Getting your new puppy or kitten off to a healthy start is vital for ensuring it lives a long, healthy life. Puppies and kittens require extensive preventative care since their immune system and bodies are still growing and developing. Village Veterinary Hospital in Escondido, CA, offers several forms of preventative care to help your pet grow, including exams, vaccinations, heartworm prevention, and socialization advice. Learn more about the importance of puppy and kitten care below.
Protect Your Pet’s Health With Vaccines
Vaccinations are one of the most important aspects of preventative pet care. Vaccines protect your puppy or kitten’s developing immune system from deadly diseases. Our veterinarians offer core and non-core vaccines based on your pet’s species, health, environment, and lifestyle. Core vaccines for puppies include rabies, canine distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. Core vaccines for kittens include rabies, feline calicivirus, herpesvirus, leukemia, and panleukopenia.
We recommend you begin your pet’s vaccination regimen with a wellness exam and first vaccines when it reaches seven to eight weeks old. We may also suggest non-core vaccines based on your pet’s environment and lifestyle. For example, many boarding facilities require the Bordetella and/or influenza vaccines to protect pets. Bordetella is also important for any dogs who have contact with other dogs. Our veterinarians will discuss your pet’s vaccination schedule and recommended vaccines during its initial wellness visit.
Make Parasite Prevention a Priority
Fleas and ticks are other parasites that can cause significant illness in pets. We provide flea and tick prevention to protect your pet from these frustrating parasites. These preventative medications may be topical treatments, or chewable tablets.
Heartworm disease is a severe condition capable of killing your puppy. If your dog has lifestyle factors like ANY travel away from Escondido, mosquito exposure, living near natural water or commercial sources like nurseries or golf courses, we cannot overstate how crucial investing in heartworm prevention is for your pet’s long-term health and well-being. Establish a testing and prevention medication routine with our veterinary team to protect your growing puppy if they are at risk.
Take Time to Socialize Your Pet
Socialization involves introducing your pet to new people, animals, places, and activities. Socialization training makes it easier for your pet to get comfortable in different environments and prevents behavioral issues from emerging in the future. Teaching puppies and kittens proper behavior is much easier than training older dogs and cats since bad habits have not developed yet.
Schedule Regular Wellness Check-Ups
Lastly, proper puppy and kitten care must include regular wellness check-ups. Your puppy or kitten will require frequent check-ups during its first few months. Our veterinarians and staff monitor the growth and development of your pet to ensure they remain healthy and happy. These regular visits also allow for prompt detection and intervention of health concerns before they lead to future complications. Once your pet matures into adulthood, our veterinarians recommend scheduling annual wellness visits.
Protect Your Pet’s Health With Preventative Care From Village Veterinary Hospital
Preventative care is vital for ensuring your puppy or kitten grows and develops into a healthy dog or cat, so contact Village Veterinary Hospital in Escondido, CA, to give your pet the care necessary to help it live a long, healthy life. Call us and schedule an appointment today at (760) 741-9999 if you are searching for a “veterinarian near you” for puppy and kitten care.