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A Healthy Beginning for Puppies & Kittens
Bringing home a new kitten or puppy is a very exciting and joyful experience. Amidst all of the gushing over the love and cuteness, it’s important to remember scheduling veterinary appointments at an early age for preventative care. Help give your pet the healthiest start to his or her life by scheduling an appointment with one of our veterinarians right away.
Your New Family Member
In the first few weeks puppies and kittens need frequent visits to the veterinarian in order to provide specialized care they need for their growing bodies and immune systems. Establishing a positive relationship with a veterinarian is a great first step in giving your pet the veterinary care they will need throughout their puppy/kitten years and adult life. TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Bethel will be there for you for any questions or concerns you have during this exciting time.
Here are a few items to check off when you add a new member to your family:
Spay/Neuter Procedure
In many cases, spaying or neutering your pet is one of the most responsible choices you as a pet owner can make. Spaying and neutering procedures have many benefits, including controlling the overall pet population, and preventing a variety of health issues. At TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Bethel, we recommend spaying and neutering your pet for a long and healthy life.
Spaying and neutering are considered the same general procedure; your veterinarian removes your pet’s reproductive organs. The procedure is referred to neutering in male pets, and spaying in female pets.
Prior to a spay or neuter procedure, our experienced team of veterinarians and veterinary techs will take precautions to ensure your pet is comfortable and safe with a successful outcome. There are strict guidelines our team members follow before, during, and after the procedure:
- Pre-surgical blood panels
- Monitoring the dosage of anesthesia
- Administering IV fluids
- Advanced and thorough surgical equipment
- Careful monitoring of vitals
- Ongoing Pain management
In some instances, spaying and neutering might not be the right decision for your pet. If you have a specific goal of responsible breeding, your pet is older than seven years of age, or if your pet has medical conditions, spaying and neutering isn’t recommended. Our trained veterinary team will discuss your pet’s conditions, and will help you make those decisions based on your specific situation.
Why Should I Spay or Neuter My Pet?
There are a variety of reasons why spaying or neutering your pet will be not only beneficial for you, but also for them! These reasons include:
- Improved behavior and quality of life
- Reduces the overpopulation of pets which are contributing to the overcrowded animal shelters.
- In males, neutering reduces aggression and the instinct to roam, howl, marking territories, and also reduces the chance for health issues such as testicular cancer and prostate disease.
- In females, spaying reduces mammary issues such as cancer and infection, and puts an end to the ‘heat’ cycles which may cause behavioral and discomfort issues.
If you’re wondering when is the best time to spay/neuter your pet, we typically recommend the procedure after your puppy is past 6 months of age, however, there are always advantages and disadvantages to early and late spaying and neutering. Please call us at TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Bethel to discuss the best option for you and your pet.
Microchipping
Pet parents around the world hope they never have to face the tragedy of a lost or stolen pet. Sadly, this is the fate of approximately 10 million dogs and cats every year. At TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Bethel, we know that relationships make the difference, which is why we do all we can to ensure that your pet stays safe for a lifetime.
If your pets are ever lost, microchips are the most reliable identification and tracking solution. The procedure is surprisingly quick and relatively painless, comparable in both respects to a vaccine, and can therefore be completed at the same time as other procedures. A microchip the size of a grain of rice is inserted between your pet’s shoulder blades and works for life.
After the procedure, it’s important to register the microchip number with the national database with your contact information. This provides the most streamlined communication in the event that your pet is lost. Remember to update contact information as it changes. Since each chip comes with a special serial number, animal healthcare professionals can identify found pets using special scanners that help them contact you.
Any form of identification helps give peace of mind that your pet is never too far from home. For this reason, we recommend using collars and ID tags in addition to microchips. These methods are not foolproof but are highly recommended to make reuniting with your lost pet more likely.
Puppy Care
Puppy Wellness Exams
Wellness exams are extremely important to your puppy’s growth in that they allow us to safeguard against illness, track growth, and prevent parasitic infections. Wellness exams are typically scheduled at 3-4 week intervals and include a comprehensive exam along with any core or non-core vaccines. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions about puppy care, including diet, behavior, and temperament and more. We do ask that you be prepared to bring a fecal sample to these appointments.
Puppy Vaccinations
Vaccinations help shield your puppy from potential life threatening diseases. Since their immune systems are still developing, it’s very important to protect against these dangers so that your puppy can live their best life from an early age! There are two types of vaccines: core vaccines and non-core vaccines. Core vaccines are recommended for all puppies and include Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, and Lyme. Non-core vaccines are recommended as a case-by-case basis, and protect against Canine Influenza.
Kitten Care
Kitten Wellness Exams
Wellness exams are typically scheduled at 3-4 week intervals for your kitten. This appropriately scheduled time allows our doctors to track growth, prevent parasitic infections, and safeguard against illness or disease. Kitten wellness exams include a comprehensive exam by one of our doctors along with administering any core or non-core vaccines. This is also a good opportunity to ask questions about their behavior, diet, kitten care, and more. We also kindly ask you to bring a fecal sample along to these appointments.
Kitten Vaccinations
It is important to keep your kitten safe at home until they are properly vaccinated. Vaccines can protect your kitten from life-threatening illness and diseases, and are recommended at an early age for maximum prevention. The two types of vaccines we administer to kittens are core and non-core vaccines. Core vaccines are recommended for all cats and kittens, and include Rabies, Parainfluenza, Calcivirus, and Rhinotracheitis. Non-core vaccines are administered on a case-by-case basis, and include Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Leukemia, and Feline Infectious Peritonitis.
Multi-Cat Households
When introducing a new cat or kitten in your home, it’s important to remember to be patient, as cats are naturally territorial animals. For this reason, it might be a slow introduction process and it’s important not to rush! Here are some tips when bringing home a new kitty:
- Keep your new kitten in another room of your home, separate from your cat.
- Without letting them see each other, allow them to smell each other through a door.
- After some time separated, you may put your kitten in a cat carrier in a common area of the house, giving your cats time to smell and see one another.
- Finally, allow them to interact!
Please give us a call with any questions or concerns when introducing your cats to one another.
Total Wellcare Club
Have you heard about our Total Wellcare Club? It includes an array of benefits, such as low monthly payments, discounts on Pet Health Insurance plans for illness, injury, surgery, etc., and affordable packages for Dental treatments and Senior pets, to name a few! To learn more, click here!
