Pet Health >> Puppy & Kitten Care

Begin Kitten & Puppy Veterinary Care Early

A new pet is joining your family? That is an exciting day! The Animal Hospital of the Rockaways wants to help you make sure he or she is healthy right from the start. Puppies and kittens have needs that are as different from adult animals as human babies are from teens.

A new puppy or kitten should come in for a first examination within a week of coming home with you. This gives you time to observe your pet and see if there are any noticeable problems. At the first visit, we want you to bring any medical records you may have and a stool sample that we will check for intestinal parasites.

As your new pet returns to us every 3 or 4 weeks, we will continue to discuss and schedule the following:

  • Vaccinations work by stimulating the body’s defenses to produce antibodies to viruses, bacteria, or other infectious organisms. Your pet’s immune system is then prepared to react to a future infection with that microorganism that will either prevent or lessen the severity of an infection and help encourage a faster recovery.
  • Spay or neuter surgery is recommended after all immunizations are complete.
  • Diet, nutrition, and feeding the proper foods are important because proper nutrition is the key to preventing obesity and some dental problems.
  • Teeth brushing and dental care, including professional cleaning, are key for your pet’s good health.
  • Heartworm testing, prevention, and medication, along with flea and tick treatment, will be discussed.
  • Behavioral problems and concerns, including preventing bad behaviors and house training your pet, are topics we will discuss with you.

Spay or Neuter Your Pet

Dr. Whittred holds a kitten at Animal Hospital of the Rockaways, Rockaway Park NY.Spay or neuter surgery is a good way of keeping the unwanted pet population percentage low. Depending on your pet’s breed, we may recommend spaying or neutering between 5 and 6 months of age, after all immunizations are completed. Many pets may have a better temperament and fewer health problems if this surgery is done at an early age. If you have your pet spayed prior to her first heat cycle, the incidence of breast cancer later in life can be drastically reduced.

What Vaccinations Will You Give My Puppy?

Our recommendations for a vaccine program are based on your puppy’s age, previous vaccine history, and lifestyle. We may consider several vaccines and will always discuss them with you.

The main vaccine is known as “distemper/parvo” vaccine, or DAPP. This is a combination vaccine developed to protect against the following diseases:

  • Distemper—A viral disease that is often fatal in puppies. It is characterized by respiratory distress, coughing, and seizures and is highly contagious.
  • Hepatitis (adenovirus)—A viral disease spread through urine. It causes respiratory and liver problems.
  • Parainfluenza—A respiratory infection that is often involved with kennel cough.
  • Parvovirus—A severe intestinal viral disease characterized by vomiting and bloody diarrhea. It is often fatal and highly contagious.
  • Rabies—Your puppy will also receive a rabies vaccine at 3–4 months of age. Rabies is always fatal and is a public health concern. New York State law requires this vaccine.

Other vaccines that we may recommend for your dog include:

  • Bordetella—Also known as kennel cough, it is highly contagious and can be hard to treat. We recommend this for puppies that will spend a lot of time with other animals in play groups, being boarded, or going to dog shows or obedience classes.
  • Lyme disease—A tick-borne illness, this vaccine is recommended for hunting dogs or dogs that spend a lot of time in the woods, high grasses, or areas where ticks abound. The Rockaway area has a high incidence of Lyme disease.
  • Leptospirosis—Protects against a serious and sometimes fatal kidney disease that is spread through the urine of dogs, raccoons, and opossums.

What Vaccines Will My Kitten Receive?

Just as we do with puppies, our recommendations for vaccines for kittens are based on age, previous vaccine history, and anticipated lifestyle. The main vaccine we give is feline distemper (FVRCP) vaccine. This vaccine protects against these diseases:

  • Panleukopenia—Characterized by fever, poor appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. This may cause death.
  • Rhinotracheitis—This highly contagious respiratory disease is characterized by fever, sneezing, and reddened eyes.
  • Calicivirus—Similar to rhinotracheitis, this is another highly contagious respiratory disease.
  • Feline leukemia—Your kitten may carry this highly contagious disease without symptoms. It is generally fatal when it is active and your cat may have anemia, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. A blood test is required before we vaccinate for this disease. We recommend this vaccine for all kittens up to 1 year old, and then each year depending on your cat’s risk of exposure if he or she goes outside.
  • Rabies—Your kitten will also receive a rabies vaccine at 3–4 months of age. Rabies is always fatal and is a public health concern. New York State law requires this vaccine.

Your Pet Needs Parasite Protection, Too

Many puppies will have some type of parasite that we treat routinely. If left untreated, these intestinal worms can cause diarrhea, poor growth, and anemia and can even result in death. Some types of intestinal parasites can affect humans, so make sure to be careful when cleaning up after your puppy.

It is important to prevent intestinal parasites, including:

  • Roundworms
  • Hookworms
  • Tapeworm
  • Whipworms
  • Coccidia
  • Giardia

Heartworms are also of major concern in our area. Transmitted by mosquitoes, if not detected or left untreated, they can lead to lung and liver problems, heart failure, and eventually death. We place puppies and kittens on a monthly heartworm preventive medication by 9–12 weeks. A blood test will be performed each year for early detection and treatment, as occasionally infestation may still occur. Your pet also requires year-round protection from fleas and ticks. We will prescribe an effective medication for that as well. The medications that we recommend are guaranteed by the drug manufacturer.

More About Pet Vaccinations and Immunity

Immunity is a complicated defense mechanism that an animal has to enable it to resist an infection or disease and its effects. Sometimes immunity can be compromised when there is exposure to a high dose of a particularly harmful strain of a microorganism, when your pet is unduly stressed, or when its immune system is otherwise depressed.

Newborn animals are not born with their own immunity, so they need protection against infections that may be present in their environment. Their mothers provide this immunity. However, maternal immunity is only temporary. It declines steadily over the first few weeks of life and is mostly gone by the time your kitten or puppy is 15 weeks old.

It is recommended that several doses of vaccines be given at regular intervals. Without complicated testing, we cannot know when a puppy or kitten has lost the immunity from its mother. An early decline in your pet’s maternal antibodies can leave it vulnerable to infections at a very young age, but strong maternal immunity can actually interfere with early vaccination. The first vaccine we administer only begins the process of vaccination. Subsequent doses will boost your pet’s response to a stronger, longer-lasting level of immunity.

As pets get older, new methods recommended by noted immunologists are used so as not to over vaccinate the animal. We employ several methods, including testing your pet’s blood for titers.