Care for Puppies & Kittens
Bringing home a new puppy or kitten is a reason to get excited! This cuddly and cute new family member won't be able to help but bring a smile to everyone who interacts with them.
As fun as your new pet may be, there is also some very serious healthcare business you will need to address during your pet's first year of life too in order to set them up for success.
Your vet will develop a custom health care plan to meet your pet's specific needs during their first year, and provide you with plenty of support and guidance along the way!
Your Pet’s First Appointment
Puppies should ideally have their first veterinary appointment around six weeks of age, and kittens around eight weeks.
During this initial visit, your pet will receive a complete physical examination to assess their overall health, look for signs of any congenital defects, and check for external parasites.
We will also administer deworming medications for roundworms and hookworms, and the first round of puppy or kitten vaccinations.
More About Vaccines & Prevention
Finally, for kittens, we will perform a blood test to check for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.
Followup Appointments
Puppies and kittens should attend 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 Information Packs
Bringing home a new puppy or kitten comes with a lot of new responsibilities.
In order to help you to navigate your kitten or puppy's first year of life, our veterinary team will provide you with ample guidance, support and information.
Our Kitten and Puppy information packs contain everything you'll need to know about your pet’s early development, including:
- A vaccination and medical care schedule
- Information on spaying and neutering your pet
- Tips for how to socialize your puppy or kitten with animals and people, including pets already living in your home
- Information on common medical problems such as heartworm disease, feline leukemia, and zoonosis
- Nutrition information
- Basic puppy training guidelines
Our veterinarians will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have and will put your concerns and worries to rest.
We want to ensure that you and your new kitten or puppy have everything you need to start your wonderful lives together.