Puppies & Kittens

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Being a new pet owner can be intimidating but we are here to answers any questions you may have regarding caring for your new pet.

A few things to keep in mind:

Vaccination

See Vaccination page

Parasites

Parasites are organisms that live in or on a host and thrive at their expense. Young animals are susceptible to internal parasites that may be passed on from the mother during the gestation or nursing period. Puppies and kittens are also at risk for ectoparasites, meaning parasites that live on the skin, such as fleas and ticks. These ectoparasites spread from close contact with an infected animal.

Parasitic infections are extremely common, therefore we recommend testing your new puppy or kitten for internal parasites by running a Fecal PCR which can detect the presence of parasites by searching for specific DNA sequences in their stools. Additionally, we recommend deworming your new puppy or kitten shortly after birth, with a second dose of deworming 3/4 weeks later.

Some common symptoms of internal parasite infections include:

Diarrhea
Vomiting
Pot-bellied appearance
Weight loss
Blood in stools

Some common symptoms of ectoparasite infestations include:

Hair loss
Poor coat appearance
Scratching or biting
Red bumpy areas on the belly

Feeding your puppy

While most dogs enjoy consuming meat, they are omnivores, meaning their digestive system has adapted to consuming starch and carbohydrates. This enables dogs to obtain a lot of nutrients from plant sources.

Growing dogs have an increased need for essential nutrients such as Proteins, Amino Acids, Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron and Omega 3 fatty acids. It is important to keep in mind the exact dietary needs of your puppy based on their age, as those change considerably until they reach the adult stage. Young puppies use nearly 50% of calories for growth, however, when puppies reach 80% of their adult weight, they use only 8-10% of calories for growth. Energy requirements (calorie intake) is highest on a young puppy, and will decrease as your puppy reaches their adult weight. Young puppies are often ravenous, and require more frequent meals (2-3 times a day) in their early stages of development.

Large breed puppies may be at risk for certain skeletal or developmental diseases that can be attributed to over feeding. Large breed puppies should maintain a body condition score of 4/9 during their growth with should be fed their exact energy needs.

Some recommendations from CVH:

Weigh your puppy often
Feed puppy formulated diets
Avoid feeding grain-free diets
Consider adding a multivitamin to your puppy’s diet
If you are considering cooking for your puppy, make sure to obtain a specially formulated diet from your veterinarian.

Feeding your kitten

Cats are carnivores, meaning the most important component of their diet are Proteins and Amino Acids, with the second most important component being Fats. Cats require very specific essential nutrients that must be obtained from their diet, including:

Taurine – Taurine deficiency in cats is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy and retinal degeneration
Vitamin A – Cats cannot synthesize Niacin from Tryptophan and require Vitamin A to be preformed in animal tissues
Vitamin D3 – Cats cannot synthesize vitamin D3 from cholesterol and sun exposure
Arginine – Cats require arginine for urea synthesis which enables them to excrete nitrogen from protein diets

Kittens require 44 essential nutrients, out of which 19 are required for growth. They require higher percentage of Proteins and Amino Acids than adults. They also require Omega 3 fatty acids, ALA, EPA and DHA during their developmental stages.

Kittens are typically 100g at birth and are expected to gain 50-100g per week until they reach 4 months of age (in other words, they will gain 1 pound per month until they are 4 months old). It is important to start feeding your kitten a “kitten formulated diet” beginning at 4 weeks of age. When your kitten reaches 1 year of age they can be switched to an adult diet.

Some recommendations from CVH:

Feed kitten formulated diets until 1 year of age.
Diets free of animal proteins will not meet the nutritional requirements needed for a healthy life.
Cats should be offered multiple small meals per day according to their energy needs. Free feeding often leads to obesity which can be detrimental to the health of your pet and generate numerous issues.
Automatic feeders are a great way to keep food fresh while distributing multiple small meals throughout the day and keep your pet interested in their food.
Kittens should be introduced to a variety of textures and flavors.
Some cats prefer wet food, while others prefer dry food. Avoid mixing both wet and dry food as this can often lead to excessive calorie intake.

Socialization

Canine development

The socialization period in puppies begins at approximately 19 days of age and ends at 12 weeks of age. This period of time is very important in the development of your puppy, it is the period during which your puppy forms attachment to animals of its own species or other species, as well as attachments to certain places. The period of socialization is also a time during which your puppy is most vulnerable to stressors or potential psychological trauma. It is crucial for puppies to be exposed to contact with social partners for proper socialization. While it is not recommended to take your puppy outdoors during this period due to the potential risk of viral diseases, introducing new people and or pets within their home is recommended to promote positive reinforcement to unknown individuals and avoid future fearful behaviors. By the time your puppy reaches 3 months of age, their fear responses might increase if unsocialized, they may become easily startled in response to certain sounds or even movements.

During the socialization period a puppy should be able to play and explore their environment. Animals learn by observation, therefore engaging in play with other dogs is an excellent way for your puppy to develop adult behaviors.

Spaying & Neutering

At Cahuenga Veterinary Hospital we always remind our clients about pet ownership responsibilities and lifetime commitment to their pets, and many pet owners already understand that spayed or neutered pets will live better, longer and healthier life.

Early spaying of female dogs and cats can help protect them from some serious health problems later in life such as uterine infections and mammary tumors.

Neutering your male pet is important to prevent behavioral issues. Intact dogs will display dominant and mounting behaviors, and seek out females, making them prone to running away. Intact cats will display dominant behaviors and tend to mark their territory in or outside the house. They will also assert themselves when in the presence of other cats, making them at risk for fight injuries.

Males may have a congenital abnormality in which one or both of their testis fails to descent into the scrotum (the testicular pouch located outside the body). The retained testis (referred to as cryptorchidism) could be located inside the abdominal cavity, or between the superficial inguinal ring and the scrotum. The location of the retained testicle(s) is determined by ultrasonography. During the early stages of development, the testis are located in the abdomen– near the kidneys, and are anchored by two ligaments. In dogs, testicular descent occurs around the time of birth. As the animal grows, the testis are pulled from the abdominal cavity to the inguinal cavity and eventually make a trans-inguinal descent which moves the testis into the scrotum. Cryptorchidism increases the risks of developing Sertoli cell tumors– neutering is therefore highly recommended to ensure a healthy life for your pet.

Resources

Preparing Your Pet For Surgery

It can be stressful when preparing your pet for surgery. Here are some helpful tips to aid in preparation and recovery.

Testing and Lab Work

Has your pet recently gotten lab work done at our hospital? Here is when to expect test results.

Our Pharmacy

At CVH, we have partnered with an online pharmacy to ensure that your prescription medication ordering process is as easy and affordable as possible.