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PUPPIES & KITTENS

 

Owning a puppy or kitten can be very rewarding and also very
challenging. This is a brief introduction to the care of your new family addition!
 

P U P P I E S

 

VACCINES

 

Vaccines are critical to the health of your new puppy. Here are essential vaccines our doctors recommend:

 

DHLPP 5-way vaccine
(Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus)
- Distemper virus can attack multiple organ systems including the nervous system. This is a life threatening disease if your pet is not protected against it.
- Hepatitis   means inflammation of the li ver . After entering the blood stream, this virus attacks the cells of the liver, eyes, kidneys and the inner linings of blood vessels throughout the body.
- Leptospirosis can attack multiple organ systems and has been known to cause kidney failure. Dogs who will be spending time in rural areas, especially around livestock, have particular susceptibility to this disease. This component of the vaccine is known to cause an increased incidence of vaccine reactions so depending on your pet's situation, we can decide what will be best (the DHPP vaccine is also offered, which excludes the Leptospirosis portion).
- Parainfluenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease very often mistaken for kennel cough. Factors that may exacerbate the potential for contracting this disease are high humidity, drafts and environmental conditions.
- Parvovirus is present in many public environments. This virus attacks the intestinal lining causing a severe and often life threatening bloody diarrhea.
 
Rabies is a serious viral disease seen in mammals that adversely affects the central nervous system, leading to death. Rabies is a zoonotic disease that is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal.
 
Lyme  is a disease caused by a bacteria, Borrelia Burgdorferi, and is spread by ticks. It can cause polyarthritis, lethargy, and high fevers. It is recommended your dog get a lyme vaccination if there is a high exposure to ticks in areas where lyme is prevalent.
 
Bordetella is a vaccination used to protect your dog against kennel cough, which is a highly contagious upper respiratory illness. Bordetella is often required for boarding facilites and training classes.
 
Leptospirosis can attack multiple organ systems and has been known to cause kidney failure. Dogs who will be spending time in rural areas, especially around livestock, have particular susceptibility to this disease.
 
Puppy Vaccine Schedule...
 AGE VACCINE
8 Weeks DHPP #1 
12 Weeks DHLPP #2/Bordetella #1 
16 Weeks DHLPP #3/Bordetella #2/Rabies 
**For your puppy's safety, please do not take him/her to any public areas until the vaccine series is completed. Every vaccine listed above does not need to be administered to every pet. It is best to decide after discussing with your veterinarian, as it depends on you and your pet's lifestyle.

For information on what to expect after your pet is vaccinated, please click here .


DEWORMING
 
We recommend every puppy be treated for roundworms. This is the most frequent intestinal parasite of puppies (please visit  here for information on more common parasites). We can supply you with some oral medicine during your first visit. It is normal to expect these worms to pass into the feces after treatment.
 
It is very important to bring in a fecal sample for us to evaluate with special testing under a microscope.
 

 
HEARTWORM PREVENTION
 
Heartworms are parasites of the dog in which worms lodge in the heart and vessels of the lung. It can be very dangerous to your pet if he or she contracts the disease. Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, so any dog is at risk, even indoor dogs. We recommend starting preventative tablets at the age of 8 weeks and monthly for the dog's lifetime. We carry two forms of heartworm prevention, Interceptor and Sentinal (prevention for heartworm and fleas).
 

 
SPAYING & NEUTERING
 
We recommend your puppy be spayed or neutered at 5 - 6 months of age. Spaying your female puppy prior to her first heat will critically reduce the chances she will develop mammary cancer as an adult dog. Neutering your male puppy will eliminate problems of prostatitis and testicular cancers seen in adult male dogs. To learn more about spaying and neutering, please go here .
 

 
FLEAS
 
A flea is a wingless insect whose mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. They are external parasites and live off the blood of mammals (including humans and birds). In high quantities, fleas can cause life-threatening anemia to young puppies.
 

Ideal treatment options for flea control & prevention include:

  • Advantage - a topical insecticide which kills all adult fleas within 12 hours. Protection lasts approximately 4 weeks.
  • Frontline - a topical insecticide which kills adult fleas & ticks within 24 hours. Protection lasts approximately 4 weeks.
  • Comfortis (canines only) - a chewable tablet which kills adult fleas within 30 minutes. Protection lasts approximately 4 weeks.

 

 


 

 

DIET

 

Puppies should be fed a puppy brand diet that is AAFCO (Association of Animal Feed Control Officials) approved, and states the diet "provides complete and balanced nutrition". Ideally, you should train your puppy to be meal-fed rather than always leaving food out - this will help control problems with obesity that could develop later in life. For large breed puppies such as Great Danes, Dobermans, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, and Labradors, feed a puppy food designated for large breeds. This special puppy food has fewer calories per cup than regular puppy food. It has been scientifically proven that these foods can significantly reduce the chances of orthopedic illnesses from developing, including hip dysplasia.

 

 


 

 

TRAINING

 

We recommend puppy-training courses for every puppy and their owner. Normally, this is started after 12 weeks of age, once two sets of vaccines have already been given. While Sequoia Veterinary Hospital does not recommend any specific training school or instructor, we can provide a general list of names and phone numbers for you.

 

K I T T E N S

 

VACCINES

 

Vaccines are critical to the health of your new puppy. Here are essential vaccines our doctors recommend:

 

FVRCP 3-way vaccine

(Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calcivirus, Panleukopenia)

- Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis is a severe upper respiratory infection that is most dangerous to young kittens and older cats. The virus is extremely contagious and is caused by a feline herpes virus. FVR can leave some cats with permanent respiratory system and optical damage.

- Calcivirus is transmitted through direct contact with an infected cat or an infected item. There are several different strains of calcivirus, causing a range of illness from mild infection to life-threatening pneumonia.

- Panleukopenia is also known as feline distemper, and is a highly contagious disease that moves very quickly through the cat's body.  It is caused by a parvovirus similar to the parvovirus seen in dogs. As many as ninety percent of young kittens (under six months old) with panleukopenia do not survive the virus.

 

FeLV , also known as the Feline Leukemia Viral Vaccine, is used to protect your cat against the leukemia virus. FeLV infection can attack the immune system and is life threatening.

 

FIP , also known as the Feline Infectious Peritonitis, is a viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of a virus called the feline coronavirus. Infected cats generally do not show symptoms during the initial viral infection, and unfortunately there is no known cure or effective treatment for FIP as of yet. Sequoia Veterinary Hospital does not currently recommend this vaccine due to its lack off eficacy.

 

Rabies is a serious viral disease seen in mammals that adversely affects the central nervous system, leading to death. Rabies is a zoonotic disease that is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal.

 

FIV , also known as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, is a lentivirus (or "slow virus") that  affects domesticated housecats, and is the causative agent of feline AIDS. Infected cats may appear normal for years. However, infection eventually leads to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat's ability to protect itself against other infections. FIV is primarily transmitted through bite wounds, but can also be passed on from mother to kittens, and in rarer cases can be transmitted during sexual contact. Sequoia Veterinary Hospital does not currently recommend this vaccine because vaccinated cats will test positive for the virus thereafter.

 

Kitten Vaccine Schedule...

 

AGE  VACCINE
8 Weeks FVRCP #1 
12 Weeks  FVRCP #2/FeLV
16 Weeks  FVRCP #3/FeLV #2/Rabies

 

**For your kitten's safety, please do not allow him or her access outdoors until the vaccine series is completed. Every vaccine listed above does not need to be administered to every pet. It is best to decide after discussing with your veterinarian, as it depends on you and your pet's lifestyle.

 

For information on what to expect after your pet is vaccinated, please click here .

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

DEWORMING

 

We recommend every kitten be treated for roundworms. This is the most frequent intestinal parasite of puppies (please visit  here for information on more common parasites). We can supply you with some oral medicine during your first visit. It is normal to expect these worms to pass into the feces after treatment.
 
It is very important to bring in a fecal sample for us to evaluate with special testing under a microscope.
 

 

HEARTWORM PREVENTION

 

Due to the extremely rare incidence of heartworm disease in cats in our area of the country, heartworm prevention is not necessary.

 

 


 

 

SPAYING & NEUTERING

 

We recommend your kitten be spayed or neutered at 5 - 6 months of age. Spaying your female kitten prior to her first heat will critically reduce the chances she will develop mammary cancer as an adult dog. Neutering your male kitten will help reduce the risk of spraying and marking behaviors. To learn more about spaying and neutering, please go here .

 

 


 

 

FLEAS

 

A flea is a wingless insect whose mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. They are external parasites and live off the blood of mammals (including humans and birds). In high quantities, fleas can cause life-threatening anemia to young kittens.
 

Ideal treatment options for flea control & prevention include:

  • Advantage - a topical insecticide which kills all adult fleas within 12 hours. Protection lasts approximately 4 weeks.
  • Frontline - a topical insecticide which kills adult fleas & ticks within 24 hours. Protection lasts approximately 4 weeks.

 

 


 

 

DIET

 

Kittens should be fed a kitten brand diet that is AAFCO (Association of Animal Feed Control Officials) approved, and states the diet "provides complete and balanced nutrition". Dry foods are recommended over wet foods to help reduce the accumulation of plaque on the teeth.