Puppy and Kitten Wellness
At Lewis Animal Hospital we are dedicated to get you off on the right foot with your new furry friend. We want to equip you with not only the best information about health care but also about house and litter training, feeding, obedience, and other important issues for new pet owners.
- Vaccinations
Puppies and kittens are at higher risk to infectious diseases because their immune systems are still developing. Because of this, you should keep your young pets isolated from strange animals and should not take them on walks in the neighborhood or to parks until their vaccine series is completed. We recommend starting vaccines at six to eight weeks of age and repeating boosters every three to four weeks until they are at least twelve weeks old. We ask you some questions when you bring your puppy or kitten in for their first visit that will help us select which diseases pose the greatest risk to your pets and design a vaccine program to match their lifestyle, activities, and breed. Click on these links to see our recommendations for puppies or kittens.
- Parasite Control and Prevention
Most puppies and kittens are actually born with intestinal parasites. These worms pass across the placenta from mom during pregnancy and infect the babies. This is very important as these parasites pose not only a risk to your pets but some them also affect humans. A common misconception among pet owners is that they will be able to see worms in their pet's feces if they are infected. While worms can be visible in the feces when there is a heavy infection or when tapeworms are a problem, the vast majority of dogs and cats do not pass worms when they are present in the intestines. When we perform a stool exam here at Lewis Animal Hospital, we are actually looking for microscopic worm eggs. We recommend that all new pets have at least one clean fecal check before they finish their vaccine series. In addition, we may recommend deworming your pet as a precaution especially when they are very young. When your pets are old enough we also can recommend the flea and tick control as well as starting Heartworm prevention when appropriate.
- Nutritional Consulting
Getting your puppy or kitten off to a good start with proper diet not only will provide them with the best nutrition, but also may help prevent some potential health problems later in life. We will work with you to help you select the best food for your pet that will both fit your budget and provide you furry friend with the best diet possible.
- Behavior and Training
We understand that new pet owners have a lot of questions. We set aside time during every appointment with puppies and kittens to discuss any behavior or training issues you may be facing. We can give you hints on house breaking or litter training, chewing issues, helping you "blend" your family when their are older animals trying to adjust to this "intruder", and many other issues. In addition, we can recommend several professional trainers in the area for those interested in taking their pets to classes.