Pet Protection & Prevention
At Companion Animal Hospital, our top priority is preventive care to help protect your pets from getting any illnesses to begin with.
In combination with routine wellness exams, parasite prevention, and pet vaccinations establish a solid foundation for your cat or dog's routine healthcare.
Preventive treatments provide your furry companion with their best chance at optimal health their whole lives. Our veterinary team will work with you to develop a customized preventive care plan that is individualized to meet your cat or dog's needs.
Dog & Cat Vaccinations & Reproductive Surgery Schedule
It's essential to keep your dog or cat's vaccinations up to date when it comes to keeping them safe from many diseases that are often serious and very contagious. Getting your furry companion spayed or neutered doesn't just prevent the birth of unwanted puppies/kittens; these common veterinary surgeries also have the ability to protect your pet from serious types of cancer. They could prevent undesirable behaviors including howling, scooting, roaming, and animal aggression.
Cat Vaccinations
In their first year, kittens need these shots to keep them safe from dangerous diseases.
- 6 to 8 weeks
- Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- 10 to 12 weeks
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia
- 14 to 16 weeks
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia 2
- Rabies
- 5 to 6 months
While below isn't a list of kitten shots, spaying, neutering, and microchipping your cat helps keep them safe from a range of health issues, falling under the preventive health care umbrella.
- Spay (females) - Spaying your female cat prevents them from giving birth to unwanted kittens, guards them against serious illnesses, and helps prevent behaviors including howling and scooting that accompany heat cycles.
- Neuter (males) - Neutering male cats prevents them from fathering unwanted kittens, protects your cat from serious illnesses, and can help prevent territory marking (spraying), roaming, howling, and cat aggression.
- Microchipping - A microchip is a permanent form of identification that's roughly the size of a grain of rice and it's placed under your cat's skin. Cats that are microchipped have a higher chance of being found by their owners if they get lost.
Dog Vaccinations
During their first year of life, puppies need various shots to guard them against serious 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)
Here, we haven't listed a bunch of puppy shots but, spaying, neutering, and microchipping your dog protects them from various health issues, making them a part of the preventive health care umbrella.
- Spay (female) - Dog spaying keeps your female dog from mothering puppies, as well as helps prevent certain cancers and regular heat cycles which could attract roaming males to your property.
- Neuter (male) - Dog neutering can help prevent your male dog from fathering unwanted puppies, keeps them safe from several cancers, and helps reduce the risk of roaming and dog aggression.
- Microchipping - A microchip is a method of permanent identification. It's about the size of a rice grain and placed under your pet’s skin. Pets that are microchipped have a better chance of being reunited with their owners if they become lost.
- 12 to 16 months
- Final Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Rabies
- Final Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Final Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Pet Parasite Prevention
Parasites are a dangerous threat to the health of both pets and people in Santa Cruz. If they go untreated, parasites have the potential to threaten the life of your dog, cat, and possibly the others in your home because some can be transmitted to humans or other pets. Our pet parasite prevention products help keep your dog or cat safe from the following common parasites:
Fleas
These external parasites feed on the blood of birds and mammals. If fleas go untreated, they can quickly spread in your home.
Ticks
Ticks are external parasites that consume the blood of mammals and are responsible for spreading a range of serious health conditions in people and pets.
Ear Mites
Ear mites are very small and extremely contagious, living in the ears of dogs, cats, and other mammals. These parasites keep reproducing in their lifespan.
Heartworm
This thread-like parasitic roundworm spreads through mosquito bites and lives in the heart, lungs and blood vessels of the animals they infect.
Hookworm
Hookworms reside in the digestive tract of cats and dogs and feed on their blood. Hookworms can cause anemia and other severe conditions.
Roundworm
This parasitic worm lives in the intestine and eats partially digested intestinal contents. This parasite steals your pet's nutrients, which they need to stay healthy.
Tapeworm
Tapeworms spread when pets ingest 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.