Puppy & Kitty Care

Congratulations on the furry addition to your family! We encourage you to get your new puppy or kitty off on the right paw by visiting Orange Park Animal Hospital at Oakleaf sooner rather than later. These early visits lay the foundation for quality care that supports a long, happy, and healthy life. They also present opportunities for Dr. James Gillen and our team in Oakleaf Plantation, FL, to identify potential developmental problems when addressed proactively.

This is just the first in many visits that you can expect to have at our office; however, there are some notable distinctions. For starters, the first puppy or kitten visit is just as much about acquainting your pet to our office as it is about our professionals getting to know your fur baby. Additionally, there are certain considerations to discuss that are specific to the unique needs of puppies and kittens (training, proper nutrition, etc.).

Here are a few of the things that you can expect from that initial appointment:

• Like well visits for our adult patients, we’ll want to perform a thorough “nose-to-tail” check. We’re looking for potential abnormalities related to the eyes, ears, heart, lungs, skin, hair, and other areas and organs. Our findings will inform future visits; they serve as a necessary baseline and foundation. We can compare future exam findings to what we detect during this initial visit.

• Advanced onsite diagnostics support our efforts to get a whole, accurate picture of the health of your pet. We may order tests to check for evidence of abnormalities, such as the presence of worms. We can then use our findings to resolve the problem at hand quickly and effectively.

• Depending on your pup’s or kitty’s age and the shots that they’ve already received, we will discuss the schedule of remaining vaccinations that are needed to protect against life-threatening diseases (such as those caused by parasites and other pests). We will also discuss preventives to keep your pet healthy. Bloodwork may also be done for kittens that weren’t previously tested for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or Feline Leukemia Virus.

• Professional guidance that you can trust takes on many forms. We are happy to answer any questions or concerns that you may have about potty training or litterbox training. Additionally, we may discuss suggestions and products to aid in socializing your pup or kitty. As with humans, anxieties in puppies and kittens often develop early in life, so it’s essential to introduce your pet properly to other animals and common triggers like vacuums, bicycles, or young children. Our team also has a particular interest in quality nutritional consulting. We can suggest foods and products that are made for young pets.

Likewise, there is no time like now to discuss microchipping to protect your pup or kitty. We offer a variety of in-house wellness plans that are suited to your pet at every life stage. These plans are designed to provide affordable coverage of preventive services and offer generous discounts on other services that your pup or kitten may need. Contact us today to start your pet’s health journey!