We’re committed to providing comprehensive care for our feline patients throughout every stage of life. Here’s an overview of the recommendations and services we offer for each age range:
@ All Ages: Preventative Matters!
We offer a wide variety of preventatives intended to prevent infection from heartworm, fleas, and ticks. We recommend all our patient’s to be on preventatives year-round, and is in most cases a much more cost effective solution than to treat the health problems they cause. Overall, flea, tick, and heartworm prevention should be an essential part of every cat owner’s routine healthcare regimen to keep their furry friends healthy and happy. Your veterinarian can help you decide which preventative is right for your feline friend depending on their lifestyle.
The popular topical solutions we have in hospital are: Nexgard® Combo & Revolution® Plus. Others can be purchased from our online pharmacy and shipped directly to you!
Kittens: The Proactive Approach
In your kitten’s first year, they will be seen several times by our veterinarians. The reason for this is that several of the necessary vaccinations need to be given several times (i.e., boostered) in order for your kitten to build immunity to many of the common viruses that potentially can harm their health.
Wellness Checks:
During these initial visits, we will also cover general kitten care such as nutrition, monthly parasite preventative care, nail care, and any other concerns you may have.
Vaccinations:
Depending on whether your new kitten will be an Indoor Only cat or an Indoor/Outdoor cat, we will help decide which vaccinations are right for your new kitten.
- Rabies: In the state of Connecticut, it’s mandatory for all cats over three months old to receive the Rabies vaccine. This vaccine is considered core for cats, as it protects against a disease that can have devastating effects on the brain. Moreover, Rabies is zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted to humans, underscoring the critical importance of keeping cats vaccinated. A Rabies vaccine can be administered to any cat over the age of 12 weeks, where it is then valid for one year. Following initial vaccination, rabies boosters will them be administered every three years
- FVRCP: FVRCP, is a combination vaccine for cats that helps protect against three different infectious diseases: feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), calicivirus (C), and panleukopenia (P). According to the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Association of Feline practitioners, FVRCP is considered a core vaccine and should be considered for all cats. Felines can receive this vaccine starting at 6-8 weeks of age, and should be re-vaccinated every 2-3 weeks until they reach 16 weeks. After initial vaccination, this vaccine is boostered one year following, and every three years afterwards.
- Feline Leukemia Vaccine: The feline leukemia vaccine is a vaccination given to cats to protect them against feline leukemia virus (FeLV), a contagious and potentially life-threatening disease. If you plan to let your kitten grow into an indoor/outdoor cat, then vaccinating for FeLV is a must.
Infectious Diseases:
- Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis: This is a respiratory infection caused by the feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1). It is transmitted via saliva and discharges from the eyes and nose of an infected cat. Infection can occur from an infected cat, or through inanimate objects that have been in contact with the virus. This disease affects the nose, throat, and eyes of cats, causing symptoms such as sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eye), and sometimes ulcers on the cornea. FVR can lead to more severe respiratory illness, particularly in kittens or immunocompromised cats.
- Feline Calicivirus: Calicivirus is another common respiratory virus that affects cats. It can cause symptoms similar to FVR, including sneezing, nasal discharge, oral ulcers, and sometimes more severe respiratory signs. In some cases, calicivirus can also lead to lameness and fever. The disease is spread via direct contact with saliva, nasal mucus and aerosols, or eye discharge of infected cats.
- Feline panleukopenia: Also known as feline distemper, panleukopenia is a highly contagious viral disease caused by feline parvovirus. It affects the gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow, and immune system of cats, leading to symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea (often bloody), lethargy, and dehydration. Panleukopenia can be particularly severe and life-threatening, especially in kittens. The disease is spread via direct contact with an infected cat, or through inanimate objects that have been in contact with the virus (ex: shoes, blankets, contaminated water)
- Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) This is a retrovirus that affects domestic cats. FeLV can cause a variety of health problems in cats, including immunosuppression, anemia, lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system), and other secondary infections. The route of FeLV is primarily spread through close contact with infected cats. This can occur through mutual grooming, shared food and water bowls, bite wounds from infected cats, and from an infected mother cat to her kittens during birth or through nursing. There is currently no cure for FeLV, making prevention and regular veterinary care essential for managing the impact of the virus on cat populations.
Infectious Disease Testing (FeLV/FIV):
All kittens after the age of 4 months should have a baseline screening test for the most common feline infectious diseases, which are Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. This testing is a routine and essential screening test for all kittens.
Fecal Screening:
All kittens should have a baseline fecal parasite screening test. Simply bring a small stool sample to your first appointment, and we will send that to our lab for parasite screening. The test will check for giardia, roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm and whipworm.
Adult & Senior Cats: Life-long Wellness
Annual Physical Examination:
Whether your cat is indoor only or indoor/outdoor, it is critical to have their health evaluated by a veterinary professional. Cats are the most elusive animals when it comes to hiding sickness or health problems, and because of that having a thorough physical exam every year is critical to keeping up their overall health. During your cat’s routine health exam, we will evaluate everything from eye health to dental health, to cardiac health, to weight management.
Vaccinations:
- A Rabies vaccine is required every three years for all cats. Some other vaccines that may be discussed during an office visit include: FVRCP and FeLV.
Annual Wellness Blood & Urinalysis:
We all can appreciate the concept of “An Ounce of Prevention Worth A Pound of Cure.” There is absolutely no better way of keeping track of your cat’s internal body health than by running routine annual blood work on your cat and routine urine screening. By evaluating these two body fluids, we can keep a close eye on your cat’s overall health and address any changes as they age. For adult cats, our blood work consists of a full chemistry panel and complete blood count panel. Urinalysis includes a physical, chemical and microscopic analysis of urine.
