Protection & Prevention
At Wiggins Veterinary Hospital, we focus on preventive care in order to reduce the likelihood of serious conditions and diseases from occurring in the first place.
Your pet's routine healthcare will include regular wellness exams combined with pet vaccinations and parasite prevention to form a solid foundation for lifelong protection.
Preventive care gives your animal companion a better chance at a long, healthy life. Our team will work together with you and create a plan for routine preventive care that always has your furry friend's best interests in mind.
Vaccination & Reproductive Surgery Schedule
Keeping your cat or dog up to date on vaccinations is a vital part of protecting your furry friend from a range of contagious and potentially serious diseases. Having your pet spayed or neutered not only prevents the birth of unwanted offspring but can also protect against some serious forms of cancer. Reproductive surgeries may also prevent unwanted behaviors such as howling, scooting, roaming, and aggression.
Vaccinations for Cats
Your kitten needs the following vaccines to prevent several serious diseases during their first year:
- 6 to 8 weeks
- Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- 10 to 12 weeks
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia
- 14 to 16 weeks
- Rabies
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia 2
- 5 to 6 months
While these are not vaccinations, spaying, neutering, and microchipping help protect your cat from a number of safety and health issues, and therefore fall under routine preventive care.
- Spay (females) - Having your female cat or kitten spayed prevents the birth of unwanted litters of kittens, protects your cat against serious illnesses, and can help prevent behaviors like the howling and scooting that accompany feline heat cycles.
- Neuter (males) - Neutering your male cat or kitten prevents your pet from fathering unwanted kittens, protects your pet against various potentially serious illnesses, and can help to prevent territory marking (spraying), roaming, howling, and cat aggression.
- Microchipping - A microchip is a tiny, rice-grain-sized permanent form of identification that is placed under your pet’s skin. There is a greater chance of owners reuniting with their pets if they are microchipped.
Dog Vaccinations
Over the first year of life, puppies need these shots to help protect them from dangerous diseases:
- 6 to 8 weeks
- DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- 10 to 12 weeks
- Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Bordetella (Optional)
- Leptospirosis (Optional)
- 14 to 16 weeks
- Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Rabies
- Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Although the following are not puppy vaccinations, spaying, neutering, and microchipping can help protect your dog from several safety and health issues, and should be included as part of your pet's preventive care plan.
- Spay (female) - Spaying will not only prevent your female dog from mothering unwanted puppies, but it can also help to prevent certain cancers and stop heat cycles, which may attract roaming males to your property.
- Neuter (male) - Having your male dog neutered prevents your pet from fathering unwanted puppies, as well as protecting your dog from many types of serious cancers and reducing the risk of roaming and dog aggression.
- Microchipping - A microchip, which is placed under your pet's skin as a permanent form of identification, is about the size of a grain of rice. Pets that are microchipped have a better chance of being reunited with their owners if they are lost.
- 12 to 16 months
- Final Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Rabies
- Final Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Final Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Parasite Prevention
Parasites can pose a serious health threat to both pets and people. If these infections are left untreated, parasites can threaten the life of your pet, and in some cases, can even spread to other people or pets living in your household. We offer parasite prevention products and services that can help protect your dog or cat from the following common parasites:
Fleas
Extremely common external parasites that feed on the blood of birds and mammals. If not addressed, fleas can quickly spread throughout your household.
Ticks
Ticks survive on the blood of mammals and are responsible for the spread of a number of serious conditions in people and pets such as Lyme disease.
Ear Mites
Tiny, highly contagious ear mites make their home in the ear canals of dogs, cats, and other mammals. They reproduce continuously throughout their lifespan.
Heartworm
A thread-like parasitic roundworm that is transmitted via mosquito bites and resides in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of infected animals.
Hookworm
Hookworms live in the digestive tract of cats and dogs where they feed on blood. Hookworms can lead to anemia and other serious conditions.
Roundworm
Roundworms make their home in the intestine and feed on partially digested intestinal contents. They can rob your pet of vital nutrients necessary to stay healthy.
Tapeworm
Tapeworms spread via the ingestion of infected fleas during grooming. These hook-like parasitic worms live and grow in your pet's intestines.
Whipworm
Whipworms are spread through infested soil that has been contaminated by an infected dog's feces. Whipworms pose a health risk to dogs.