Feline Wellness Information

Many serious pet diseases can be prevented by vaccinations.  Even if kept indoors, your cat can be exposed to viruses carried in the air, dust, or on clothing.  Vaccinations provide inexpensive protection against costly treatment or premature death of your pet.

 Important Optional Vaccines: Is your cat at risk?

• Feline Leukemia (FELV) is a highly contagious virus similar to human HIV virus and is one of the leading killers of cats. Its devastating effects are fatal within 2-5 years.  A FELV blood test and should be done on all new cats in the household to ensure they don’t pass it to others.  Recommended for: all outdoor cats or those exposed to outside cats through screen doors and windows. 
  
  
• FIV is also a serious, deadly disease to outdoor cats.  Your cat must be bitten by an infected cat to be exposed.  In this neighborhood, the risk is very low, so we do not stock this vaccine.  If your cat fights with other outdoor cats, then s/he is at risk.  Please ask us, and we can obtain this vaccine for you.  
  
  
• FIP is another deadly disease to which there is a vaccination. The vaccine is highly controversial and we do not recommend its use.

Comprehensive Physical Exams help detect health problems in early stages. Cats need frequent wellness checkups because they age 5-7 times faster than humans.  Exams detect a multitude of health problems (i.e. when was the last time you examined your cat’s teeth?).  Arthritis, dental disease and heart disease are very common in older cats.  Remember, cats are very good at hiding pain and illness!!!

Senior pet wellness screening (For cats 7 years and older)
Older cats should have yearly blood, urine and blood pressure tests.  Early discovery of the diseases of aging such as kidney, liver, heart, thyroid, diabetes, arthritis and dental disease often makes treatment less expensive, and will give your pet the best quality of life for the longest time possible.  Thyroid, kidney disease and diabetes are very common in older cats, and are undetectable until the late stages. Simple blood and urine tests can diagnose them.  Urine tests are important because 20% of healthy pets are shown to have urinary tract infections with no outward symptoms!  If left untreated, they can lead to kidney infections. 

Blood Pressure Test:  More and more older cats (over 9 years) are found to suffer from elevated blood pressure (hypertension).  This silent killer damages the heart and internal organs.  It is simple to treat and lengthens your cat’s life and quality of life. 

Arthritis: Most cats over nine have some degree of arthritis. We offer a chicken flavored medication for chronic pain to make your cat more comfortable in later years.  Please consider whether your cat would benefit from this medication.

Intestinal Parasites threaten your pet’s health and can be transmitted to humans.  An initial fecal exam is recommended for all new cats, and for cats that are having diarrhea.  We also recommend deworming every 6 months for outdoor cats due to their risk of exposure to parasites. 

Dental Health Care is one of the most neglected of pet health needs.  It is not just bad breath. The tartar on their teeth is an infection that seeds bacteria into inflamed gums and infects  the liver, kidneys, and heart.  Dental disease is also painful, despite their instinct to keep eating.  Regular dental exams, professional scaling, and proper dental home care are necessary for good health.  We hope you understand their importance to your pet’s overall health and comfort and we will be happy to discuss this with you during your exam.

Food:  Basically, you get what you pay for. Because food manufacturers change the ingredients often, we do not recommend one specific brand.  We ask that you examine the ingredients and ensure that the first ingredient is meat (not meat by-product) and that it contains minimal corn. Some pet foods even contain beaks, hooves and feathers.   Buyers beware…

Microchips:  More important than you’ll ever know.   Indoor cats get outside and lost more often than you realize, and outdoor cats can get injured and found by strangers. Also--collars come off!   Microchips are the only insurance you have that your cat will be returned to you if they are found.  They also bring peace of mind that you have done all you can to bring your cat home safely when they become lost or injured.  All shelters and veterinary hospitals have scanners to check for the chips.  Implantation is a simple procedure using a needle to insert the microchip and can be done during any exam.  Cost is $55 which includes the microchip, implantation and lifetime registration.  We register your cat for you.

Pet Insurance:  Recommended for all cats, especially outdoor cats and all cats over the age of 5 years old.  There are many common diseases such as kidney, thyroid, and diabetes that can become very costly.  They do not cover pre-existing conditions either, so get signed up before your cat gets sick. We recommend Pet’s Best Insurance, but you should check the website www.petinsurancereview.com to see what is best for your needs and budget.  Additionally, there is an age cut-off, so don’t put it off until your cat is too old to insure.  

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations for kittens and new cats:

• Feline Leukemia/Aids Testing                                    
• Fecal Exam
• Core Vaccinations
• Microchip

Recommendations for outdoor cats:

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns—we want to make sure you understand all that we recommend and all we do to ensure your cat’s health.  We always want to work with you to optimize your cat’s state of well being and that of your budget.
        
 Thank you—the staff of CVAH