Customized Preventive Care
At Western Carolina Regional Animal Hospital & Veterinary Emergency Hospital, we provide a wide range of preventive healthcare services, including cat and dog vaccinations, customized for your pet's needs.
Preventive Healthcare for Pets
A range of veterinary treatments and procedures fall under preventive healthcare, which is designed to prevent the development of injury and disease in pets.
Consistent preventive care is key to life-long health for each animal we care for. At Western Carolina Regional Animal Hospital & Veterinary Emergency Hospital, we proactively work with pets and their people to identify and prevent potential or developing health issues before they grow into serious (and costly) issues.
Kitten Vaccinations
Cats require several different vaccinations and procedures during their first year to protect them against serious diseases.
- 6 to 8 weeks
- Rhinotracheitis, Calcivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- 10 to 12 weeks
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calcivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia
- 14 to 16 Weeks
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calcivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia 2
- 5 to 6 months
Although the following are not vaccinations, spaying, neutering and microchipping help protect your cat from a variety of health problems.
- Spay (females)
- Neuter (males)
- Possible microchip
Adult Cat Vaccinations
Your cat will need boosters of the core vaccines in the first year after the initial kitten vaccines. After that, cat vaccinations are generally boostered every one to three years, based on the specific vaccine used and the cat's needs.
Puppy Vaccinations
In their first year of life, puppies need a series of vaccinations to protect them from diseases as their immune system develops.
- 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)
- Spay (female)
- Neuter (male)
- 12 to 16 Months
- Final Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Rabies
- Final Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Final Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Adult Dog Vaccinations
Dogs require boosters for their core vaccinations every one to three years, starting one year after the first round. The frequency of boosters will depend on the specific vaccine in question, as well as your dog's lifestyle and needs.
Preventive Health Services
Our preventive health care plans include these services for cats and dogs:
Annual Checkups & Nutritional Consulting
Annual checkups allow us to identify and treat any developing health issues before they become serious, and monitor your pet's diet.
Vaccines/Immunizations
Vaccinating your pets helps lengthen their lives by helping to prevent various diseases, including infectious hepatitis, distemper, parvovirus, feline leukemia, bordetella, and others.
Rabies and Laptospirosis vaccines help protect humans against zoonotic diseases.
Wellness Bloodwork
Wellness blood tests are designed to detect early or hidden disease in pets that appear to be healthy.
Microchipping
Microchipping your pet means that they will be more likely to be returned to you should they get lost. This is one of the most effective ways to protect or dog or cat from being lost or stolen.
While collars can break or fall off easily, a microchip is permanent and can't be separated from your pet.
Spay & Neuter
This provides many health benefits beyond preventing the surplus of unwanted kittens, including decreasing the risk of tumors, infections, and other potentially serious issues.
Parasite Prevention
When left untreated, parasites can become life-threatening to your pet. We carry a full line of parasite prevention products to protect your pet from the following common parasites:
Fleas
Fleas are external parasites that consume the blood of mammals and birds.
Ticks
Ticks feed on the blood of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.
Ear Mites
Ear mites are arachnids that live in the ear canals of cats and dogs.
Heartworm
Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm which spreads through mosquito bites.
Hookworm
These blood-feeding, parasitic roundworms live in the digestive system.
Roundworm
Roundworms live in the intestine and feed off of partially digested food.
Tapeworm
Tapeworms are flat, segmented parasitic worms that live in the intestines.
Whipworm
Whipworm is common in dogs, and gets its name from its whip-like appearance.