Care for Puppies & Kittens
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.
Important to remember is that with that fun comes new responsibility, the responsibility to protect and care for a new member of the family who can't always do it themselves.
At Riverside Veterinary Hospital new patients will have a custom healthcare plan designed by your vet to suit you and your puppy or kitten through their first 12-months at home.
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 their 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 Packages
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 Packages and Puppy Packages contain everything you'll need to know about your pet’s early development, including:
- A vaccination and medical care schedule
- 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 your 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!