Protection & Prevention
At West Salem Animal Clinic, we focus on customized preventive care for your pet to keep common diseases and disorders from developing in the first place.
Combined with regular wellness exams, pet vaccinations and parasite prevention can help form the foundation of your animal's routine healthcare.
Your pet has a better chance at a longer, healthier life with preventive care, and our team will work with you to create a custom preventive care plan for your cat or dog, tailored to their unique needs.
Vaccination & Spay/Neuter Benefits
Making sure your dog or cat's vaccinations are up-to-date is essential when it comes to protecting your furry friend from a range of contagious, often serious, diseases. Having your pet spayed or neutered not only prevents the birth of unwanted litters but can also help to protect your pet against some serious forms of cancer. Additionally, spaying/neutering may prevent unwanted behaviors such as howling and animal aggression.
Cat Vaccinations
Our vet team knows that high-quality care during your kitten's first year of life is important. That's why our customized care plan is built around your new kitten's health needs. An example vaccination schedule for a kitten might look like this:
- 6 to 8 weeks
- Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- 10 to 12 weeks
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia
- 14 to 16 weeks
- Rabies
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia 2
- 5 to 6 months
Aside from kitten vaccinations, spaying, neutering and microchipping help protect your cat from a number of health issues, and therefore fall under the preventive health care umbrella.
- 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.
Dog Vaccinations
In their first year, puppies require quality care to give them a great start to life. Our team builds preventive care plans around your puppy's unique health needs. An example vaccination schedule for a puppy might look like this:
- 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)
Although the following are not puppy vaccinations, spaying, neutering, and microchipping help protect your dog from a number of health issues, and therefore fall 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 to prevent your male dog from fathering unwanted puppies, as well as protecting your dog from a number of serious cancers, and helping to 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
- Final Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Rabies
- Final Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Final Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Parasite Prevention
Parasites can pose a serious health threat to people and animals in the West Salem area. Left untreated, parasites can threaten the life of your cat or dog, and in some cases can even be spread to others living 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 survive on the blood of birds and mammals. If untreated, fleas can quickly spread throughout your household.
Ticks
These external parasites consume the blood of mammals and can potentially transmit a number of serious conditions to people and pets.
Ear Mites
Tiny, highly contagious ear mites reside in the ear canals of dogs, cats, and other mammals. Mites reproduce continuously throughout their lifespan.
Heartworm
This thread-like parasitic roundworm spreads via mosquito bites and lives in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of infected animals.
Hookworm
These parasites reside 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 can rob your pet of vital nutrients by feeding on partially digested intestinal contents.
Tapeworm
Tapeworms are spread through ingesting 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 infected dog feces. Whipworms pose a serious health risk to dogs.