Protection & Prevention
At Lake Norman at Mooresville Animal Hospital, our vets are passionate about preventive care to keep common diseases and disorders from impacting your pet's health in the first place.
Combined with regular wellness exams, routine dog or cat vaccinations and parasite prevention form the cornerstone of your four-legged family member's annual healthcare plan.
Preventive care provides your pet with the best chance at a long, healthy life. Our team of Mooresville vets will work with you to create pet wellness plans for your cat or dog, tailored to their unique needs and lifestyle.
Vaccination & Reproductive Surgery Schedule
It is essential to keep your cat or dog's vaccinations up-to-date to protect your pet from a range of contagious, often serious, diseases. From puppy and kitten shots to regular booster shots as your pet gets older - routine vaccinations will help to keep your pet healthy throughout their lifetime. Having your pet spayed or neutered not only prevents the birth of unwanted litters; these common veterinary surgeries can also help to protect your pet against some serious forms of cancer. Spaying or neutering your pet may also help to prevent unwanted behaviors such as howling, scooting, roaming, and animal aggression.
Cat Vaccinations in Mooresville
In their first year of life, your kitten needs the following shots to protect them from a wide range of highly contagious, potentially serious feline 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
- Rabies
- 5 to 6 months
While the following are not kitten vaccinations, spaying, neutering, and microchipping help protect your cat from several 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 Mooresville
Getting your puppy their shots based on the schedule below can help to guard your adorable bundle of fun from a range of dangerous, potentially fatal, canine 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)
Although the following are not puppy vaccinations, spaying, neutering, and microchipping help protect your dog from several 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 and protects your dog from several 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
- Final Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Rabies
- Final Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Final Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Parasite Prevention
Parasites pose a serious health threat to people and pets in the Mooresville area. Left untreated, parasites can threaten the life of your cat or dog, and in some cases can even be transmitted to other people or pets living in your home. Parasite prevention products from Lake Norman at Mooresville Animal Hospital 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 throughout your household.
Ticks
These external parasites consume the blood of mammals and are responsible for the spread of several 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 mosquito 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 necessary to stay 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.