Vet Care for Puppies & Kittens
Bringing a new puppy or kitten home is a joyous time but, 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.
When you bring your puppy or kitten to Creature Comforts Veterinary Hospital for their earliest checkups, our vets will develop a custom health care plan to meet your pet's specific needs during their first year.
Our Ankeny vets take pride in helping new pet parents provide their young pets with all the preventive, nutritional and ongoing care they need to achieve a long and healthy life.
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.
Our team of experienced professionals 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.
Puppy & Kitten Appointments
Becoming a pet parent to a young puppy or kitten comes with a lot of new responsibilities.
To help you navigate your furry new family member's first year, our team will provide plenty of guidance, support, and helpful information, 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
We want to make sure that you and your puppy or kitten have everything you need to begin a wonderful life together!
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.