We recommend seeing new puppies and kittens at 8, 12, and 16 weeks. During these visits we will give vaccines based on the risk factors that you discuss with your veterinarian. We will also start young pets on a deworming protocol, as many puppies and kittens come with a large worm burden.

During these visits you will also discuss timing for important events such as the start of training/socialization and their spay/neuter. We will provide nutrition advice, and can even provide you with a trial of pet insurance.

Congenital issues that are commonly identified in puppies/kittens:

• Hernias (usually umbilical)
• Retained testicles
• Retained baby teeth

1 year in your pet’s life is equivalent to 5-7 “human” years. Many things can change in this time, and our prime goal during a wellness check is to try and prevent problems before they arise.

Following examination, recommendations may be made for your pet including blood work, fecal analysis, urinalysis, and/or internal/external parasite control. These tests or treatments are meant to ensure your pet is receiving the best care to maintain optimal health.

Conditions that are commonly identified during annual wellness exams:

• Internal/External masses
• Skin disease/Allergies
• Lameness
• Congestive Heart disease
• Chronic Kidney disease
• Bladder stones/masses​
• Ocular disease
• Dental disease
• Liver disease​​
• Anal gland disease

We vaccinate puppies at 8, 12, and 16 weeks. They then receive a booster vaccine in one year. Thereafter vaccines are typically given every 3 years depending on your animal’s risk factors.

Our Vaccination Protocol for Dogs:

• DA2PP (CORE) – Canine Distemper, Adenovirus Type II, Parainfluenza, and Parvo virus
• Rabies (CORE)
• Bordetella (aka “Kennel Cough”)
• Leptospirosis

We vaccinate kittens twice between 8 and 16 weeks. They then receive a booster vaccine in one year. Thereafter vaccines are typically given every 3 years for outdoor cats.

Our Vaccination Protocol for Cats:

• FVRCP (CORE) – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calici Virus, and Panleukopenia Virus
• Rabies (CORE)
• LVK – Feline Leukemia Virus

Keeping your animal “bug” free helps with their coat quality, activity levels, weight gain/maintenance, and gastrointestinal health. It also keeps you and your family healthier, as many internal parasites can be transmitted between animals and humans. This is especially important in families with young children or immunocompromised individuals.

We recommend using Parasite Control products all year round.

• Products for external parasite control must be administered every 1 – 3 months depending on the product used.
• Products for internal parasite control should be given every 4 – 12 months depending on your animal’s life-style.

These products are thoroughly tested and found to be safe when administered appropriately. Reactions are rare and usually mild/self-limiting. Please let your veterinarian know if your animal has had a previous reaction to any type of product in the past.

​Please Note – In order to provide your animal with parasite control products, they must be up to date on their Annual Wellness Examination. This means they must have been seen by one of our Veterinarians within the last 12 months.

We recommend spaying your female pet at 6 months of age.

i-Care Veterinary Hospital offers different options for Spays:

1. Traditional Spay – Dogs and Cats - This surgery involves a medium sized abdominal incision using a scalpel, and removal of both the ovaries and uterus.

2. Laser Assisted Spay – Dogs and Cats - This is essentially the same surgery as a traditional spay, but anywhere that we would normally use a scalpel, we use a laser instead for cutting and cautery at the same time. See the Laser Surgery section on this page for more details.​

3. Laparoscopic Spay – Dogs >5kg - This surgery involves making two very small incisions, and removing only the ovaries using a laparoscopic camera and cautery. For more information on this procedure and it’s numerous benefits, please see the Laparoscopic Spay section on this page.

We recommend neutering small dogs at 6 months, medium sized dogs at 8 months, and large breed dogs at 1 year of age.

i-Care Veterinary Hospital offers different options for Neuters:

1. Traditional Neuter – Dogs and Cats - This surgery involves creating a small incision just in front of the scrotum and removing both testicles.

2. Laser Assisted Neuter – Dogs - This is essentially the same surgery as a traditional spay, but anywhere that we would normally use a scalpel, we use a laser instead for cutting and cautery at the same time. See the Laser Surgery section on this page for more details.​

Without daily brushing, the plaque that is created by bacteria, salvia and food particles mineralizes into tartar. Tartar causes inflammation at the gum-line known as gingivitis and starts to break down the periodontal ligaments leading to tooth mobility, infection, and pain. Ultimately the jawbone becomes infected, which can lead to abscessation or even jaw fractures in small enough animals. Broken teeth are also a major concern, due to exposure of the pulp cavity. This leads to bacteria wicking up into the blood vessels and causes tooth root infection/abscessation.

A Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT) involves a full dental probing and analysis of each tooth including intra-oral x-rays to check the status of the tooth roots. Any plaque and tartar that escapes home care is fully removed with hand and ultrasonic scaling instruments. Teeth that are fractured or have severely compromised periodontal ligaments are extracted to prevent infection and chronic pain. This level of oral health care cannot be provided to animals without full general anesthetic, as it is impossible to address the teeth below the gum-line in an awake animal. Professional cleanings every 6-12 months are necessary for each tooth to receive proper attention and care.

• 10 years in Cats and Small dogs
• 8 years in Medium dogs
• 7 years in Large dogs
• 6 years in Giant dogs

Most veterinarians recommend bringing senior patients for a check-up at least every 6 months. During these visits we often recommend blood work to check organ function, as the sooner we can identify problems, the better we can slow the progression of disease. For example, chronic kidney disease does not have a cure, but there are many steps that can be taken to manage the condition. The length and quality of life that can be provided to a kidney patient is directly related to how soon in the disease process corrective interventions were made.

End of Life discussions should be had with your regular Veterinarian, as they know you, your animal, and their life history better than anyone. You can also search online, as there are many tools available to help you know when it’s ‘time.’ An example of this would be the “Grey Muzzle Quality of Life Calendar App” that is available through the AppStore.

In order to perform a euthanasia procedure, i-Care Veterinary Hospital will first book you a quality of life examination to discuss your pet’s condition.

If you are interested in at-home care, please contact one of the following local veterinarians:

• Dr. Anne Walsh (Home Comfort Vet)
  (250) 228-9631
• Dr. Tyler Stitt (​Winchelsea Veterinary Services)
  (250) 667-5534