At West Boca Veterinary Center in Boca Raton, we love meeting our clients' new puppies and kittens! Watching a new puppy or kitten grow and become a valuable companion to their owner is a truly rewarding experience. Of course, to ensure kittens and puppies successfully and healthfully transition into adults requires attention to their health and well-being. A big part of such puppy care and kitten care is ensuring that they are put on and kept on the correct vaccination schedule. The following is a quick look at some of the most important things to know about vaccination for your pet.
Understanding Vaccinations
Vaccinations play a critical role in preventing your pet from suffering the worst from infectious diseases that might otherwise impact their health and longevity. In fact, when you look at dog and cat breed profiles with lower life expectancy, much of that is due to the increased risk of that breed dying at a young age. Common illnesses like parvovirus have a very small survival rate, with vaccinations being the number one way to prevent a pet from succumbing early to such serious diseases.
- Puppy Care: Vaccination Schedule: In the earliest weeks of their lives, puppies receive antibodies when they feed from their mother. However,
once they are weaned, they no longer receive this protection and are ready to enter a vaccination schedule. Our veterinarian team recommends puppies receive their initial vaccines for distemper, parvovirus, and canine hepatitis at around age 6 to 8 weeks. They will then receive boosters every few weeks until age 16 weeks, at which they'll also receive their first round of the mandated rabies vaccination.
- Kitten Care: Vaccination Schedule: Kittens likewise are initially protected from many diseases through their mothers' milk but will need to begin a vaccination schedule once they've been removed from that. For kittens, our veterinarian team will begin with a series of vaccinations for feline viral rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia, and calicivirus (the most common and serious diseases for young cats) at age 6 to 8 weeks (ideally as soon as the kitten has been weaned). We then recommend boosters every three to four weeks until the kitten is also 16 weeks old. For kittens, we often will provide the rabies vaccination at either the 12-week or 16-week booster.
Visit Our Veterinarians in Boca Raton, FL
Are you looking for a veterinarian near you? Are you preparing your home for a new kitten or puppy? Let's make their health a priority! Give our team at West Boca Veterinary Center a call today to schedule your new furry friend's first big veterinarian visit as part of your household where we can assess their overall health and get them on a vaccine schedule.