A Healthy Start With Your New Kitten or Puppy
Puppies and kittens bring love, laughter, and warmth to their owners’ lives. But like all living creatures, they need proper medical care to thrive. Veterinary care is one of the most important investments you can make in your puppy or kitten’s health and well-being.
Regular veterinary checkups are essential to monitor your kitten or puppy’s growth, nutrition, and overall physical health. Your veterinarian can detect and diagnose problems early on and treat them before they become too serious.
A Welcome, Comfortable Place for New Furry Family Members
The veterinarians at Kaua'i North Shore Animal Clinic are trained and experienced to help you set a solid foundation for your new pet. We recommend setting up your first appointment as soon as your furry friends join your family. If your pet is younger than eight weeks old, we can establish care and begin deworming. Once your pet is eight weeks old, we can begin vaccinating to protect your pet against serious illnesses like distemper, hepatitis, and other diseases.
From that first appointment, our veterinary team will begin to provide preventive care to kitten and puppy patients. This includes nose-to-tail exams, routine vaccinations, deworming, and flea and tick prevention. At a puppy or kitten visit, you can expect:
- Vaccination recommendations completely based on your pet’s lifestyle needs
- Preventive exams to not only check for signs illness and parasites, but also to create a baseline health standard to use for future visits
- Nutrition suggestions to ensure your young pet is getting the proper dietary requirements for good health
- Information about training and behavior to set your puppy or kitten up on the right paw
We’re here to ensure your pet is cared for and comfortable when they visit us. In fact, we love it when you and your new furry family members stop by, even when you don’t have an appointment. Let your pet get a treat from our team and check our facility to get comfortable with visiting us. On the day of a check-up, bringing a favorite toy or treat can be a big help. We also have a full PDF of tips for first-time visits to help any nervous pets or their anxious owners.
Start early. With early and routine wellness care, you can help build and maintain a healthy lifestyle for your pet. As part of our commitment to making care more accessible, our wellness plans help to make keeping up with routine visits even easier. Combine a wellness plan with pet insurance for the most comprehensive coverage for your new puppy or kitten!
Start Building and Maintaining Your New Pet’s Health
Your veterinary team is here to help you and your furry friend find the best course of care to start a great life together. You’ll want to discuss several topics with our caring team so that we can tailor the care options tailored for your pet.
- Food and Diet: Dogs and cats have certain nutritional needs as they grow to adulthood. We can help you find the best food options and feeding practices to help set your pet up for success.
- Spaying and Neutering: We recommend spaying or neutering your pet for their health and well-being. However, you should talk to your veterinarian about your options. Age recommendations can vary by breed, so your veterinarian can help you determine the best time for the surgical procedure for your pet and the best options for post-surgical pain management.
- Indoor vs. Outdoor: The more we know about your pets, the better we can care for them. Lifestyle considerations help guide your pet’s veterinary team on the vaccination and deworming protocol that fits them best.
- Travel Plans: It’s important to decide if pets will travel to the mainland or stay on Kaua’i throughout their lives. Depending on your pet’s planned lifestyle, your veterinarian can ensure your pet has the right preventive care year-round.