Compassionate Care for Your Puppy or Kitten at Animal Hospital West, Forsyth County NC
Caring for a new puppy or kitten is always an exciting time for owners and vets alike. But as much as it’s important to have fun with your lovable new friend, it’s absolutely crucial that you start establishing healthy routines as early as possible. To get started, we recommend scheduling your new puppy or kitten’s first trip to Animal Hospital West once he or she reaches 6 weeks of age.
First Visits & New Pet Care
During your pet’s first appointment, our board-certified veterinarians will conduct a rigorous nose-to-tail physical examination to detect any abnormalities and start making considerations as to which vaccinations will be most appropriate for your pet based on the life you anticipate for him or her. Each pet may have a different vaccination protocol in accordance with such factors as indoor or outdoor activity and the level of interaction he or she will have with other cats or dogs, so it’s hard to generalize about the kinds of vaccinations each new puppy and kitten will receive. Instead, our veterinarians prefer to use first appointments as a starting point, gathering information and running necessary de-worming procedures, while also making recommendations for good pet nutrition and helpful pet care resources.
Puppy Vaccinations & Wellness
The veterinarians at Animal Hospital West tend to hold off on administering vaccinations until your new puppy reaches 8 weeks of age. During the scheduled 8-week appointment, your canine companion will receive a second physical, as well as bordatella, distemper, and parvo vaccines and heartworm prevention treatment. From here on, we generally try to stagger vaccination schedules to take it easy on your pet’s system, and wait until your puppy is 12 weeks old to give shots for rabies. Every month after 6 weeks of age until 16 weeks is a good appointment schedule to stick to.
Kitten Vaccinations & Wellness
Just as with puppies, our veterinarians recommend monthly appointments for your new kitten until he or she reaches 16 weeks of age. Initial 8-week appointment procedures for feline patients in our wellness program include vaccinations for feline distemper, as well as testing for feline leukemia and administering 1-month heartworm prevention using Revolution®—a topically applied treatment specially formulated for cats. Subsequent appointments will include staggered-schedule shots for rabies, as well as routine de-worming and physicals in our state-of-the-art, cat-friendly exam rooms.
Contact us today to make an appointment for your kitten or puppy.
