New Bedford Pet Owners: Initial Veterinary Check-up for Pets
Some animals may suffer from anxiety during their scheduled veterinary checkups. Understanding when to visit your vet in Southeastern Massachusetts for a checkup can help you save money. Our veterinary hospital on the South Coast provides comprehensive care for pets, from routine exams and vaccinations to advanced dental care and long-term treatment plans for chronic diseases. We also take on emergency cases as needed, and serve as a Dartmouth emergency vet.
An appointment should be made if you’re worried about the health or safety of your pet.
Otherwise, schedule regular checkups with your vet. Depending on your pet’s age, lifestyle, and current health, we can schedule new pet exams, yearly appointments, and preventive services. Senior pets should be examined twice a year to make sure they are not experiencing any mobility issues or age-related conditions, and very young animals should be seen more frequently to keep up with vaccination schedules. When you consult with your local veterinarian, they can help you design a plan that fits your lifestyle and that of your pet.
New Pet Veterinary Check-up
Bring your new puppy or kitten in for an appointment with your vet in southeast Massachusetts right away. You should probably bring them inside before bringing them to your home or introducing them to your other cats and dogs. The first visit to the vet sets the tone for a lifetime of preventative care and treatment. Puppies should visit the vet for the first time between the ages of eight and ten weeks old, during which time a thorough examination can be performed to ascertain the puppy’s overall health and the first series of vaccines can be administered, protecting the puppy against diseases such as rabies, parainfluenza, distemper, parvo, and many others. A kitten’s first trip to the vet should be between the ages of six and eight weeks, and will include a thorough physical examination, a deworming program, and a series of vaccinations designed to protect against common feline diseases and parasites.
All of these preventive treatments offered by your South Coast veterinary clinic are, as you can imagine, crucial to the health and wellbeing of your new pet, your existing pets, and everyone living in your home. Parasites like fleas, ticks, and some worms can transmit disease to humans and vice versa. Whatever species or age of pet you choose to adopt, you will be taking on a great deal of responsibility. Anchor Animal Hospital is available 24/7 and offers both emergency services and routine checkups for pets in the Dartmouth area. Even if you’re an experienced pet owner, we have something to offer you. At that initial consultation, you and your veterinarian can go over your pet’s basic care, including grooming, diet, training, and pet-proofing.
Advice for New Bedford Pet Owners
Based on your pet’s health and individual needs, your veterinarian in Southeastern Massachusetts will recommend a schedule for future veterinary check-up appointments. Normal pet care, after the first visit when a puppy or kitten is healthy, focuses primarily on vaccinations. Depending on when the first vaccination was given, you should plan on bringing your pet in every three to four weeks until it is 16 weeks old. After that, you should schedule a checkup in six months to make sure everything is still going well and to address any concerns you may have regarding your pet’s diet, training, or behavior.
Visit the South Coast veterinary clinic annually from the first year on up to about ten years of age. This will ensure that they get any necessary rabies or bordetella boosters as needed to comply with local laws and their own personal health and safety standards. Some pet owners plan these visits around upcoming vacations or other special events to ensure their pets are well taken care of and safe, while others time them with the seasons so they can get their pets on preventive medications. If your pet is ten years old or older, your vet may advise more frequent checkups to monitor for potential health problems or age-related conditions.
Visit a South Coast Veterinarian
If you live in Southeastern Massachusetts and have any type of pet, whether it’s brand new, adopted, or you just want a change, don’t hesitate to call Anchor Animal Hospital. To the pet and owner communities of Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, we’ve been offering high-quality care and services since 1975. When you need an emergency vet in Dartmouth for things like surgery, advanced dental care, ongoing treatments, and more, you can count on us. To make an appointment for a veterinary examination, please call our office at 508-996-3731.