Five Easy Steps To Keep Your Kitten Healthy

5 easy steps to keeping your kitten healthy, from a brochure at Tenaker, by Idexx Laboratories

1) Schedule a physical examination.

A physical examination can help us make sure your kitten is in good health from the start. During the examination, we will do the following:

Check ears, eyes, teeth and body condition
Listen to heart and lungs
Look for external parasites, such as fleas and ticks
Ensure that your kitten is eating properly

A thorough exam today-followed by a regular program of annual testing, vaccines and physical exams-will help us keep your kitten healthy for a lifetime and provide you with peace of mind.

2) Have your kitten tested for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia (FeLV)

Important facts:

These two diseases are associated with illness and death in more cats than any other infectious agent (American Association of Feline Practioners, 2001)
Kittens born to infected mothers can be infected too
Sings of infection may not be apparent in young kittens
All kittens should be tested before being introduced into a household. All at-risk cats should be tested annually to ensure good health and to help prevent the spread of disease.
There is currently no cure for either infection, but if your kitten is infected, we can manage the disease to help your kitten live a productive and happy life.

We can quickly test your kitten for both infections during your annual visit and have the results before you leave the clinic.

3) Protect your kitten from parasites and infectious diseases

Know the problem:

Ear mites cause intense irritation as they move about the ear canal, feeding on epidermal debris and tissue fluid. Cats can pass ear mites on to other cats.

Fleas often choose a pet as a host because the fur provides warm camouflage for breeding. Serious side effects on flea infestations include anemia, tape worm, infections and more.

Ticks carry dangerous, infectious diseases. The harpoon-like barbs of a tick's mouth attach to a host for feeding. Crablike legs and a sticky secretion help hold the tick to the host.

Mosquitoes can infect a pet with heartworm, a parasite that resides in the heart and, over time, causes serious heart damage and death.

Fecal parasites, such as hookworm, roundworm, Giardia and others, can create serious health problems if left undetected.

4) Vaccinate and take preventive measures to guard against disease

We recommend the following preventive methods to protect your kitten.

Rabies vaccine
Feline distemper virus vaccine
Feline leukemia virus vaccine
Calicivirus vaccine
Tick/Flea preventative

We recommend testing for infection before vaccinating for FIV and FeLV.

5) Spay/Neuter your kitten

This reduces the tendency for your kitten to fight and or mate, thereby decreasing the chance of spreading the virus.
Your kitten will be placed under anesthesia for this procedure. We recommend preanesthetic testing to determine your kitten's overall health status and ability to tolerate anesthesia.

"Preanesthetic screening is imperative for puppies and kittens. Most often, the preanesthetic diagnostic screening is the first comprehensive look we have at the pet's health. It is at that time we can assess the pet for common breed-specific ailments, as well as gather solid baseline data for the future health care of the pet."
--Dr. Ernie Ward Seaside Animal Care, Calabash, NC

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