can attest that accidents happen. And when an emergency arises, having the most foolproof method of identification for your pet can prevent additional distress.
A microchip carrying your contact information can help your dog or cat to be found again if they are ever lost. The chip is embedded under the skin and between the shoulder blades because they are a secure and sturdy area of the body. The implantation of the microchip is pain-free and fast. After the procedure, your pet will bounce back instantly, as there is no recovery involved because it involves no penetration deeper than the epidermis, or skin.
Animal shelters and veterinary practices have special scanners which can read the information from the microchip if the need ever arises. Once they realize your pet has a loving owner looking for him or her, you can expect a call!
Any time your family’s contact information changes (like during a move) it is important to remember to update your pet’s registered microchip information. This way your pet will continue to be protected.
Unlike collars or ID tags, the microchip will stay with your pet always and forever. But, for the most complete security, we recommend that all methods of identification possible (both microchip and ID) are used. Because we hold our pets dear, the fear of being separated from them can be a terrifying thought. Being proactive about your pet’s security is the best option for their safety and your peace of mind.
