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Cat and Kitten Wellness Exams/Vaccine Visits

A Good Vet Visit Starts At Home!

At Sunrise Animal Hospital we love to see our feline patients and want to try and make the visit a positive one! The best way we can help your cat or kitten feel comfortable in our clinic is to help them feel comfortable on the way here. There are many things you can do at home before the visit to limit their stress. The best ways to help reduce stress are:

- Having a kennel/carrier for your cat/kitten

- Leaving the carrier out in the open even when you are not taking your cat/kitten out of the house

- Encouraging your cat/kitten to walk in the carrier on their own by using treats

- Having a blanket cover the carrier so your cat/kitten does not get spooked by outside stimulus (traffic, dogs, other cats)

- You might also consider spraying some feliway spray in the kennel to help your cat relax. It is a natural pheromone that gives your cat more peace of mind

We will also help by trying to have our feline patients enter the exam room immediately upon arrival to limit their exposure to other animals in the waiting room. If you call us when you are in the parking lot, we can let you know if we have a room available, or if there is going to be some wait and we can call you back once we have availabilities.

The most common time we see our feline patients is for their annual vaccinations. These are important EVEN IF YOUR CAT IS AN INSIDE CAT as they help to ensure optimum immunity from even air-born diseases. We offer 3 vaccines here at our clinic:

FVRCP:

A three way vaccine that protects against Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (an upper respiratory disease that causes sneezing, nasal discharge, and eye discharge), Calicivirus (feline herpes which can cause upper respiratory diseases), and Panluekopenia (feline distemper which causes diarrhea, vomiting, and is often fatal).

Feline Leukemia/FIV:

A blood disorder that causes a cat's immune system to fight against itself. A cat will come into contact with this virus if another infected cat bites them (outside cats are at increased risk of acquiring feline leukemia). It can lead to many secondary infections which are often fatal if untreated as the cat's immunity is weakened.

Rabies:

Another disease that is passed through an affected animal (dog, cat, or wildlife) biting a cat. Unfortunately, rabies is almost always a lethal disease and is most commonly spread through bats in Alberta which puts all pets at risk.

KITTENS:

Kittens need 3 sets of vaccinations recommended at 8weeks, 12weeks, and 16weeks of age. It is important that they receive their boosters on time for optimum immunity. During their first visit, we will usually give one dose of the FVRCP vaccine. On their second visit we administer their second dose of FVRCP and their first dose of FELV/FIV. Finally, on their third visit we administer their third dose of FVRCP, their second dose of FELV/FIV, and their first dose of Rabies. After all of these vaccinations, they are good for a full year by which time they will require their first adult boosters.

ADULT CATS:

Adult cats require annual vaccinations to ensure that their immunity is up to date. Both the FVRCP vaccine and the FELV/FIV vaccine require annual boosters. The rabies vaccine only needs to be boosted every 3 years after the first adult booster.

If your cat has had a reaction to vaccinations in the past please inform us BEFORE your appointment so we can take proper measures to ensure the safety of your pet.

If you would like any additional information on the importance of vaccines, please follow the link below or call us.

Importance of Vaccinations

Wellness Exams

Just like humans, it is recommended that your dog receive yearly physical exams to ensure that they are healthy. Sometimes dogs may be asymptomatic, but actually have conditions that should be investigated to help prevent further development of the disease (such as a heart murmur which could indicate heart disease).

During the wellness exam, the doctor will examine the following:

- Eyes and nose for any discharge or redness

- Mouth to look for any retained baby teeth/dental disease or masses as well as look at their gum colour

- Listen to your pet's heart and lungs to check for abnormalities

- Check behind their jaw, in front of their shoulders and behind their back legs for pronounced lymph nodes

- Check in their ears to check for debris, redness, or masses

- Feel the abdomen to see if anything feels enlarged or abnormal

- Check the skin to look for any rashes, redness, abrasions, or lumps

- Look at the paws to see if there is any redness or other abnormalities

- Look at the scrotum and rectum to ensure everything looks normal externally

- Take your pet's temperature to check for a fever

If the doctor finds any abnormalities during the physical exam he can recommend treatments or give advice as to what to monitor for.

If you require a health certificate for travel or any other additional documents, please let us know ahead of time so we may schedule off enough time to fill out our necessary portions.