Puppy and Kitten Visits

We love puppies at Whitestone Animal Hospital! We take a first-time puppy visit seriously because it is our way to help get you and your puppy off to a fabulous start. What to bring to your puppy’s first visit:

1. A fresh stool sample that we can test for parasites. The sample needs to have been collected in the last 24 hours and kept in the fridge if there is a delay in bringing it in.
2. Bring any papers that you got from a previous vet, the breeder or shelter.
3. Your new puppy!

Our goal is to make your puppy’s first visit a great one. Please bring them hungry because we will have treats to offer, or you can bring your own. Bringing their own food is also a good idea so they don’t get too many rich treats. What to expect at your visit:

Exam: we will be checking for heart murmurs, umbilical hernias, dental abnormalities, ocular issues, parasites, ear infections, upper respiratory infections, joint abnormalities, and behavior issues.

Stool Tests: to check for Roundworms, Hookworms, Whipworms and Coccidia. Tapeworms can be hard to find on our test so please let us know if you see worms that look like a grain of rice.

Dewormer: The CDC recommends deworming puppies every 3 weeks. A dose of dewormer is included with each visit.

Vaccines: we will discuss our different vaccination programs to fit individual puppy needs:

a. All puppies need at least two DHPP (Distemper/Parvo/Parainfluenza/Hepatitis). We start vaccinating at 8 weeks of age and give boosters every 3-4 weeks with the last booster being after 16 weeks of age when their mom’s immunity has worn off.
b. Leptospirosis: this is a prevalent disease in Central Texas. 2 vaccine series
c. Rabies: we do have Rabies in Central Texas. Puppies need their Rabies vaccine after 12 weeks of age.
d. Kennel cough and flu: required by some boarding and grooming facilities

Microchip: we recommend microchipping all puppies. We use Home Again Microchips. This can be done anytime or at the time of spay/neuter.

Heartworm Prevention: you will get your puppy’s first dose for free. This medication needs to be given once a month for your puppy’s entire life as heartworm is spread by mosquitos. Your doctor will discuss the different options.

Flea and Tick Control: different options will be discussed, depending on the pet’s needs.

Training: puppy handling, training recommendations, and socialization will be discussed.

Spay and Neutering: we will discuss and decide when it would be best to get your dog spayed/neutered.

New kittens are balls of cuteness and we love to see them and play with them. They are like having grandkids. We play with them then send them back home! People forget how mischievous kittens can be. They go from being used to their older cat who laid around most of the day and played with toys occasionally to a new little ball of energy! We have lasers and toys to entertain them at their visit with us.

People forget how much energy these guys can have especially at 2 am when they jump and try and bite your toes while you sleep! Some will try and nurse on your ear lobes and act like the are starving!  Your first visit with us includes going over kitten behavior, discussing litterboxes, food, vaccine schedule, deworming and checking for parasites and discussing their prevention and discussing whether you want to microchip or not.

The first visit includes:

1. Exam

2. Routine dewormer (the CDC recommends kittens be dewormed every 2-3 weeks until they are 16 weeks of age and this dewormer is included in the price of your kitten’s exam.

3. PLEASE TRY AND BRING A FRESH STOOL SAMPLE FROM THE LITTERBOX. PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE AND GET IT TO US WITHIN 24 HOURS. YOU CAN BRING THIS SAMPLE IN BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT IF YOU WOULD LIKE SO WE HAVE RESULTS AT YOUR APPOINTMENT. We no longer use fecal loops to collect stool from cats..these are uncomfortable and don’t give us a large enough sample to get an accurate test.

4. FELV/FIV test: if your kitten hasn’t already had one.

5. We will go over any vaccines your kitten has already had and discuss a plan that fits your kitten’s lifestyle. You will receive a kitten folder that includes various handouts on kitten care.

6. Discuss spay/neuter timing

7. Discuss heartworm/flea prevention

Follow up appointments will include a brief exam to check development/answer questions. deworm(price included with exam) and keep on vaccine schedule that we discussed at the first visit

Check out the following website for more information: https://catfriendly.com/category-page/kittens/