Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Being a new puppy owner is exciting, but it can get overwhelming. There is so much information out there on what to feed, what not to feed, what toys to get, the importance of socialization, potty training, vaccines, preventatives, the list goes on and on. You may be thinking: where do I even start? Call and schedule an appointment with Frost Family Pet Clinic located in the Rockford/Loves Park, IL area and we can help you navigate these muddy waters.
Prior to Your Exam
Please text or email a copy of your puppy’s previous records to the clinic. Also, bring these records to your first appointment. Having these records helps our team to be better prepared for your appointment.
Physical Exam
Let’s start with the first veterinary visit. Our Certified Veterinary Technicians will review your paperwork and discuss a plan for the visit. Then the veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam from the tip of their nose to the end of their tail to ensure that your puppy is healthy. As a Fear Free Certified clinic, we are sure to provide a calm and quiet atmosphere, use calming pheromones, and feed plenty of treats to give your puppy the best stress-free experience possible.
Vaccinations
A comprehensive physical exam is performed at each visit. After the examination is performed, we may be able to start vaccines depending on how old the puppy is. Ideally we start vaccines at 8 weeks of age. Then they get boostered at 12 and 16 weeks of age.
8 Week Visit
At 8 weeks of age the Distemper and Bordetella vaccines can be given. The Distemper vaccine will need to be boostered at 12 weeks of age and again at 16 weeks. After the 16 week booster, the Distemper vaccine is protective for one year. The Bordetella vaccine does not need to be boostered and is protective for one year.
12 Week Visit
At 12 weeks of age your puppy returns for it’s second Distemper booster. At this time we may also start the Leptospirosis and Lyme vaccines. These two vaccines need to be boostered one more time at the 16 week visit.
16 Week Visit
At 16 weeks of age your puppy returns for the third and final Distemper vaccine in the series. At this time they are old enough for their Rabies vaccine, which is protective for 1 year. If the Leptospirosis and Lyme vaccines were given at 12 weeks old, then they will need to be boostered at this visit as well.
Deworming
In addition to vaccines, we administer 2 dewormings to rid your puppy of any intestinal parasites they may have. A fecal exam is performed under a microscope to make sure they don’t have any unwanted friends. If intestinal parasites are found, medications are dispensed to rid your puppy of them.
Preventative Care
To start your puppy out on the right paw we provide you with your first free doses of flea/tick and heartworm prevention. Both of these preventatives are given once monthly all year round for the duration of your puppies life.
Spay/Neuter
One of the many things you can do for your pet’s health is spaying/neutering. In most cases, we recommend your pet gets spayed/neutered after 6 months of age. In certain cases they may need to be spayed/neutered after 1 year to allow their joints and bodies to fully develop. Specific timing can be discussed at your visit. We require pre anesthetic blood work prior to any surgery to be certain their bodies are healthy enough to process the anesthesia.
Microchipping
A microchip is highly recommended for all pets. These tiny rice-sized implants are registered specifically to you with all of your information, so if they ever get lost they can easily make their way home. It is a great second line of defense after their ID collars.
We can’t wait to meet your new family member. Hope to see you soon!