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Kittens can be vaccinated from 9 weeks of age. They require 2 injections at least 3 weeks apart and are fully protected 1 week after the second injection. We will send you a reminder for their annual ‘boosters’.
The basic vaccination is for cat ‘flu’ and enteritis. We would strongly recommend vaccinating against Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV).
If your cat currently isn’t vaccinated against FeLV, you can opt to have this done – It is a course of 2 injections, like the basic vaccination.
However, FeLV virus can lie dormant in other tissues in an inactive state for many years. If your cat therefore develops the disease later In life, despite being vaccinated, it is because it was already infected prior to its first ever vaccine. It is therefore very important to vaccinate as a kitten.
We may advise vaccination for other diseases based on your individual circumstances.
We normally recommend a combination of spot-ons every 1-3 months. These kill the fleas and ticks on your pet and the worms inside your pet.
Flea sprays are an alternative and can also kill ticks on your pet. The spray we recommend has the advantage of being safe from 2 days of age in kittens. It lasts 2 months but separate worming would then be required.
We may advise an alternative regime to suit you or your pet depending on circumstances.
It is essential your parasite control covers at least roundworms, tapeworms, fleas and ticks, and all pets in your house have an appropriate treatment.
A good quality balanced diet is essential for the health of your pet. We generally recommend Proplan as it is highly palatable and only contains natural preservatives. We may recommend certain “prescription diets” too which your pet may need at certain points throughout its life to help manage certain ailments.
Any diet change must be done gradually.
If you are not planning to breed from your cat it is a good idea to arrange for a castration or spay. This can be done from 6 months of age.
This helps to prevent spraying (urinating in the house), straying and fighting, which can lead to infections such as abscesses, FeLV and FIV (“Feline AIDS”). It is also essential if your pet has a retained testicle or any genetic abnormality which may be passed on.
The advantages include stopping seasons (“Calling” and male interest) and preventing unwanted pregnancy. Cats are “induced ovulators” which means they can be forced into a season by males, rather than regularly coming into season, and indeed can carry offspring from different fathers simultaneously.
Your pet can put on weight afterwards – regular checks are recommended.
Micro-chipping involves implanting a small chip under the skin between the shoulder blades. It provides a unique identity number which is stored on a central database along with all your details, enabling your pet to be returned to you if it goes missing and is collected as a stray.
Remember to inform the database if your move!
The chip is implanted through a needle and can be performed during a normal consultation. Please phone in advance. The needle is quite large so we would recommend not doing it at first vaccination but at any time after.
Pet Tags are available from reception in various designs. These attach to your pet’s collar to allow immediate positive identification.
This is as important for your pet as it is for yourself. The mouth can act as a source of infection for the rest of the body. If your pet has poor oral hygiene, it may have bad breath, gum disease, loose teeth and may be in chronic pain especially when eating. This can lead to weight loss and even contribute to bacterial forms of heart valve disease. In order to correct the problem a general anaesthetic and a dental procedure would have to be performed which can be expensive and is not always covered by insurance.
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