Pediatric health care and management.

Pediatric health care is an integral part of providing for the general health needs of puppies and kittens from birth to 6 months of age. Successful rearing of puppies and kittens requires providing them with a suitable environment; the correct quantities and quality of nutrients for growth; a regular schedule of feeding, sleeping, grooming, and exercise; and the stimulus that provokes micturation and defecation. The intestinal parasites, such as hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium, occur commonly in puppies and kittens. The advantages of early-age spay/neuter far outweight the risks.