Rea Road Animal Hospital

Puppy & Kitten Care

Adding a new puppy or kitten to the family is an exciting time and should be a cause of celebration. With their funny antics and loving nature, it’s no secret that pets bring much joy and happiness into our lives.

Caring For Your New Pet

Just like human babies, puppies and kittens require special care and attention for their growth and development. In order to prepare for a long and healthy life, puppies and kittens will need to visit the veterinarian for check-ups more frequently than adult pets would. This is to ensure they are free from any developmental issues and also to provide them with the proper vaccinations they need.

If you just brought a new puppy or kitten home, the first thing you should do is schedule a first visit. During your pet’s first visit, we will discuss a list of recommended pet care and veterinary services, including spay/neuter surgery, microchipping, and vaccinations.

Spay/Neuter Procedure

Our team of veterinary surgeons at Rea Road Animal Hospital are highly skilled in performing effective and safe spay and neuter surgeries. We suggest spaying or neutering pets once they have had all of their vaccinations, are at least 6 months old, and are not intended for breeding.

Unwanted litters are costly and time-consuming, so if you do not intend to responsibly breed your pet, spay/neuter surgery is the best option for you. In addition, thousands of animals are euthanized because shelters have reached capacity each year. For this reason, spay/neuter surgery is the best option for the community too!

Pets who are spayed or neutered tend to have longer lifespans, be more even-tempered, and better family pets. The surgery offers several other health and behavioral benefits for your pet, including:

The spay surgery for female pets prevents:

  • Unwanted litters
  • Heat periods
  • Mammary and uterine issues, such as cancer and infections
  • Undesirable behaviors, such as urine marking and howling

The neuter surgery for male pets prevents:

  • Unwanted litters
  • Prostate disease and testicular cancer
  • Aggressive behaviors
  • Undesirable behaviors, such as urine marking and the urge to roam

As with any veterinary surgery at Rea Road Animal Hospital, you can be sure you and your pet are in the right care and will be treated with the utmost care and compassion.

Microchipping

Even the best pet parents can lose their pets, no matter how careful they can be. Accidents happen and it’s important to take preventative measures to keep from losing a pet. Every year, it’s a fact that millions of lost pets are turned into veterinary offices or animal shelters. Sadly, the majority of these lost pets are never reunited with their families.

A microchip can carry the pet owner’s contact information, which helps increase the chances of lost pets returning to their original homes. Microchipping is a simple and virtually pain-free procedure that implements a rice-sized chip in between the pet’s shoulder blades. The procedure only takes a few seconds and is comparable to a routine vaccination.

After the microchip is implanted, it’s ready to be registered in the national pet-finding database. Once the microchip is registered, the pet will have the owner’s contact information for the rest of their life. It is important to note that microchips can be updated in the database if pet owners move or change phone numbers, so be sure to keep this in mind and update accordingly.  

In addition to microchipping, we recommend using all forms of identification, including ID tags and pet collars, as the fear of being separated from a pet can be a terrifying thought.

Vaccinations

Routine vaccinations are considered to be one of the first lines of defense against many potentially fatal diseases. Vaccines have revolutionized medicine and have saved millions of human and animal lives since their invention. Thanks to vaccines, some fatal diseases that used to be common are now rare. It is critical for pets to receive the core recommended injections to protect them against disease.

Core vaccinations are recommended for all pets. These core vaccinations include:

  • Dogs: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza) and Rabies
  • Cats: FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia), and Rabies

At Rea Road Animal Hospital, our team carefully researches the most effective protocol for vaccines and takes into consideration any risks of exposure in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In addition, based on the pet’s lifestyle, risk of exposure, and current health conditions, our veterinarians may recommend these non-core vaccinations:

  • Dogs: Lyme, Bordetella, Canine Influenza, and Leptospirosis
  • Cats: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia (FeLV)

We also offer canine distemper/parvo titers in lieu of vaccines for dogs. It is important to note that while exposing the pet’s immune system to a safe and controlled dose of the particular threat, it does not actually make the animal sick. This allows them to be better prepared in the event of a disease outbreak, and will help to fight against it. Our team at Rea Road Animal Hospital takes extreme care and precaution when vaccinating pets under our care, and believes that a quick prick will prevent serious or even fatal diseases down the line.

Join the Rea Road Animal Hospital Family Today!

Located on the corner of Rea Road and Williams Pond Lane. Take Exit 59 on the Governor James G Martin Freeway (I-485).

Phone: 704-544-6313

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