Puppy & Kitten Care

Puppy Care & Vaccinations

We want your puppy to be healthy and happy! This guide gives recommendations and explanations on vaccine schedules, spay/neuter procedure timing, and microchip implantation. If you have a large or giant breed dog, we recommend taking radiographs of the hips to evaluate your dog for hip dysplasia.

We suggest keeping your new puppy confined to your own yard until they receive all necessary vaccines. To further reduce the risk of exposing your dog to a potentially fatal disease, we recommend avoiding parks, kennels, and play time with other dogs until your new puppy is fully vaccinated.

Core vaccines are recommended for all dogs, and should be given in a series of three at the following intervals:

• 8 weeks: Exam, DA2PPV, Simparica Trio, Fecal
• 12 weeks: Exam, DA2PPV, Leptospirosis, Simparica Trio, Bordetella, Lyme
• 16 weeks: Exam, DA2PPV, Leptospirosis, Simparica Trio, Bordetella, Rabies, Lyme, Microchip (Optional)

* We typically test for heartworm at a dog's one year appointment.

Core vaccines will be administered one year after the final puppy shot and then on an annual basis.

• Distemper may cause signs varying from respiratory infection (coughing, sneezing) to intestinal issues (diarrhea, vomiting).
• Hepatitis may cause severe liver damage or death.
• Parainfluenza may cause mild to severe flu-like symptoms.
• Parvovirus may cause severe vomiting and diarrhea that can lead to dehydration and death.
• Rabies affects the brain and central nervous systems. Rabies can affect humans and is always fatal if left untreated.

Non-core vaccines should be given to dogs on an individual, as-needed basis.

• Bordetella (Kennel Cough) can cause a severe cough.
• Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can cause potentially fatal kidney and liver disease. This disease is transmissible to people.
• Lyme disease is a bacterial disease that can cause arthritis and high fevers.

Kitten Care & Vaccinations

We want your kitten to be healthy and happy! This guide gives recommendations and explanations regarding core and non-core vaccines, microchipping, declaw surgery, and spay/neuter procedure.

Core vaccines are recommended for all cats and should be administered in a series of three at the following intervals:

• 8 weeks old: Exam, FVRCP, Fecal, Revolution Plus
• 12 weeks old: Exam, FVRCP, FELV/FIV Testing, Revolution Plus and Felv Vaccination
• 16 weeks old: Exam, FVRCP, Rabies, FELV vaccination, Revolution Plus, Microchip (optional)

Core vaccines will be given one year from the final kitten vaccination and then on an annual basis.

• Distemper (Panleukonia) can cause vomiting and diarrhea and is often fatal to young animals.
• Rhinotracheitis is a highly contagious virus that can cause fever, sneezing, eye and nasal discharge, and loss of appetite.
• Calcivirus is similar to Rhinotracheitis, but can also cause sores or ulcers on the tongue, mouth or esophagus.
• Rabies is a virus that affects the brain and central nervous system. Rabies can affect humans and is always fatal if left untreated.

Non-core vaccines are determined based on an individual, as needed basis.

• Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is primarily a disease that affects kittens, and can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms mimic those of many other diseases. The available test is not 100% accurate, additionally the available vaccine is poorly effective and not routinely recommended.
• Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is very similar to the human AIDS virus. It’s primarily transmitted through bite wounds involving blood. Disease from mother to kitten is also possible. A reliable diagnostic test is available, however, no vaccine currently exists.
• Feline Leukemia (FeLV) is a virus that can produce a wide range of signs from respiratory infection to cancer. FeLV is easily transmitted through saliva, urine, and feces. The FeLV vaccine should be part of the original core vaccines for kittens and one-year old cats. Following the initial vaccinations for FeLV, the vaccine will be reserved for yearly use in cats that go outside.

Multi-Cat Households

If you are bringing a new kitten into a household with other cats, we recommend testing your kitten for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus before introducing the cats to one another. We recommend confining the kitten for a slow introduction. Patience may be required as it can take days, weeks, or even longer. However, most cats adapt and learn to live in harmony.

Cat Declaw Surgery

If you are considering declawing your kitten, we recommend having it done at a young age. Kittens must be at least two months old and weigh at least two pounds, but the younger they are at the time of surgery, the faster they will heal with less complications.

The Role of our Omaha Veterinary Surgeons

Microchipping

Microchips are permanent, affordable, and help pet owners find lost pets. For this reason, we recommend all pets be microchipped! Unlike collars and tags, microchips are forever and cannot be removed. Still, the doctors at Prairie Lane Veterinary Hospital recommend using collars, tags, and microchips for your pet’s optimal safety in case of an accident. The Nebraska Humane Society requires all cats to either wear collars or be microchipped.

A microchip is as tiny as a grain of rice and implanted similarly to a routine vaccination beneath the skin between the shoulder blades. The entire process is quick and painless! What makes microchips so valuable is the unique, patented radio communication that provides quick and reliable information to identify an animal.

We use PetLink. If your pet is ever lost and scanned for a microchip, your contact information and your pet’s personal identification information is revealed. This can make a world of difference in reuniting with your furry family member!