Puppy & Kitten Veterinary Care
Veterinary Care for Puppies & Kittens
It's an exciting day when you get to bring a new puppy or kitten home! This cute, snuggly new family member can't help but make everyone who interacts with them smile.
Fun as this time may be, there is also some serious health care business to take care of during your new pet's first year of life.
Your vet will create a custom health care plan geared to your pet's specific needs during their first year, and provide you with plenty of guidance and support along the way.
Your Pet’s First Appointment
Ideally, puppies should have their initial veterinary appointment around six weeks of age, and kittens around eight weeks.
During this first visit, our veterinarian will give your pet a complete physical examination to assess their general health, check for signs of any congenital defects and look for external parasites.
Your pet will also receive deworming medications for hookworms and roundworms, and their first round of puppy or kitten vaccinations.
More About Vaccines & Prevention
Finally, for kittens, we will conduct a blood test to check for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.
Followup Appointments
Kittens and puppies should see us for 3 to 4 veterinary appointments between the ages of 6 and 16 weeks. These visits allow our vets to assess your pet's overall health and to administer vaccines on schedule.
Puppy & Kitten Guidelines
When you bring home a new puppy or kitten, you're also taking on many new responsibilities.
Our team is here to help you navigate your puppy or kitten's first year, and to provide plenty of support, guidance and valuable information.
We provide information to our clients based on the American Animal Hospital Association's Life Stage Guidelines for puppies and kittens. From kitten or puppyhood through their adult and senior years, AAHA publishes recommendations about:
- General health based on physical exam, nutritional assessment, etc.
- Environment (household and outdoor safety, infectious disease risk assessment, etc.)
- Behavior
- Nutrition
- Parasite control
- Vaccinations
- Dentistry
- Reproduction
- Breed-specific screening
Our vets will be happy to address any questions you may have, and put any concerns or worries to rest. We want to make sure that you and your puppy or kitten have everything you need to start a wonderful life together!