Feline Wellness and Preventive Care Play a Key Role in Your Cat’s Health
Your cat’s distinctive wellness and preventive care needs deserve special attention. At Curem Veterinary Care, we’re committed to helping your cat stay healthy so they can enjoy a great quality of life with your family.
Why Feline Wellness and Preventive Care Are Important
A thorough feline wellness exam involves preventive care, vaccines, and diet and nutrition elements. Your veterinarian will also address emerging allergy and dermatology issues. Finally, we will discuss your cat’s behavioral quirks. If your cat uses the furniture as a scratching post, for example, we can help them cease and desist.
By getting a complete picture of your cat’s health, we’ll have a baseline for monitoring changes in their wellness level. Regular wellness exams can also help prevent many often-painful medical conditions. When issues do occur, catching them early often means more effective (and less expensive) treatment.
And if your cat receives exposure to a contagious disease, consistent vaccinations will offer protection. Together, this multi-component feline wellness and preventive care plan will help your cat to experience an improved quality of life.
How Feline Care Differs from Canine Care
Dr. Robinson and her veterinary team are well versed in cats’ distinctive physiology and behavioral patterns—they know cats aren’t just small dogs in disguise. Cats are also Academy Award-worthy actors, highly skilled at hiding medical conditions (even painful ones).
It is important that even young feline patients receive a full nose-to-tail wellness exam of all body systems on an at least yearly basis. A cat’s unique physiology, and ability to hide their pain, call for more frequent blood work compared to dogs. We’ll rely on these results, and changes in previous comparison to test, to identify emerging issues.
Addressing Feline Patients’ Special Needs
We’re going “above and beyond” to provide our feline patients with a calming, low-stress experience. This includes diffusing feline pheromones throughout the building. We’re also working on our Cat Friendly Practice® designation.
When your cat arrives for their appointment, they will be taken to an exam room. Although we have one exam room for our feline patients, some cats may be seen in a general exam room during busy periods.
While your cat waits for an exam or procedure, they will relax in a special heated kennel with a hidden bed and frosted glass from Casco Pet. Taken together, these features are designed to increase your cat’s comfort level.
Age-Related Wellness Exam Recommendations
As your cat ages our specific recommendations for wellness care change to meet their changing needs. These general guidelines apply to all cats, your veterinarian will make customized recommendations once we know more about your cat’s lifestyle and risk factors.
Rambunctious Young Kittens
For kittens up to age 1:
- Multiple Vaccine Series (between ages 8 and 20 weeks)— FVRCP (Feline viral rhinotracheitis/Calicivirus/Panleukopenia, FVRCP, Rabies, FeLV (Feline leukemia virus)
- Periodic Diagnostic Testing—Fecal parasite exams, FELV/FIV test
- Regular Parasite Control—Pyrantel(intestinal dewormer), Heartworm preventive, and flea and tick preventives
- Ovariohysterectomy (Spay) or Castration (Neuter)—Recommended for all kittens not intended for breeding between 5 and 7 months of age. Specific age recommendation is based on the individual kitten’s size, breed, growth and other considerations.
Well Established Adult Cats
Cats ages 1–7 can follow these general recommendations:
- Annual Complete Nose-to-Tail Exam
- Annual Oral Health Check-Up—At age 1 we will start monitoring your cat’s need for annual dental care under anesthesia.
- Annual Diagnostics and Screening—Heartworm testing, FeLV/FIV testing, Valley Fever screening (based on lifestyle and risk factors), screening blood work, fecal parasite examination
- Year Round Preventives—Heartworm prevention, flea and tick prevention (for cats that spend time outdoors)
- Core Vaccinations (varied schedule)—Rabies, FVRCP (Feline viral rhinotracheitis/Calicivirus/Panleukopenia), and FeLV (Feline leukemia virus).
Golden Oldie Senior Cats
After age 8 your feline friend is considered a senior cat and may need more robust care:
- Twice-yearly Wellness and Preventive Exams
- Annual Dental Care—full oral examination, radiographs, cleaning and treatment of any developing dental disease.
- Annual Diagnostics and Screening—Heartworm disease testing, FeLV/FIV testing for cats who spend time outdoors, Valley Fever screening (based on lifestyle and risk factors), full blood work (including additional endocrine disease screening), fecal parasite examination, urinalysis
- Year Round Preventives—Heartworm prevention, flea and tick prevention
- Core Vaccinations—Rabies, FVRCP (Feline viral rhinotracheitis/ Calicivirus/Panleukopenia), and FeLV (Feline leukemia virus).
We also advise you to explore enrolling your ferocious feline in a pet insurance plan as early as possible to maximize the benefits of coverage through all life stages.
To book a feline wellness and preventive care appointment, please call us or request an appointment online. We appreciate the opportunity to help your cat enjoy better health.