Our Southgate vets provide guidance, advice, and the highest quality of veterinary care to keep your puppy or kitten healthy during their critical first year of life.
Vet Care for Puppies & Kittens in Southgate
Bringing a new puppy or kitten home is an exciting time! This cute, cuddly new family member can't help but make everyone who interacts with them smile.
Fun as it may be, there is some serious healthcare business to take care of during your new pet's first year of life.
Your vet will develop a custom healthcare plan to meet your pet's specific needs during their first year, and provide plenty of support and guidance along the way!
Your Pet’s First Appointment at Southgate Animal Hospital
Puppies should ideally have their first veterinary appointment around six weeks of age, and kittens around eight weeks of age.
During this initial visit, your pet will receive a complete physical examination to assess its overall health, look for signs of any congenital defects, and check for signs of external parasites.
We will also administer deworming medications for roundworms and hookworms, and the first round of puppy or kitten vaccinations.
More About Vaccines & Prevention
Finally, for kittens, we will perform a blood test to check for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.
Followup Appointments
Puppies and kittens should attend 3 to 4 veterinary appointments between the ages of 6 and 16 weeks. These visits allow our vets to assess your pet's overall health and to administer vaccines on schedule.
Guidance on Puppy & Kitten Care
Adding a new puppy or kitten to the family comes with a lot of new responsibilities.
To help you navigate your puppy or kitten's first year, our team will provide plenty of guidance, support, and helpful information along the way.
Specifically, we can take time during your pet's routine checkups to share everything you need to know about your puppy or kitten's early development.
Our Kitten and Puppy information packs contain everything you'll need to know about your pet’s early development, including:
- A schedule for vaccinations and medical care, based on your pet's age and development
- Information on spaying and neutering your pet
- Information on common medical problems such as heartworm disease, feline leukemia, and zoonosis
- Tips for how to socialize a puppy or kitten with animals and people, including pets, already living in your home
- Basic puppy training guidelines
- Nutrition information
Our vets will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and put any concerns or worries to rest. We want to make sure that you and your puppy or kitten have everything you need to begin a wonderful life together!