Welcome to the wonderful journey of raising a fur kid! Here’s what you must know. The first and most important thing to do is to bring your fur kid for a health check up by a certified veterinarian. This is to make sure your fur kid is in good health when you bought or adopted them and also so you can get professional advice on how to care for them.
General signs of a healthy dog/cat
- Eyes are bright, free from eye discharge.
- Nose is moist, free from nose discharge.
- No external wounds, patchy baldness, rashes, dandruff, or scabs on the skin.
- Ears are clean and free from ear discharge or excessive blackish ear wax.
- Gums are pink and moist (Note: some dogs and cats may have normal black pigmentation on their gums).
- Free from parasites such as flea, ticks, and lice.
- Active and has a good appetite.
What to expect during your first visit to the vet
- Your vet will usually perform a basic physical examination on your pet. Additional tests or procedures may be required depending on the pet’s condition.
- Deworming and external parasite treatment are usually applied on the first visit. However, vaccinations will usually only be carried out on the second visit. This is due to the incubation period of common infectious diseases that last for 1-2 weeks. Besides, new puppies or kittens usually need some time to adapt to their new environments.
- Optional ear cleaning and nail clipping service.
- Feel free to ask your vet about other important issues such as pet insurance , microchipping, neutering, heartworm prevention, and common breed problems.
Vaccination regime
** Large dog breeds require a 4th booster at 20 weeks old.
** Keep them strictly in the house until they are fully vaccinated.
** Other optional vaccines: Rabies, Kennel Cough (Dog); Feline Leukemia Virus (Cat)
Deworm regime
Starts at 2 weeks old, followed by every 2 weeks until 2 months old. Subsequently, monthly deworming until 6 months old.
Routine deworming should be once a month (for higher risk pets), most household pets will require deworming once every 3-6 months.
Ectoparasite regime
Depending on the product used, ectoparasite prevention can range from monthly to every 8 months. Do check with your vet for recommendations when selecting an ectoparasite product for your pet.
Heartworm prevention
Dogs: Monthly oral/spot-on prevention or yearly injections.
Cats: Monthly spot-on prevention.
Last but not least, remember to keep your new pet separated from other pets at home for at least 1 week or as advised by the vet after you have just brought them home. Embrace the love of your new family member! And of course, feel free to contact us for an appointment.
Dr.Chan Jia Xin
Sri Petaling Veterinary Clinic & Surgery
Related Page You May Be Interested In:
- Learn more about our Vet for Dogs services to help your pet recover from injuries and improve mobility.
- Explore our Vet for Cats services designed to address fractures, luxations, and other orthopedic conditions.
- Discover how our Veterinary Surgery solutions can restore function and alleviate pain in pets of all sizes.
- Ensure your pet receives ongoing care with our Veterinary Care services, focused on both recovery and preventive health.