New Pet FAQ

New Puppy/Dog FAQ

1. How often should I take my puppy to the vet?
   • Make an appointment to bring your new puppy in right away for a complete physical.   At this appointment we will discuss a vaccine protocol that works for both you and your puppy.  Most puppies need to be seen for vaccines every 2 to 4 weeks for the first 4 to 5 months of age.

2. How often should I bathe/groom my puppy?  What should I use to bathe my puppy?
   • It is recommended to bathe/have your dog groomed every 4-6 weeks.  With puppies however, if they get soiled it is ok to bathe them as needed. You can also use hypoallergenic baby wipes between baths for spot clean-ups.
   • We recommend any type of gentle dog or puppy shampoo.  Do not use human shampoo (even baby shampoo) as it can strip their coats of essential oils.

3. What should I feed my puppy?  How often?  How much?
   • We recommend any number of high quality diets such as: Iams, Hill’s Science Diet, Eukanuba, Purina ONE/Purina Proplan, Wellness or Natural Balance.  Make sure to keep them on a PUPPY diet for their first year.  Keep the protein simple – chicken or beef are fine choices to start.  If you or your pet have issues with those please speak with us so we can decide together what best fits your family.
   • Although breeders/pet stores/groomers/trainers have good intentions towards your pets’ health, please discuss ANY diet changes with us before making them.
   • We DO NOT recommend any type of raw diet.
   • Puppies should eat at least 3 times per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). 
   • The amount to feed varies with each puppy and diet.  We will be happy to discuss this with you at your appointment.

4. Housebreaking?
   • Housebreaking can be complicated.  We recommend crate training and a lot of patience.  At your first appointment we can discuss and troubleshoot any challenges you may be encountering as well as offer some helpful tips and literature.

5.    Puppy classes?
   • We highly recommend puppy/training classes for you and your family.  Not only are they a great way to get your pup trained, but they help to socialize them to other pets and people.
   • For basic puppy class/obedience training you can try Petco or your town may offer them as well though the rec center.  Always go and observe a training session BEFORE signing your pup up to make sure you like the trainer and the way they handle the dogs. Also be sure to only attend classes that require the puppies be properly vaccinated.

6. What type of treats should I give my dog?
   • Treats, in general, are fine to give your puppy and there are many types and flavors to choose from.  HOWEVER, everything should be given in moderation. Your puppy should not be getting TOO many treats a day; you don’t want them to spoil their dinner!  If you are using them for training, make sure to get small training treats so they don’t get overfed.
   • TREATS WE DO NOT RECOMMEND
     1. Bones of any kind
     2. Any type of animal body part –pig ears, ox tails, bully sticks, etc.  They are not healthy for your pet and can hurt their teeth.
     3. Anything “freeze dried”

7. What types of toys are safe for my dog?
   • For chewing KONG brand toys are great!
   • Stuffed toys are ok as long as your pup doesn’t tear them up.
   • Tennis balls are ok but can damage teeth if played with too long.
   • Watch out for anything they can easily destroy or swallow. And make sure to take away any toy that is damaged.

8. My dog has a microchip – what does that mean?
   • A microchip is a form of identification for your pet.
   • If your dog has a microchip one of the most important things is to have it registered to you (if it is not we can do that for you at your first visit).
   • If your pup does not have a microchip and you are interested in one, we can discuss that at your visit.

9. Should I get pet insurance?
   • YES!  Pet insurance is a great thing to have.  Some policies even cover annual exams and preventatives!
   • At your first visit we will give you the names of a few different companies.
   • We recommend comparing different companies to see what the best fit is for you.

10. What type of flea and tick prevention should I be using?
    • We recommend a few different types of prevention that we will discuss with you at your first visit.
    • Please call us before using any treatments on your pup.
    • We DO NOT recommend ANY Hartz products.

11. Should my puppy be getting any vitamins?
    • If you are feeding a high quality puppy diet vitamins should not be necessary, but they are not harmful. Please make sure they are PET vitamins.

New Kitten/Cat FAQ

1. How often should I take my kitten to the vet?
   • Make an appointment to bring your new kitten in right away for a complete physical.   We will discuss a vaccine protocol that works for you and your kitten.  Most kittens need to be seen for vaccines every 2 to 4 weeks for the first 4 to 5 months of age.

2. Litter boxes?
   • It is recommended to always have 1 more litter box than you have cats, i.e. if you have 1 cat you should have 2 litter boxes etc.
   • Always stay with the same litter.  Some cats will soil outside of the box if you keep changing the type of litter they use.
   • Try to keep their box in the same spot. 
   • If using clumping litter you should clean their box at least ONCE a day along with a full clean weekly.
     1. If using non clumping litter it is best to do a full clean daily.

3. How often should I groom my kitten?  What should I use to bathe my kitten?
   • If you have a short hair kitten bathing should not be necessary.
   • It is recommended to brush your long haired kitten out daily.  And to see a groomer when needed.
   • With kittens however, if they get soiled it is ok to bathe them as needed. You can also use hypoallergenic baby wipes for spot clean-ups.
   • We recommend any type of gentle kitten shampoo.  Do not use human shampoo (even baby shampoo) as it can strip their coats of essential oils.

4. What should I feed my kitten?  How often?  How much?
   • We recommend any number of high quality diets such as: Iams, Hill’s Science Diet, Eukanuba, Purina ONE/Purina Proplan, Wellness or Natural Balance.  Make sure to keep them on a KITTEN diet for their first year.  Keep the protein simple – chicken or beef are fine choices to start.  If you or your pet have issues with those please speak with us so we can decide together what best fits your family.
   • Although breeders/pet stores/groomers/trainers have good intentions towards your pets’ health, please discuss ANY diet changes with us before making them.
   • We DO NOT recommend any type of raw diet.
   • Kittens should eat at least 3 times per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). 
   • The amount to feed varies with each kitten and diet.  We will be happy to discuss this with you at your appointment

5. What type of treats should I give my kitten?
   • Treats, in general, are fine to give your pet and there are many varieties to choose from.  HOWEVER, everything should be given in moderation.  Your kitten should not be getting TOO many treats a day. Kitten food should be the main component of their diet, not treats. 

6. Declawing?
   • We do not recommend declawing your cat.  There are other alternatives we will be happy to discuss with you at your appointment.

7. What types of toys are safe for my kitten?
   • Stuffed toys are ok as long as your kitten doesn’t tear them up.
   • Watch out for anything they can easily destroy or swallow.
   • NO STRING TOYS

8. My kitten has a microchip – what does that mean?
   • A microchip is a form of identification for your pet.
   • If your kitten has a microchip one of the most important things is to have it registered to you (if it is not we can do that for you at your first visit).
   • If you kitten does not have a microchip and you are interested in one, we can discuss that at your visit.

9. Should I get pet insurance?
   • YES!  Pet insurance is a great thing to have.  Some policies will even cover annual exams and preventatives!
   • At your first visit we will give you the names of a few different companies.
   • We recommend comparing different companies to see what the best fit is for you.

10. What type of flea and tick prevention should I be using?
    • We recommend a few different types of prevention that we will discuss with you at your first visit.
    • Please call us before using any treatments on your kitten.
    • We DO NOT recommend ANY Hartz products.

11. Should my kitten be getting any vitamins?
    • If you are feeding a high quality kitten diet vitamins should not be necessary, but they are not harmful. Please make sure to only use PET vitamins.