Annual Wellness Exam
We recommend wellness exams at least once a year. Vaccinations for your pet depend on age, lifestyle, and risk of exposure on an individual basis. While some vaccines are administered annually to adult animals, others may be recommended every three years.
Vaccines Recommended:
Dogs
- Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine once or twice yearly depending on kennel/grooming requirements
- Distemper/Adenovirus/Parainfluenza/Parvovirus (DAPP) one year following puppy series and then every three years
- Rabies one year following puppy series and then every three years
- Canine Influenza vaccine is available and should be discussed directly with the veterinarian treating your pet
- Parasite Control and Heartworm preventative as needed
Puppy Series– Parvovirus can cause fatal diarrhea for young unvaccinated or recently vaccinated puppies, and is spread from infected dog feces in the environment. All puppies should avoid public spaces such as parks, front yards, or sidewalks until they have finished their vaccine series. Puppy classes with other well-vaccinated animals are acceptable in a confined and antiseptically cleaned setting.
6 to 8 weeks old
- Physical examination for congenital or other diseases
- Fecal exam for parasites
- Internal parasite medication
- DAPP vaccine
- Microchip identification can be done at any age
- Heartworm control as needed
8 to 12 weeks old
- Repeat above
- Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine
12 to 16 weeks old
- Repeat above
- Rabies vaccine
Cats
Prior to bringing a new kitten or adult cat into a home, it should be determined that the pet is not carrying Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) or Feline Immunodeficiency “AIDS” Virus (FIV). This test can be run with a small blood sample and within a few minutes at the hospital during the initial exam.
- FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, parainfluenza virus) vaccine one year following kitten series and then every three years
- Rabies annually – we use PureVax Rabies vaccine to minimize the incidence of fibrosarcoma (this tumor was found to be associated with one to three out of 10,000 vaccination sites with older, adjuvanted rabies and FeLV vaccines)
- FeLV annually for cats with exposure (PureVax Leukemia vaccine is used for the same reason as above)
- Parasite control as needed
Kitten Series–
6 to 8 weeks old
- Physical examination for congenital or other diseases
- Fecal exam for parasites
- Internal parasite oral medication
- FVRCP vaccine
- Microchip identification can be done at any age
- Vaccinate for FeLV at 8 weeks if exposure level indicates
8 to 12 weeks old
- Repeat above
12 to 16 weeks old
- Repeat above
- Rabies vaccine