Puppies

What Breed is Right for Me?
Where to Find My Puppy
Choosing the Best Puppy
Veterinary Care for My Puppy

Puppies - Veterinary Care for My Puppy

Comprehensive physical examination, deworming and vaccines

Nothing is more important for the well-being of your puppy than the comprehensive wellness examination by a veterinarian. The veterinarian has the opportunity to thoroughly examine your puppy from its nose to its tail. Your veterinarian is an excellent resource for information about the health risks your puppy may be at risk for. They can share with you information on many topics critical to keeping your puppy active and healthy for as long as possible, including nutrition, dental care, parasite control, developmental problems, allergies, and chronic disease problems, such as arthritis, that your pet may face with age.

At Meadow Hills Veterinary Center, we strongly believe that optimum health for your pet can only be achieved when the pet's owner/guardian and veterinarian work in concert to serve the pet's best interests.

Vaccination schedules

Vacinations for puppies and kittens might seem straightforward, but vary in our patients depending on a number of risk factors. One vaccination schedule does not apply to all pets. We work hard to recommend only the vaccinations your pet really needs and will discuss those they do NOT need. Some of the individual factors considered are:

• Early weaning or a mother that is not fully vaccinated may necessitate earlier vaccinations.
• Certain breeds of dogs are especially sensitive to parvovirus and require extra parvovirus vaccinations.
• Some pet may travel to areas where they risk being exposed to diseases such as Lyme’s disease and Heartworm
• Puppies and kittens first vaccinated at 8 weeks will have a different schedule than those first vaccinated at 3 or 4 months.

Vaccination schedules are based on our knowledge of immunology, virology, infectious diseases, environmental factors and breed differences. Our best advice is that you set up an appointment for your puppy or kitten as soon as possible after he is adopted. We will develop a schedule customized for your pet. Immunizing your puppy or kitten on schedule is an important part of preventative health care.

Parasite control

It is very important to give a monthly dewormer to your puppy, and on throughout its lifetime. It is also important to submit a stool sample at least annually to check for other parasites. Here is why.

• Dogs clean themselves differently than we do, meaning there is a greater risk of intestinal parasites entering the gastrointestinal tract through the mouth.
• Our dogs live within our homes, and often sleep in our bedrooms or even our beds, putting us at risk for exposure to parasites.
• Most intestinal parasites are microscopic and you cannot see them. Only the common roundworms are visible in stool samples at times.

The CDC (human Center for Disease Control) and CAPC ( Companion Animal Parasite Council) both provide information on the consequences in humans when they are infected with dog parasites. Most adults have an immune system which will protect them. However, younger children, elderly people, and individuals with chronic diseases or on medications that weaken their immune system (even prednisone) are at significant risk.

Read more information for CAPC, and from the CDC.