Puppy & Kitten Care

If you are welcoming a new puppy into your family, congratulations! Our team at AniMed Animal Hospital can help your new puppy to begin a happy and healthy life in their new home.

Here is a brief checklist of to-dos for your new best friend:

• Microchipping: We recommend that every puppy receive a microchip embedded between their shoulder blades. This will help reunite them to you if they were ever to become lost.
• Spay/neuter procedure: If you do not plan on breeding your puppy, we recommend neutering them between 8 weeks and 6 months. This will prevent an unplanned litter and curb unfavorable behaviors. In addition, spayed and neutered dogs have a lessened risk for some cancers and infections, and generally have higher life expectancies.
• If your puppy is a large or giant breed, we would like to take radiographs of their hips to screen their likelihood of developing hip dysplasia.
• Vaccinations: Puppies should receive their vaccinations in a series of three sets between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks. Here are several of our core vaccines recommended for all puppies: Rabies, DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus).
• Frequent check-up: Visit us frequently during your new pet’s first year of life to ensure they are growing up well and strong. We will help you every step of the way with a wellness plan.

Our team at AniMed Animal Hospital can help your new kitten grow up happy and healthy.

Here are a few pointers to consider before bringing your new kitten home:

• Do you have another cat? If so, we recommend having the new kitten tested for feline leukemia and feline AIDS before introducing them.
• If you do have another cat, it’s in the best interest of safety for the kitten to be kept in a separate room or area for the first day or so of being in your home. This will increase the likelihood that when they do meet, their encounter will be a friendly one.
• Will the kitten be an indoor cat? Indoor cats have longer life expectancies than their outdoor counterparts. They are safer from both diseases and accidents.

Once the new kitten is home, we want to help get them started on the right foot so they can enjoy a long life with their new family.

Here is a list of recommended veterinary to-dos for your new kitten:

• Microchip your new kitten to keep them safe if they ever get out or become lost.
• Stay/neuter procedurewill prevent an unwanted litter later on, and decrease your cat’s desire to escape. Also, spayed or neutered cats tend to have longer life expectancies.
• Vaccinations should be given to your kitten in a series of three, between 6 and 14 weeks.