How to Care for Your New Puppy or Kitten

Congratulations on your new family member! We'd like to take this opportunity to answer a few commonly asked questions about puppy and kitten care.

The Importance of Nutrition

Proper nutrition is extremely important for the health of your growing puppy or kitten. For this reason, we recommend a quality food that is specially balanced for your pet's needs. Hill's Science Diet offers a Canine and Feline Growth Formula that is designed to contain the correct amounts of essential nutrients for your new pet. There is also a special diet for large breed dogs offered by Science Diet—Large Breed Growth. This food is good because it is specially balanced to provide for the faster growth rate of large breed dogs. Because nutrition is such an important part of good pet health, we cannot emphasize the need to feed a quality puppy or kitten food enough. When you bring your new pet in for its first examination, be sure to ask us about the diet you are feeding to make sure it is appropriate for your pet's nutritional needs.

Canned Food vs. Dry Food

This question has been steadily debated for years, "Should I feed my animal canned or dry food?" The truth is that feeding canned vs. dry food is a matter of personal choice and pet preference. It is important to understand that dry and canned foods are nutritionally equal. However, there are some facts that may help you in your decision making.

DRY FOOD
Tends to be more economical.
Tends not to spoil as easily.
Is better for tartar control and tooth strength.

CAN FOOD
Tends to have a better taste.
Provides higher moisture content.

As you can see, both Canned and Dry Food have their good points. Your decision to feed canned or dry food is going to be dependent upon what you and your pet want. Keep in mind that you can also mix canned and dry food—this would successfully combine economy and taste.

When to Feed Your New Pet

It is very important that your new puppy or kitten be fed at regular intervals to help prevent episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Small breed puppies and all kittens should be fed three times daily after being weaned from their mothers. This should continue until around 3 months of age. At this point you can reduce their feedings to twice daily.

Larger breed puppies tend to do well on a twice daily feeding schedule. Before you make the feeding schedule for your puppy or kitten, be sure to ask your veterinarian which one is right for your pet.

You will also find that feeding schedules become very important when beginning to housebreak your new pet. Because young animals associate feeding with their need to eliminate, forming a good feeding schedule will prove very helpful in housebreaking.

The Importance of Proper Vaccination of Your Pet

Vaccinations are essential to the health of all of your pets. The most important vaccines for a pup or kitten are the series of vaccines that they receive post-weaning. It is critical to establish and maintain a firm vaccination schedule in order to maximize immunity against a host of debilitating, and possibly deadly, viruses and bacteria. When you bring your new pet in for its initial examination, we will help you set up a good vaccination schedule. It is imperative that you follow this schedule exactly. In general, we see puppies and kittens three times for examinations and vaccinations, completing the series at about four months of age. During this time, we will perform serial fecal examinations to ensure that your pets are free from intestinal parasites. While your puppy and kitten is undergoing their initial series of vaccines, it is very important that you refrain from exposing them to other dogs and cats. You should also avoid high traffic areas (streets, parks, and levees) until the vaccination series is complete. Even though your pet may have begun vaccinations, they are still susceptible to diseases until all of the vaccinations are complete.

Heartworm Preventative

Heartworm Infection is a very serious problem in both dogs and cats. Heartworms are parasites that are transmitted by mosquitoes. Once an animal is infected with heartworms, serious damage to the lungs, heart, liver and kidneys can result. The damage caused by heartworms can easily be fatal. While there is a treatment for heartworms, the treatment itself can be very difficult for some pets to handle.

Fortunately, there are very reliable medications available that prevent heartworm infection. Dogs and cats should be kept on a monthly heartworm preventative for their entire lives to ensure that they are not infected. These preventatives are not only safe and effective, but several also combine preventatives for intestinal parasites and fleas, making them even more convenient for you to use.

Be sure to ask us about the available heartworm preventatives and which one is right for your pet.

The Importance of Socialization

Proper socialization helps establish a loving and lasting relationship between you and your pet. Early in your pet's life it is very important that they are handled properly and that unfavorable habits are corrected in a productive and timely manner.

One of the best ways to train your pet is to introduce them at a young age to situations that they will eventually have to get used to. Some of these may include nail trims, baths, brushing, pilling and others. If you introduce these treatments when the animal is young, it is far more likely to be accepting of them later in life.

Formal obedience training is also a very good idea. Most trainers like to start the training process at around six months of age, after vaccinations are complete. There are many capable trainers available to help you socialize and train your pet properly, so be sure to take advantage of the training courses offered in your area. And, remember that, as with children, habits both good and bad are learned at an early age!

Good Grooming for Your Pet

The grooming protocol you develop for your pet will depend heavily on the type of pet you have. Some breeds of dogs and cats demand much more grooming attention than others. In general, it is good to only bathe your pets when necessary, as over bathing can lead to abnormally dry skin and other problems. In other words, don't feel obligated to bathe your puppy once a week when he may only need it once a month.

As for puppies and kittens, bathing can be performed as needed after they are weaned from their mother. We recommend avoiding human shampoos, as most are too harsh for young animals. There are several good shampoos available through your veterinarian, but regardless of which type you choose, be sure to read the label carefully and address your veterinarian if you have any questions. When bathing your pet, you should also use eye protection in case shampoo gets into their eyes (either sterile ophthalmic ointment or mineral oil).

You should also be sure to use tepid water when bathing and be sure the environment is warm to avoid chilling your pet. When finished, we recommend towel drying and perhaps using a blow dryer. If you chose to blow dry, be sure to keep the hot air far enough away from the skin to avoid scalding. Running your fingers through their fur while blow-drying is a good way to gauge temperature.

Proper Identification

The most effective way to ensure proper identification of your pet is with a permanent microchip. This microchip is placed just under the skin between the shoulder blades. This microchip uniquely identifies your pet and has been a great help in the recovery of lost pets. Ask one of our staff members about the benefits of microchipping your pet on your next visit.

Pet Insurance

Pet insurance is a rapidly growing field and is currently available through several different companies. These insurance policies are very helpful to pet owners, especially when unexpected illnesses and injuries occur. There are informational brochures available to provide detail of different types of coverage and availability, so ask us for details.

Spaying or Neutering Your Pet

We highly recommend having your pet spayed or neutered around six months of age. This avoids the inconvenience of heat cycles in females provides health and socialization benefits to both male and female pets. We routinely evaluate health status with examinations and blood tests prior to surgery to ensure the safest possible anesthetic experience for your pet. If you have any questions about having your pet spayed or neutered please feel free to ask.

Emergency Care

We are very pleased to offer 24 hour emergency care at our main hospital at 101 Metairie Road. This service is available year round, including holidays. For your convenience, any one of our Outpatient Clinics or Main Hospital phone numbers will connect you immediately with a Veterinary Technician and/or the doctor on call. All phone calls are handled in a professional and timely manner with the health of your pet being our primary concern.

Health Certificates

Health Certificates can be provided following a general examination by one of our veterinarians, in the event that your pet needs to be transported out of state. Simply call one of our locations for an appointment.

Again, we congratulate you on your new addition. We understand how difficult it can be to raise a young animal and would like to make ourselves available for any questions you may have. Feel free to contact us to make an appointment to speak to one of our veterinarians about your concerns.