Cat & Dog Wellness Care in Davenport, IA

Few things are as exciting as adopting a new puppy or kitten. Here are our general puppy and kitten wellness recommendations.

6-16 Weeks Old

Your puppy or kitten’s first visit, which ideally occurs when they are 6-8 weeks old, involves a thorough physical exam, fecal test (to check for parasites), and the start of their booster shots. We recommend the distemper/parvovirus combo for puppies, and the FVRCP combo vaccine for kittens. These boosters should be given every 3-4 weeks until your pet is around 16 weeks old.

16 Weeks Old

When your pet reaches 16 weeks, they will be old enough to receive their rabies vaccine, which is required by law. Additionally, your pet may receive other boosters depending on their lifestyle, environment, and overall risk of infection.

6 Months Old

When your puppy or kitten reaches 6 months of age, they will likely be old enough to be spayed or neutered.

Do you share your home with a lovable senior pet? Here is what we recommend to keep them healthy and pain-free.

A Checkup at Least Once a Year

Senior pets, be they dogs, cats, or exotics, can develop debilitating health problems as they get older. Seeing your pet at least once a year or even every 6 months for their exam and blood work can help us stay on top of potential issues and provide proactive care to prevent painful and possibly life-threatening conditions.

In addition to preventing disease, our veterinary team can also provide treatments to relieve chronic pain and give your pet a better quality of life. We offer laser therapy, chiropractic, and more to keep discomfort to a minimum.

The quality of your pet’s diet and nutrition contributes directly to their quality of life. The tremendous variety of pet foods on the market can make it seem impossible to find the best diet for your pet, but luckily, our team can help to guide you in the right direction. Every pet needs certain nutrients to stay healthy, but they also need to be fed a certain amount at a specific frequency each day for optimal results.

A poor-quality diet can put your pet at a major health disadvantage, leaving them prone to various problems including:

• Weight gain and obesity
• Joint problems caused by obesity
• Diabetes
• Poor condition of the skin and coat
• Tooth decay or even tooth loss
• Problems with essential organ development

When we see your pet for their annual checkup, your vet will discuss your pet’s diet and help you determine whether a change is necessary to improve their health. We also carry high-quality pet diets in-house, which may be in stock. And if you need to order a refill, you can just text us at (563) 391-9522!

Fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal worms are some of your pet’s biggest enemies, though many of them can’t be seen without a magnifying glass or microscope. These pests are certainly annoying and gross, but more than that, they can cause illness in your pet and even spread disease to both animals and humans. Treating your pet with monthly parasite preventatives is the most effective way to prevent infestations and the spread of disease.

At Animal Family Veterinary Care Center, we can provide your pet with an ongoing treatment plan to keep them protected from parasites. During their wellness visit, we’ll screen them for parasites, including intestinal worms and heartworms. If your pet tests negative, we can prescribe their next years’ worth of preventatives.

The problem with conventional heartworm prevention is that missing a dose by just one day can put your pet at an increased risk for infection. Fortunately, our hospital offers an annual injection that keeps pets protected from heartworm disease all year-round. Call us at (563) 391-9522 to learn more!