Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Our mission is to properly educate you on how to raise a healthy, happy puppy to adulthood. We schedule the series of puppy visits to be 30 minute appointments, because we feel it is important to spend time with you and your puppy, making sure we cover all the important topics like vaccines, parasites, behavior, food, microchip, and socialization. Here is a detailed outline of what to expect at each puppy visit.
First Visit
- Physical Exam – The doctor will thoroughly examine your puppy and talk with you about feeding, house-training, dental care, and answer any questions that you may have.
- Vaccines – The doctor will administer the first of a series of 3-4 DPV (Distemper-Parvo) vaccines that are all 3 weeks apart.
- Intestinal Parasite Test – The test is done at an outside lab, and it will tell us within a day what types of parasites, including Giardia and Coccidia, are in your puppy’s stool.Intestinal Parasite Medicine – All puppies have intestinal parasites. This medicine will treat all the basic parasites: roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. If the intestinal parasite test comes back positive for other parasites, then we will give your puppy additional medicine. Most puppies need dewormed at least twice.
- First Heartworm/Intestinal Parasite tablet – This tablet will be the first of many that your pet will take in its lifetime. This easy-to-give and tasty monthly tablet will protect your pet from heartworm disease, roundworms, and hookworms.
- First Flea Treatment – This is an easy to use topical treatment that you put on the neck of your pet or an oral tablet that will protect your pet from fleas and/or ticks for 1 month.
- Puppy Information Kit – This handy bag is full of all sorts of important information to help you raise your pet. Please review it when you get home and bring back any questions you may have on your next visit.
Second Visit
- Physical Exam – The doctor will thoroughly examine your puppy and answer any questions that you may have after reading your puppy information kit.
- Vaccines – The doctor will administer the second DPV vaccine in the series. At this time, you can discuss your puppy’s risk for Kennel Cough.
- Intestinal Parasite Test – The test is done at an outside lab, and it will tell us within a day what types of parasites, including Giardia and Coccidia, are in your puppy’s stool.
- Heartworm/Intestinal Parasite Prevention – The doctor will give a single monthly dose until we can judge your puppy’s adult weight.
- Flea Treatment – This medication also goes by your puppy’s weight. Single tablets or topical applications will be given monthly until your puppy reaches his/her adult weight.
Third Visit
- Exam – The doctor will thoroughly examine your puppy again and answer any questions you may have about behavior, dental care, intestinal parasite prevention, micro-chipping, spay/neuter, housetraining, etc.
- Vaccines – The doctor will administer the third DPV vaccine. At this time, the doctor will discuss your puppy’s risk for other diseases that you can vaccinate against, such as Lyme disease and Leptospirosis. If you decide to vaccinate against these diseases, the first vaccine of that series will be administered.
- Intestinal Parasite Medication – The doctor will prescribe another round of dewormer to ensure that your puppy is free of intestinal parasites.
- Heartworm/Intestinal Parasite Prevention – The doctor will give single monthly doses until we can judge what weight your puppy will be as an adult dog.
- Flea Treatment – This medication also goes by your puppy’s weight. Single tablets or topical applications will be given monthly until your puppy reaches his/her adult weight.
- Spay/Neuter Estimate – You will be provided with an estimate for the spay/neuter procedure for your pet.
Spay/Neuter Appointment
- Pre-surgical Exam – The doctor will thoroughly examine your puppy to ensure that he/she is healthy enough for the procedure.
- Spay/Neuter – Your pet will be surgically altered under anesthesia.
- Pre-anesthetic blood work – This test is optional but highly recommended as it gives us a baseline of your puppy’s health.
- Home Again microchip – This is optional but highly recommended. This microchip is implanted underneath the skin in between your puppy’s shoulder blades. If your puppy should ever get lost and returned to a clinic or shelter, he will be scanned for this microchip. Once he is scanned, the clinic or shelter will contact you with his location.
- 12 months Heartworm/Intestinal Parasite Prevention – Your puppy will be close to his adult weight at this time, and you will be able to purchase a full year’s supply of prevention.
- Flea Prevention – You will be able to purchase a larger supply of flea prevention also.
- Rabies Vaccine – The doctor will administer your puppy’s initial rabies vaccine. This vaccine is required by law.
- DPV Vaccine – The doctor will administer the final DPV vaccine in the series if deemed appropriate.
- Lyme and Lepto Vaccines – If you decided to vaccinate against these diseases, the doctor will administer the final vaccine of that series.