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Prevention and care

Vaccine schedules for puppies and kittens, heartworm, flea and tick prevention, and seasonal hazards like foxtails, following US veterinary guidelines.

Guides in this section

6 guides

Puppy vaccination schedule: which shots and when The puppy vaccine schedule week by week under US (AAHA) guidelines, which shots are core and which are optional, when your puppy can go outside and what it costs. 4 min
Cat vaccination schedule: which shots, when and what they cost Which vaccines a cat needs under US (AAHA/AAFP) guidelines (FVRCP, rabies, feline leukemia), at what age, how often to repeat them and what they cost, including for indoor cats. 3 min
Foxtails in dogs: signs, what to do and how to prevent them Why foxtails (barbed grass seeds) are dangerous for dogs, the signs one is stuck in the nose, ear, eye or paw, when to see the vet and how to prevent them. Warning signs 3 min
Heartworm disease in dogs: symptoms, prevention, testing and cost How dogs get heartworm, the symptoms to watch for, why vets recommend year-round prevention and yearly testing, and what treatment costs if a dog tests positive. 4 min
How often to deworm a dog: worms, heartworm, fleas and ticks How often to deworm a dog and protect against heartworm, fleas and ticks, the schedule for puppies and adults, which product to choose and the yearly cost in the US. 3 min
Ticks on dogs: how to remove them, diseases and prevention How to safely remove a tick from your dog, which diseases ticks spread in the US (Lyme, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis…), symptoms to watch for and how to prevent them. 4 min

Why prevention matters

Most of the serious, expensive problems vets see could have been prevented: parvo in unvaccinated puppies, heartworm in dogs that skipped prevention, Lyme disease after an unnoticed tick. Prevention is cheaper, safer and easier than treatment.

The essentials

Vaccines: follow the puppy vaccination schedule and the cat vaccination schedule. Rabies vaccination is required by law in most states.
Year-round parasite prevention: heartworm, intestinal worms, fleas and ticks. See how often to deworm a dog and heartworm disease in dogs.
Ticks: learn how to remove them and what to watch for in ticks on dogs.
Seasonal hazards: barbed grass seeds can work their way into noses, ears and paws: read foxtails in dogs.

The guidelines we follow

Our prevention guides are based on the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) vaccination guidelines, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) and the American Heartworm Society. Your vet will adapt them to your pet's age, lifestyle and where you live.