One of the greatest joys in life is having a cute puppy or kitten to cuddle and take care of, and we are thrilled that you have decided to bring a new pet into your home and life.

We also know how stressful it can be for new pet owners who are unsure of how to properly care for their new baby. That’s why we’ve put together this guide—to start you and your new pet off on the right paw.

Feel free to read through the entire guide or jump to the section that best suits your immediate needs:

• How to prepare your home for a new pet
• What to feed your new pet
• All about their first vet visit & physical exam
• Guide to pet vaccinations
• Behavioral training & support

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We highly recommend that you bring your new pet into Parker & Ace to see us as soon as possible. That way we can meet your new best friend, discuss everything from nutrition and behavioral training to vaccinations and things to look out for.‍

For new kitten owners, if your new best friend is a kitten, please remember to quarantine them until their first visit to avoid exposing other pets (especially in your household).

For new puppy owners, remember to exercise great caution when bringing your puppy around other people and animals–especially during their first 4 months when they haven’t had all of their vaccinations.

Keep in mind, Parker & Ace offers a suite of veterinary services for your new pet, regardless of their age. However, specifically for new pet parents to puppies and kittens, our health care services include:

• Periodic Wellness Exams
• Vaccinations
• Puppy and kitten nutrition
• Behavior training
• Planning for spaying and neutering

Congratulations again on your new addition to your family. Remember, Parker & Ace is with you every step of the way.

-Parker & Ace‍

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How to prepare your home for a new pet

Ensure your new fur baby is properly and adequately welcomed into your new home—with all of the items needed to set you and them up for success.

These items include:

• Food and water bowls: make sure they are the appropriate size for the animal and their age)
• Toys: Better they chew on their own toy than the couch or another non-animal friendly item. Ensure that the toys you buy can’t be swallowed or include harmful materials to your new pet.
• Litter box (for cats- recommend 1 per cat) or poop bags (for dogs)
• Plush, comfortable sleeping area: So they have a ‘safe’ space in the house that belongs to just them
• Grooming products: Including brushes, age-appropriate shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrush
• Stain remover/cleaner: Accidents happen, sometimes often, with new pets that are learning how to potty train or are anxious in their new environment
• Identification tags, collar, and leash: Bedazzled, hot pink, or crocheted, ensure that your pet has everything they need to hit the streets in style. But, most importantly, make sure that your pet and your contact information can be easily identified—and their collar, harness, and leash ensures their safety.
  

For more information on how to prepare your home, remember you can always contact your vet team at Parker & Ace.

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What to feed your new pet

“The most important thing you can do is regularly take an active role in your pet’s health care regimen and work with your Parker & Ace vet team to decide the best plan for your pet.” — Michelle Frye, DVM, SM, Head of Veterinary Services

A key component of providing the best care for your dog or cat is ensuring they receive the best food and resources for them to live as happy and healthy as possible. Proper nutrition is needed to achieve healthy growth (neither too rapid nor too slow), optimize immune function, and minimize potential for obesity.

Similar to people, your pet’s nutrition includes the best diet to choose, what not to eat, how to identify any food allergies, how to properly manage weight, and more.

The best strategy for feeding your pet well is to partner with your Parker & Ace vet team to perform a nutritional assessment. This means that your veterinarian will conduct a thorough physical examination to assess your pet’s body condition, body composition (lean versus fat), and to determine if there are any apparent medical conditions that require attention or could benefit from a change in diet, such as obesity, osteoarthritis, or kidney disease.

Their first vet visit & physical exam

We can’t wait to meet your new best friend and work together to prepare an optimal plan for their health and happiness.

Plan to spend some extra time during your puppy or kitten’s first visit to Parker & Ace. During this first visit we will give your pet a complete physical exam, update all necessary vaccines, provide deworming medication and spend time educating you on your new puppy or kitten's needs.

Not sure what to expect at their physical exam? Read this article for more information.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are a foundational and critically important part of the preventive care plan. Generally, a vaccine protocol consists of a series of immunizations given to your pet as a puppy or kitten, boosters at one year and then periodically throughout its lifetime.

At Parker & Ace, we develop a personalized vaccine plan for your pet based on geographic location, risk, lifestyle and pre-existing medical conditions.

The vaccinations we recommend will prevent diseases that are a serious threat to the health, longevity and quality of life of your pet.

Keep in mind: We don’t automatically vaccinate all pets for everything, every year. We try our best to not over vaccinate pets and offer vaccine titers to assess your pet’s immunity rather than just routinely vaccinate.

Have questions on a certain vaccination? Read our Guide to Pet Vaccinations.

Training and behavioral support

Often what we view as problematic behavior can actually be considered normal for a particular breed and species. Never is this more true than for kittens and puppies—who sometimes can have an alarming amount of energy.

It is very important that you provide stimulating play for your new pet, especially during the first week in their new home.

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Let’s play

Playtime can include running, chasing, and fetching and are necessary for proper muscular development. It’s a great way to bond with your new pet, and discover their favorite ways to play.

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How to pick the right toy

The best toys are lightweight, pliable, and durable, without attachments such as eyes that can be bitten off and swallowed. Any toy that is small enough to be swallowed should be avoided.

Remember, your Parker & Ace vet team can help you choose the safest toys for your pet if you are unsure.

Keep in mind: When your pet gets overly excited, they may chew or bite. It’s also common for puppies to do this when they are investigating new things. This is completely normal. However, by providing adequate puppy-safe toys when they are chewing and biting, your puppy will learn to use their toys and not their family members or household possessions.

Behavioral support

By examining some common canine behaviors and the instincts that underlie these behaviors, we can better understand how to defuse situations without punishing them for doing what comes naturally.

Nonetheless, if your dog or cat’s innate behavior becomes problematic, that’s where behavioral support and guidance can be very beneficial.

If this is something that arises in your home, rest assured your Parker & Ace vet team will be available for tips and support on behavioral training.

At-home maintenance

There are several things that you can do at home in order to get your new friend used to handling and medicating.

Some pups are amenable to nail trims if started when they are young and positive reinforcement is used. It is important to get them used to their feet being touched and held. Be sure to purchase the appropriate sized nail trimmers and aim for the white tips of the nails, never going into the pink colored portion. This is difficult for those with dark colored nails; please let us know if you would like a demo!

Practice rubbing along their gum lines (be careful not to get bit!) and getting them used to the pressure along their gums and teeth. You can also purchase a small toothbrush and start brushing their baby teeth. This will make it easier to do in the future if you are able to do this consistently. Dental disease will eventually affect every pet!

Another common issue seen among dogs is ear infections. During play time, be sure to include the ears and practice looking in them. You can also use a tissue and practice cleaning around the cartilage caverns with your finger. This not only helps them get used to ear handling, but also general body restraint, which will help tremendously at home and at the vet office.

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