It is important that your puppy or kitten is as healthy as possible from the beginning.
Each puppy should receive a few core vaccines (starting around 6-8 weeks of age) to prevent diseases which can be life threatening: multiple Distemper-Parvo (DA2PP) vaccines are usually recommended, and one Rabies vaccine at about 16 weeks of age. Other vaccines may be recommended if your pet is around other pets: travels with you, goes to dog parks, goes to the groomer, or stays at boarding facilities. These vaccines include Bordetella (Kennel Cough), Coronavirus, Leptosporosis, Lyme, and Influenza (H3N2). Talk to our veterinarians about your pet’s lifestyle so they may recommend the vaccines your pet needs to stay healthy.
All kittens should be tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) as soon as they are adopted. Sometimes they may require more than one test in the first year of their life. Kittens also need a few core vaccines, starting around 6-8 weeks of age. These may include: Rabies vaccine, multiple Feline Upper Respiratory vaccines (FVRCP), and Feline Leukemia vaccines (FeLV).
Both puppies and kittens should also be dewormed. This involves a simple injection or oral medication, sometimes multiple times, in order to break the parasite’s life cycle.
Because not all types of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites will be destroyed by deworming medication, it is also important to test your pet’s stool to ensure no other parasites exist. Some GI parasites (like Roundworms) are contagious to humans. A quick and easy fecal exam can protect your pets and your family.
Flea and tick medication is an important part of keeping your pet healthy. Fleas and ticks can carry parasites that can make your puppy or kitten very sick. It is easy to protect them with monthly flea and tick prevention. In Illinois, our mild winters often require year round prevention. Just as we enjoy our mild temperatures in the winter, so do fleas and ticks!!!!
Heartworm prevention comes in an easy to give monthly chewable treat, or a quick squirt of a topical form onto their upper back monthly. Protecting your pet from a life threatening disease has never been so simple! Heartworm disease is spread by mosquitoes, so indoor pets are at risk too. We recommend year round prevention in Illinois due to our mild winters as mentioned previously! Mosquitoes enjoy our mild winter temps!
Ask your pet’s veterinarian about how the right nutrition can help to keep your pet healthy!
