Care for Puppies & Kittens
Bringing home a new puppy or kitten is an exciting time! Your adorable, cuddly new family member is bound to bring a smile to everyone's face.
However, as fun as it may be there is also some serious health care business to take care of during your new pet's first year of life.
Your veterinarian will develop a custom health care plan to meet your pet's specific needs during their first year, and provide you with plenty of support and guidance along the way. We want to help you become the best pet parent you can be!
Your Pet’s First Appointment
Puppies should ideally have their first veterinary appointment around six weeks of age, and kittens around eight weeks.
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 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.
Follow-up 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.
Puppy & Kitten Information Packs
Bringing home a new puppy or kitten 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.
Our Kitten and Puppy information packs contain everything you'll need to know about your pet’s early development, including:
- A vaccination and medical care schedule for your pet
- Information on spaying and neutering kittens and puppies
- Information on common medical issues such as heartworm disease, feline leukemia, and zoonosis
- Tips for how to socialize your puppy or kitten with other animals and people, including pets, already living in your home
- Basic puppy training guidelines
- Nutrition information for young cats and dogs
At Animal Clinic of Benicia we are always happy to answer any questions you may have, and put any concerns or worries to rest. Our team wants to make sure that you and your puppy or kitten have everything you need to begin a wonderful life together!