January 2012, Dr. Cherie Guidry, DVM

This month is puppy and kitten month at Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic. We all know how adorable new puppies and kitten are. Having just adopted a new kitten, I am still on cloud nine. We have to remember that there are critical things that they need in their first year of life to keep them healthy.

First of all, I recommend that you take your new pet to your vet within 48 hours of adopting them. This is so important. You want to start off with a healthy addition to your family.

At this visit, your vet should discuss a few important points. Vaccines, internal parasite exam and parasite control are just a few of the points that should be discussed with you by your vet.

Vaccines are a critical part of every new pet's care. At our clinic we follow the AVMA's (American Veterinary Medical Association) guidelines of vaccinating your new pet. The AVMA divides vaccines into core vaccines, vaccines every puppy and kitten needs, and non-core vaccines, vaccines that should be given to pets that are exposed to those diseases. We will discuss this with you and make recommendations according to your pets needs. Most puppies and kittens require a series of vaccines their first year of life. You want to make sure you finish these series to completely protect your pet.

Now let's talk about those yucky parasites. About 75% of new puppies and kittens are born with some kind of internal parasite. What's even scarier is that most of these pets do not show critical signs of parasites AND some of these parasites can be passed on your you and your family. At Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic we follow the CDC's (Center of Disease Control) guidelines and recommend a series of de-wormings and an internal parasite exam (fecal) for your new pet. This should be done right away to protect you and your new pet.

At Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic we offer puppy and kitten packages for all pets under the age of one. The packages are discounted to make puppy and kitten care more affordable to our clients. Please stop by or call for more information. See you soon!

These are just a few of the services we provide for your new pet. Please keep a lookout for weekly & monthly blogs to find out more.

Love,

Dr. Cherie Guidry, DVM