Best Friend Care

Congratulations, your new pet (whether young or old, dog or cat) will very quickly become your best friend. You can do no wrong in their eyes. They will never let you down. It’s quite a responsibility, and its foundation is with us. A healthy pet will live a long, loving life with you.

Do you know how old your pet really is?

Pet Aging Charts

The following is a summary of the veterinary care
needed for the major stages of life (baby-adult-senior)
for dogs & cats.

Puppy care - 6 weeks through 16 weeks:

Physical examination
Intestinal deworming
Depending on their monthly age, vaccines to protect against common diseases (e.g., Distemper and Parvo) at 3 to 4 week intervals
Kennel Cough vaccine if puppy boards, is groomed or shown for confirmation
Lyme vaccine if puppy has access to wooded areas, hunts/tracks, etc.
Rabies vaccine when 3 months of age
Begin heartworm prevention at the second visit (usually at 9-12 weeks old)
Begin flea/tick prevention at the second visit
Microchip
Spay or neuter

Adult dog 1-7 years of age

Yearly physical examination
Appropriate vaccinations
Rabies vaccination - required by SC state law of every dog and cat
Intestinal parasite check
Heartworm test and discussion of monthly prevention
Discussion of flea and tick prevention
Administration of flea/tick control
Dental examination with discussion of preventatives
Consultation on diet, weight, and/or behavior problems
Baseline blood panel
Baseline chemistry panel
Urinalysis

Senior dog - 8 years and older

Physical examination every 6 months
Appropriate vaccinations for age and lifestyle
Rabies vaccination - required by SC state law of every dog and cat
Intestinal parasite test
Discussion of flea and tick prevention
Wellness blood profile (which includes chemistry, red and white blood cell count, thyroid and heartworm test)
Urinalysis
Osteoarthritis discussion
Eye pressure test
Chest and/or abdominal x-rays
Geriatric EKG
If on chronic medications (e.g., pain, heart, kidney) discussion on appropriate monitoring tests

Kitten - 6 through 12 weeks of age

Intestinal deworming
Leukemia/FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) test
Depending on their monthly age, vaccines to protect against Respiratory viruses at 3 to 4 week intervals
All kittens (regardless of indoor or outdoor lifestyle) should also receive 2 sets of Leukemia vaccines their first year of life at 3 to 4 week intervals
Rabies vaccine when 3 months of age required by SC state law of every dog and cat
Discussion of heartworm, flea and tick prevention
Discussion of laser declaw procedure
Spay or Neuter
Microchip

Adult Cat - 1 to 7 years of age

Yearly physical examination
Appropriate vaccinations (if indoor cat, Respiratory vaccines and if outdoor cat, respiratory and Leukemia vaccines)
If outdoor cat should consider Leukemia/FIV testing every year
If outdoor cat, intestinal deworming
Discussion of heartworm, flea and tick prevention
Dental examination with discussion of preventatives
Consultation on diet, weight, and/or behavior problems
Baseline blood panel
Baseline chemistry panel
Urinalysis

Senior Cat - 8 years and older

Physical examination every 6 months
Appropriate vaccinations (if indoor cat, Respiratory vaccines and if outdoor cat, Respiratory and Leukemia vaccines)
If outdoor cat - intestinal deworming
Discussion of heartworm, flea and tick prevention
Administration of flea/tick control
Wellness blood profile (which includes chemistry, red and white blood cell count, thyroid and heartworm test)
Urinalysis
Chest X-ray
Geriatric EKG
Blood pressure readins
If on chronic medications (e.g., pain, heart, kidney) discussion on appropriate monitoring tests