Protection & Prevention
At Smithfield Road Veterinary Hospital, PLLC, we are committed to stopping common diseases from forming in the first place.
Combined with regular wellness exams, pet vaccinations, and parasite prevention build a solid foundation for your animal's routine healthcare.
Preventive care gives your pet the best chance at a long, healthy life. Keeping your pet's unique needs in mind, we will create a plan that allows them to stay protected.
Dog and Cat Vaccination & Reproductive Surgery Schedule
Keeping dog and cat vaccinations current is imperative when it comes to protecting your pet from a wide variety of contagious and often deadly diseases. Another way to protect your pet is to have them spayed or neutered. Not only will they be protected from having unwanted kittens or puppies, but they are also protected from some serious forms of cancer and unwanted behaviors such as roaming, howling, scooting, and aggression.
Kitten Shots
In their first year of life, kittens need the following shots to protect them from serious diseases.
- 6 to 8 weeks
- Rhinotracheitis, Panleukopenia, Calcivirus, Chlamydia
- 10 to 12 weeks
- Feline Leukemia
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calcivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- 14 to 16 Weeks
- Feline Leukemia 2
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Panleukopenia, Calcivirus, Chlamydia
- 5 to 6 months
While the following are not kitten vaccinations, having your cat microchipped and spayed or neutered can protect them from a lot of serious health issues which is why they are included in our preventive care plan.
- Spay (females) - Spaying your female cat prevents the birth of unwanted litters of kittens, protects your cat against serious illnesses, and can help to prevent behaviors such as howling and scooting that accompany heat cycles.
- Neuter (males) - Neutering your male cat prevents your pet from fathering unwanted kittens, protects your cat against various illnesses, and can help to prevent territory marking (spraying), roaming, howling, and cat aggression.
- Microchipping - A microchip is a permanent form of identification that is about the size of a grain of rice and placed under your pet’s skin. Pets that are microchipped have a better chance of being reunited with their owners if they are lost.
Puppy Shots
In their first year, your puppy needs these shots to protect them from dangerous diseases.
- 6 to 8 weeks
- DHPP (Distemper, Parvovirus, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza)
- 10 to 12 Weeks
- Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Bordetella (Optional)
- Leptospirosis (Optional)
- 14 to 16 Weeks
- Rabies
- Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Although the following are not puppy vaccinations, spaying, neutering, and microchipping help protect your dog from a number of health issues, and therefore falls under the preventive health care umbrella.
- Spay (female) - Dog spaying will prevent your female dog from mothering puppies, but it can also help to prevent certain cancers and regular heat cycles which can attract roaming males to your property.
- Neuter (male) - Dog neutering can help prevent your male dog from fathering unwanted puppies, as well as protects your dog from a number of serious cancers, and helps reduce the risk of roaming and dog aggression.
- Microchipping - A microchip is a permanent form of identification that is about the size of a grain of rice and placed under your pet’s skin. Pets that are microchipped have a better chance of being reunited with their owners if they are lost.
- 12 to 16 Months
- Rabies
- Final Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Final Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Final Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Parasite Prevention
Parasites are a serious threat to the health of people and pets in the Knightdale area. If proper treatment isn't administered, parasites can threaten the life of your dog or cat, and can even spread to humans or other pets in your household. Our parasite prevention products can help protect your dog or cat from the following common parasites:
Fleas
Fleas are external parasites that feed on the blood of birds and mammals. Left untreated, fleas can quickly spread across the body of your pet and throughout your household.
Ticks
These external parasites consume the blood of mammals and are responsible for spreading many serious conditions in people and pets.
Ear Mites
Tiny, highly contagious ear mites reside in the ear canals of dogs, cats, and other mammals. These parasites reproduce continuously throughout their lifespan.
Heartworm
This thread-like parasitic roundworm is spread through infected mosquitos bites and makes its home in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of infected animals.
Hookworm
These parasites live in the digestive tract of cats and dogs where they feed on the pet's blood. Hookworms can lead to anemia and other serious conditions.
Roundworm
This parasitic worm lives in the intestine and feeds on partially digested intestinal contents. This parasite can rob your pet of vital nutrients they need to be healthy.
Tapeworm
Tapeworms are spread through 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 the ingestion of soil that has been in contact with an infected dog's feces. Whipworms pose a serious health risk to dogs.