SAME-DAY APPOINTMENTS available
First Steps for a Happy, Healthy Pet
Helping your new puppy or kitten grow up healthy and strong starts with the right care from the very beginning. We recommend bringing your little one in for a full check-up as soon as they join your family. A thorough physical exam helps make sure your new pet is healthy and sets the stage for a happy life.
Welcoming Your New Best Friend
Bringing home a new puppy or kitten is exciting. Their curious nature and sweet personality quickly make them part of the family. At Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital in Kirkwood, we’re here to guide you through every step—offering care, advice, and support to help your new pet thrive from day one.
Helping Your Puppy or Kitten Grow Up Healthy
Just like babies, young pets need extra care and regular checkups to support their growth and keep them healthy. Puppies and kittens need to see the vet more often than adult pets to make sure they’re growing well and getting the right vaccines at the right time.
If you’ve recently added a new puppy or kitten to your family, we recommend scheduling their first vet visit as soon as possible. During this visit, we’ll talk about vaccines, microchipping, and when to spay or neuter your pet. These early steps help set the foundation for a long, healthy life.
Spay/Neuter Surgery
At Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital in Kirkwood, we offer safe and caring spay and neuter procedures. Our experienced veterinary team recommends this surgery once your pet is at least six months old, fully vaccinated, and not being bred.
Spaying or neutering your pet helps prevent unwanted litters and supports the wider effort to reduce overcrowding in animal shelters. It’s a responsible choice that also brings important health and behavior benefits for your pet.
Benefits of spaying female pets include:
- No surprise litters
- No heat cycles
- Lower risk of mammary tumors and uterine infections
- Fewer unwanted behaviors like vocalizing or urine marking
Benefits of neutering male pets include:
- Lower risk of prostate and testicular problems
- Less aggressive behavior
- Reduced behaviors like roaming and urine marking
At Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital, every surgery is done with close attention to your pet’s comfort and safety. We’re here to answer all your questions and support you before, during, and after the procedure.
Keeping Your Pet Protected With Vaccinations
Vaccines are one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect your pet from serious illness. Thanks to routine vaccinations, many dangerous diseases in dogs and cats are now rare. Keeping your pet up to date on their core vaccines helps prevent the spread of disease and keeps them safe in everyday situations like boarding, grooming, or going to the park.
Core Vaccinations for Dogs
- Rabies
- DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, and Parvo)
- Bordetella (kennel cough)
- Leptospirosis
Non-Core Vaccines for Dogs
- Influenza
- Lyme
Core Vaccinations for Cats:
- Rabies
- FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia)
Non-Core Vaccines for Cats:
- Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
- Feline Leukemia (FeLV) Feline
- Herpesvirus
At Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital in Kirkwood, MO, we also offer Distemper/Parvo titer testing for canine companions. This simple test checks your dog’s current immunity level and can help decide if a booster shot is needed. Vaccines work by gently preparing your pet’s immune system to fight off real threats—without making them sick. We take great care to make the vaccination process as easy and stress-free as possible.
Pet Wellness Exams in Kirkwood
A regular wellness exam is like a full health check for your pet. These exams help us catch any early signs of health issues and keep track of how your pet is doing as they grow. At Fox Creek Kirkwood, we take time to get to know your pet and make sure nothing is missed during these visits.
What a Wellness Exam Includes:
- Checking your pet’s weight and body condition
- Listening to the heart and lungs
- Examining teeth, gums, and mouth health
- Looking at eyes, ears, skin, and coat
- Feeling the abdomen and lymph nodes
- Evaluating joints and muscles for pain or stiffness
- Running blood work or other tests if needed