The Granby Animal Clinic, Inc.
General Health Recommendations for Cats
All cats that have finished their “kitten” visits should plan on visiting the Veterinarian’s office at least once a year for an annual physical. The annual exam helps to screen your cat for abnormalities that you might not have noticed at home (such as weight loss, dental problems, anemia and growths) and gives your veterinarian a baseline of information that is helpful to compare against when your cat becomes sick. During this visit, your cat will receive any vaccinations that are due (please see the sheet on our vaccine protocol). You will be updated on new health issues and your questions concerning the care of your pet will be answered.
We highly recommend all cats to be on heartworm medication (indoor cats as well as cats that are allowed to go outside). This means that your cat should receive one dose of heartgurad monthly. Remember, sudden death may be the only sign your cat ever shows to heartworm infection. Currently, we do not require a pretreatment heartworm test since it is safe to administer heartworm preventative even to an infected cat and the treatment options for the adult stage of the disease can be disappointing. If you wish to have your cat tested, please ask.
Dental disease is very prevalent in our pet population and causes both systemic illnesses and pain for our pets. If possible, you should clean your cat’s teeth daily (we recommend using CET toothpaste). During your cat’s annual exam, his/her teeth will be examined as well as possible. If significant dental disease or tartar is present and your cat’s health is OK, your cat should have a dental cleaning. To properly clean your cat’s teeth, they need to be given an anesthetic. During the cleaning and the following oral exam, any tooth deemed to be causing your cat pain or putting your cat at increased risk for illness will be extracted. We are unable to do dental xrays at this time. If you want your cat’s teeth x-rayed, we can refer you to a Veterinary Dentist. If you have questions on how to take care of your cat’s teeth, please ask.
Cats that go outside are at risk to pick up more viral and parasitic diseases than indoor cats. These viruses and parasites can affect both your cat’s health and in some cases potentially your family’s health.
Cats that go outside should be tested yearly for Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodefiency Virus infections. Although neither virus can be cured, early knowledge and intervention can prolong good quality life for your pet. Even cats vaccinated for feline leukemia virus should be tested since the vaccine although good is not 100% protective. There is no vaccine for FIV currently.
All cats that go outside (and indoor cats that have a chance to hunt) should have a stool specimen checked for parasites at least once a year. In addition these cats should receive a broad spectrum deworming medication at least four times a year. By deworming regularly, not only will your cat suffer less debilitation and gastrointestinal tract damage from parasites, but also the environment will have less contamination from parasite eggs which can infect and cause illness in people, esp. children.
Cats that are over 7 years old are starting to enter their golden years. Like with your own heath, the more preventative steps you take in general, the better your cat’s health will be. Disease states often progress faster in our pets due to their shorter life spans. You should consider having a semi annual (twice a year) physical done on your cat to track changes better. In addition, bloodwork and a urinalysis should be done at least once a year to help alert us to possible problems. Some diseases that are very common in our older cats that can be picked up with these tests are kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and some cancers. Other less common diseases can be found as well. Please let us know if you would like this additional care.
To help serve you and your cat(s) better we are following guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists.