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Regular physical examinations are the foundation upon which effective preventive care is built. Because ours pets cannot effectively communicate their feelings to us, and because they have a natural tendency to hide outward signs of disease, we must regularly screen for clues that a problem is developing. High blood pressure might be suggested by scanning the retina of the eye. A heart murmur or irregular heart beat would signal significant heart disease. An abdominal tumor could be revealed when the abdomen is carefully palpated. We frequently see cases involving diseases that have developed to an advanced, untreatable stage before the owner notices that something is wrong. Many times we know that if we had just seen that patient a few months earlier, we would have had a chance to save their life. We urge you to schedule examinations twice a year for your pet. This is especially important when pets are over 7 years of age.
Kittens begin life with protective antibodies absorbed from their mother’s milk when they first begin nursing. This protection is short lived, wearing off as early as 8 weeks of age for some kittens but not until about 4 months of age for other kittens. To fully protect your new baby, we need to give a series of Distemper and Upper Respiratory Virus vaccinations beginning at 6 to 8 weeks, continuing through 14 to 16 weeks. Usually we space the vaccinations 4 weeks apart. Rabies vaccinations are given around 3 to 4 months of age. We are now using the new generation pox-virus vectored Rabies vaccine. This vaccine substantially reduces the risk of tissue irritation, a risk factor in vaccine-associated sarcoma development. Feline Leukemia Virus vaccinations are highly recommended for any cat that goes outdoors or for indoor cats that mingle with cats that do go outdoors. Feline Leukemia is one of the leading causes of death in cats today. Because there is no effective treatment for this disease, prevention is your cat’s only hope. There are two initial vaccinations 3 to 4 weeks apart followed by yearly boosters and blood tests. If your cat is not exposed to outdoor cats, we would not recommend vaccinating against feline leukemia. Booster vaccinations for all of the above diseases are given 1 year following the initial series. Afterwards, the Rabies and Feline Leukemia Virus vaccines are boostered yearly, while the Distemper and Upper Respiratory Virus vaccinations are boostered every third year. Once the pox-virus vectored Rabies vaccine is granted 3 year approval we will extend the booster interval accordingly. We do not recommend the routine use of any other vaccinations at this time. In fact, the inappropriate use of vaccinations may expose your cat to unnecessary risks. Please ask us if you have any questions regarding the immunization of your pet. Technician Vaccination Appointments are an option not available at many veterinary hospitals. If your pet is under 7 years of age and has had a doctor exam within the past 12 months a nurse would be able to vaccinate your pet without the normal office expense associated with a doctor visit. If your pet is over 7 years of age and has had a doctor exam within the past 6 months a nurse would be able to vaccinate your pet..
FELINE LEUKEMIA & AIDS VIRUSES The Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline AIDS Virus are serious threats to all cats. Kittens can be born with the Leukemia Virus. Any kitten or cat can acquire either of these diseases. Cats that go outdoors or those cats living with cats that go outdoors are at highest risk. These diseases are usually not apparent to the naked eye until the advanced stages develop. This hidden danger could allow an infected pet to unknowingly spread these diseases. Unless routine testing is performed, many more cats will suffer from these diseases than really have to. To avoid unneeded suffering, testing must be performed. This allows us to provide the best possible healthcare for those infected cats and it also allows us to minimize the spread of disease. Leukemia Virus testing should be done at a kitten’s first visit and again at 6 months of age. Kittens should be AIDS Virus tested at 6 months of age. Cats adopted as adults should be Leukemia and AIDS Virus tested at their first visit and, again, 4 months later. All cats at risk need to be tested for both of these viruses on a yearly basis. This gives us the best control over these major diseases.
Parasites are a serious problem for your pet and they can be a threat to the family. The most common skin parasites are Fleas and Ticks. Intestinal parasites include Roundworms, Tapeworms, Coccidia, and others. Intestinal parasites are capable of causing serious disease in cats and, on rare occasion, serious disease in human family members. Kittens can become infected with roundworms immediately after birth. The good news is that worms can be effectively controlled by following a few simple rules. The Centers for Disease Control recommend that all new kittens receive deworming treatments at 6, 8, and 10 weeks of age. Newly adopted adult cats should receive a minimum of 2 dewormings. At least 2 stool (kitty poop) samples should test negative before we consider the initial parasite control program complete. The stool should then be checked on a regular basis throughout the pet's life. Remember, the most accurate intestinal parasite screening test is the microscopic evaluation we perform at the hospital. Watching the cat’s stool at home can help detect tapeworms, because the segments passed by the cat can be seen by the naked eye (click here to see picture of tapeworm segment), but it is an ineffective way to detect other worms. Most pets with intestinal parasites do not pass anything in the stool that you can see without a microscope. If worms are detected, or just suspected, a safe and effective deworming treatment will be prescribed. Outdoor cats, and those cats living with outdoor cats, should be routinely dewormed every 4 to 6 months depending on their hunting tendencies. as the routine evidence they leave is only visible on a microscopic level. Cats can pick up fleas whenever they go out during the warmer weather months. To control Fleas and Ticks we recommend Topspot, a once a month preventive. This is by far the easiest way to approach flea problems. |
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