Puppy & Kitten Care at Shoreland Animal Hospital
It's exciting to bring home a new puppy or kitten! This adorable new animal companion can't help but make everyone who sees them smile.
As fun as this is, there are a handful of important health care matters to address before their first birthday.
Your vet will put together a customized health care plan that meets the specific needs of your furry friend during their first year, and offer you lots of support and guidance along the way!
Your Pet’s First Appointment
It's ideal for puppies to attend their first veterinary appointment when they are about six weeks old, and kittens approximately eight weeks.
As part of this initial visit, your pet will get a complete physical examination to evaluate their overall health, check for signs of any congenital defects, and look for external parasites.
We'll also give your animal deworming medications for roundworms and hookworms, and administer the first round of puppy or kitten vaccinations.
More About Vaccines & Prevention
At the end of this appointment, for kittens, we will conduct a blood test to look for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.
Follow-up Appointments
When puppies and kittens are between 6 and 16 weeks old, they should attend 3 to 4 veterinary appointments. These visits allow our vets to assess your pet's overall health and to administer vaccines on schedule.
Puppy & Kitten Information Packs
You will have many new responsibilities when you take home a new puppy or kitten.
To assist you through your puppy or kitten's first year, our team will give you lots of helpful information, support, and guidance.
Our Kitten and Puppy information packs come with everything you'll have to know about your pet’s early development, such as:
- Nutrition information
- Information on spaying and neutering your pet
- A vaccination and medical care schedule
- Information on common medical problems such as heartworm disease, feline leukemia, and zoonosis
- Basic puppy training guidelines
- Tips for how to socialize your puppy or kitten with animals and people, including pets, already living in your home
Our vets will be happy to answer 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 begin a wonderful life together!