Kitten Health Care in Yorktown, VA

The examinations and procedures listed below can drastically reduce your kitten’s risk of developing serious and sometimes fatal diseases. Kittens should be seen every 3 weeks starting at 5-6 weeks of age and extending to 16 weeks. The number of vaccines given is not as important as the interval between vaccinations and the age at which the last vaccine is given, which should be 16 weeks of age or older.

Contact us online or call (757) 384-9399 to learn more about how we can help treat your feline partner.

Vaccinations for Your Kitten

Vaccinations are an important part of your kitten’s health care program. Kittens, which are allowed to nurse, absorb antibodies from their mother’s colostrum (the first secretions from the mammary gland). These antibodies defend against disease until the kitten’s immune system is able to do so. Kittens need vaccinations to stimulate their immune system as soon as the protective level of their maternal antibody diminishes (starting at approximately 6 weeks of age). Your kitten needs to be vaccinated against the following potentially fatal and contagious diseases:

• D – Feline Distemper (Feline Panleukopenia Virus) is a parvovirus that affects the bone marrow, intestines and lymph tissue.
• R – Feline Viral Rhino Tracheitis Virus. (FVR) – a serious upper respiratory virus. FVR virus can cause eye disease with or without accompanying respiratory signs.
• C – Feline Calicivirus. This virus and FVR account for approximately 85-90% of the feline upper respiratory infection complex.
• FeLV – Feline Leukemia Virus – FeLV causes many different forms of cancer in cats. It also suppresses the bone marrow and immune system. Testing is recommended when the pet is first obtained, and prior to starting the vaccine series. Vaccination against this fatal disease is highly recommended for all kittens, adult outdoor cats and adult indoor cats who are exposed to cats of questionable FeLV status. It starts with two vaccines given three weeks apart and then annually as long as the pet is at risk.
• Rabies – A virus affecting the brain of all warm-blooded animals – fatal, and state law requires that the first vaccine be given between 12 and 16 weeks of age.

Other Health Care

• Intestinal Parasites are very common in kittens. Some of these can be transmitted to humans. Kittens should be checked by microscopic examination of a fresh stool sample at first at last kitten visit and de-wormed for intestinal parasites such as roundworms at every kitten visit.
• Ovariohysterectomy (spaying) of females and CASTRATION (neutering) of males should be performed after 4 months of age. (This can actually be performed as early as 8 weeks of age in most cases). These procedures directly and indirectly preserve your cat’s health, make him or her a better pet, and prevent unwanted pregnancies.
• Declawing, if desired, can be performed after 4 months of age and preferably not after 1 year of age.
• Heartworm Prevention is recommended for all cats. Heartworm disease is very difficult to treat in cats so prevention is highly recommended.

Adult Feline Health Care

The examinations and procedures listed below can drastically reduce your pet’s risk of developing serious and sometimes fatal diseases.

Physical Exams for Your Cat

• Physical Exam - Every 6 months: very important to detect medical problems early
• DRC – Recommend for all cats, Boosted every 3 years after initial series.
• FeLV – Recommended for cats that spend time outside or will be exposed to other cats, boosted every year depending on risk factors.
• Rabies – Every 3 years after first annual vaccine. Purevax Rabies vaccine, for cats only, is now available as a 3 year vaccine. Ask about this safer alternative for your pet.
• Fecal Exam with De-Worming – Yearly

Other Health Care

• Intestinal Parasites are very common in cats. Some of these parasites can be transmitted to humans. Cats should be checked and dewormed for intestinal parasites such as roundworms. This is achieved by microscopic examination of a fresh stool sample.

Wellness Bloodwork

Wellness Bloodwork and Urinalysis Screening – annually for pets under 7 years; every 6 months when 7 years and over. Remember that one year of our pets life is equivalent to 5 to 15 of our years. That means that disease can seem to develop very fast. The earlier we detect problems, the better the prognosis. Since our pets can’t tell us when they do not feel well, laboratory screening becomes very important.

These are general recommendations. Your veterinarian may alter the vaccination schedule to suit your cat’s individual requirements.

• D – Feline distemper (Feline Panleukopenia Virus) is a parvovirus that affects the bone marrow, intestines and lymph tissue.
• R – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis Virus (FVR) – a severe upper respiratory virus. FVR virus can cause eye disease with or without accompanying respiratory signs.
• C – Feline Callicivirus. This Virus and FVR account for approximately 85-90% of the feline upper respiratory infection complex.
• FeLV – Feline Leukemia Virus – FLV causes many different forms of cancer in cats. It also suppresses the bone marrow and immune system. Testing is recommended when the pet is first obtained, and prior to starting the vaccine series. Vaccination against this fatal disease is highly recommended for outdoor cats and indoor cats that are exposed to cats of questionable FLV status. It starts with two vaccines given three weeks apart and then annually as long as the pet is at risk.
• Rabies – a virus affecting the brain of all warm-blooded animals – fatal, and required by law (every 1-3 years after the 1 year booster).
• Ovariohysterectomy (spaying) of females and CASTRATION (neutering) of males should be performed after 4 months of age. (This can actually be performed as early as 8 weeks of age in most cases). These procedures directly and indirectly preserve your cat’s health, make him or her a better pet, and prevent unwanted pregnancies.
• Declawing, if desired, can be performed after 4 months of age and preferably not after 1 year of age.
• Heartworm Prevention is recommended for all cats. Heartworm disease is very difficult to treat in cats so prevention is highly recommended.