Puppy & Kitten

SOCIALIZATION:

It is very important to socialize your pet properly during the first 12 weeks of its life. These are the most impressionable weeks and any impressions formed during this period will stay with your pet for the rest of its life! Here at Clarke County Animal Hospital, we try very hard to make these first visits nice ones. It will help to bring your pet in hungry so we can use treats as a distraction. At home, you want to establish the rules early so your pet will know what they are. That means being consistent! It will help to write them down so everyone can remember and so you can define them. Part of socialization is learning how to be handled. Touch your pet all over, rubbing the face, ears, tummy, paws (especially the toes and nails) and around the lips. You can also use this time to start grooming your puppy or kitten. Use a soft comb or brush and as you work your way down the body, you can brush or comb at the same time. Pick a time when your pet is relatively tranquil and calm, like after a meal or in the evening. Soon you can start to do more things like brushing the teeth. This is actually very important! Dental disease is an insidious problem and can seriously affect the overall health of your new family member.

DIET:

A lot of questions come up about what to feed your new pet, how much food and when to feed. First of all, there are no rules written in stone. Each pet is an individual with its own needs and preferences. There are also your needs and preferences. So, the following information should be taken in that light.

Brands- Use a premium food. This will ensure proper nutrition for your pet. We use and highly recommend Purina O.N.E. made by Purina.

Flavor- Pick one flavor or type (beef, chicken, lamb, etc.) and stick with it. Resist temptation and do not change! You will only create a finicky eater and may upset your pet's tummy!

Feedings- For pets less than 12 weeks of age, feed at least 3-4 times a day. From 12 weeks to 6 months of age, you can reduce that by one feeding. From 6 months on, you can feed 1-2 times a day for dogs. Realize that these schedules are more for our convience than for what nature intended. A dog's intestinal tract is designed to function best when fed small meals often. Cats were designed to get a big protein meal all at one time (however, cats do prefer to eat 6-18 small meals throughout the day and night).

Amount- There is no magic rule for the amount to be given. There are usually guidelines on the package, and they make a good starting point. The main thing is to keep a record of the amount you are feeding per day. Then keep a record of the weight of the pet. If your pet is gaining excessive weight, monitoring daily amount fed allows for a gradual reduction until desired weight is acheived.

Dry vs. Wet- Both are nutritionally complete and equal. Dry food is usually less expensive. Dry food will not necessarily keep the teeth cleaner. The puppy or kitten may show a strong preference, which may help you decide which to feed.

Snacks-Try to stay away from table scraps. You can give low-fat treats like carrots, broccoli, apples and other fruits (except grapes) or veggies.

Vitamins & Supplements- While puppies and kittens are growing supplimenting their diet with a quality multi-vitamin could be beneficial.

PUPPY VACCINES:

  • DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza & Parvovirus)
  • Bordatella Vaccine (Kennel Cough)
  • Lyme Vaccine (High-Risk Dogs Only)
  • Rabies Vaccine (Required by Vaccine Law)
  • Canine Influenza Vaccine

Here at Clarke County Animal Hospital we only use the best vaccines available. We have a puppy plan which is several series of the vaccines listed above. We offer a discount to encourage owners to properly vaccinate their pets to prevent deadly diseases. The discount on the puppy plan is at least a 25% savings over the regular vaccination prices. The discount only applies if the owner completes the vaccination series. Without completeing the series the discount and the vaccination guarantee do not apply. The 100% vaccination guarantee is offered through the manufacturer of the vaccines. This guarantee will cover treatment costs for your pet if he/she contracts a disease for which it has been vaccinated by us following our recommended guidelines. In the unfortunate event that a pet should succumb to one of these diseases, the manufacturer will provide money as a pet replacement stipend.

KITTEN VACCINES:

  • FVRCP (Feline Distemper & Upper Respiratory Virus)
  • FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus)
  • Rabies Vaccine (Required by Vaccine Law)
  • FIV (Feline AIDS Virus)

As with the puppy plan, we also offer a discount on our kitten plan of at least 25%. This discount only applies if our recommended vaccination schedule is followed. The kitten vaccines are guaranteed by the manufacturer also if given by us and the vaccination schedule is followed.

IDENTIFICATION FOR YOUR PET:

Please provide some form of identification for your pet. Information should include a current telephone number(s). One new form of ID is called the AVID Microchip. These are microchips which are injected under the pet's skin over the shoulder blades. They have a unique cade which can be read by a special scanner. For more information on this please call (251)275-8911.