PREVENTATIVE CARE
Just like any human doctor/patient relationship, the pet/veterinarian synergy only benefits with time and consistency. By starting and staying with one veterinarian from birth to old age, your pet will be assured of better care throughout its life. With Nashville Cat Clinic, your cat's every need may be met by a single source that specializes in one thing: complete feline care. And in the long run, isn't that what you want to give them?
Below you'll find topics that cover Preventative Health Care for your cat that NCC offers. Starting with kittens, you'll discover a medical plan designed to keep your cat active and healthy for years. Please click on each topic to discover more details!
Please click on a topic below to learn more!
To ensure
that your kitten receives complete preventative
care to protect against disease, we recommend a
series of four visits, where your kitten will
receive all vaccinations needed maintain good
health.
In addition, a veterinarian will thoroughly examine your kitten to identify any potential problems.
Because your kitten's health and well-being will depend on more than just vaccinations, we will sit down and talk with you about caring for your kitten, behavior issues, and answer any questions you may have.
Kitten series visits consist of:
• Comprehensive Physical Exam
• Intestinal Parasite (worms) Testing & Treatment
• Vaccinations
• Rabies
• Panleukopenia
• Feline Calicivirus
• Feline Leukemia
• Feline Herpevirus
• Feline Rhinotracheitis
• Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIV)
• Pet Owner counseling regarding pet care, housebreaking, behavior problems and socialization.
In order to
maintain your adult cat's health, we recommend
the following annual preventative healthcare:
• A Comprehensive Physical Exam to dectect signs of disease, illness, or aging concerns
• Intestinal Parasite (worms) Testing
• Feline Heartworm Testing & Prevention
• Vaccinations
• Feline Distemper to protect against feline respiratory disease
(Rhinotracheitis & Calicivirus) and Panleukopenia (Distemper)
• Feline Leukemia
• Rabies Vaccine
• Chlamydia
• Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Like any
other animal, as your cat ages his health may
decline and a more aggressive medical approach
may become necessary. For older cats,we offer
these preventative health care options:
• Biannual comprehensive physical examinations to detect early signs of disease, illness, and aging changes.
• EKG - to screen for heart disease
• Geriatric blood profiles to detect early signs of the diseases due to aging
• ERD - (urine test) to find early changes associated with kidney disease
• Blood Pressure Testing (a common hidden disease of older cats)
Feline
immunodeficiency virus, or FIV, is a widespread
viral infection that attacks the immune system
of cats. It is caused by the same family of
viruses that triggers AIDS in humans and has
much the same devastating impact on infected
cats. It is often referred to as “feline AIDS.”
The virus devastates a cat's immune system, stopping it from effectively combating other diseases and infections. Infected cats eventually fall prey to a wide variety of secondary illnesses that overwhelmingly prove fatal. There is no cure, but cats can live for up to 10 years – much of it in seeming good health – before succumbing.
It is estimated that between one percent and 14 percent of the cat population is infected with FIV. The disease is transmitted from cat to cat by blood and saliva. This happens primarily through biting so outdoor and male cats that fight with other cats are at greatest risk. FIV has also been found in milk and can be transmitted from mother to kitten. Transmission among household cats through normal contact is thought to be unlikely. Nor can the disease be transmitted to humans.
How FIV Progresses
FIV has three stages of infection:
Stage 1 – In the first stage the virus first causes infections, fever and swollen lymph nodes.
Stage 2 – During this stage, the virus is in effect dormant and many cats appear “healthy.” This is called the sub-clinical phase and lasts from months to years.
Stage 3 – In the final stage the cat suffers the infections and diseases that are often fatal within a year. It is called the chronic infection stage.
Diagnosis
An infected cat will often suffer from numerous diseases and infections, including anemia, infections of the gums and mouth, cancer and skin disorders. The cat may also suffer neurological problems that cause seizures, problems maintaining balance and dementia, as well as behavioral changes like inappropriate elimination. Co-infection with feline leukemia virus can occur. Many cats may seem healthy but they are still infected.
The key to diagnosing FIV is determining whether these problems are the result of a suppressed immune system caused by the virus. Your veterinarian will take a medical history, do a complete physical examination and administer an FIV blood test designed to see whether a cat has developed antibodies to the virus. If antibodies are present, it indicates the virus is present in the body. This test is called ELISA or IFA.
It is a good idea to test kittens because they contract the virus when nursing, but it is also possible for a test to show wrongly that a kitten is infected; a nursing kitten can also carry the antibodies of an infected mother without being infected itself. A kitten that tests positive should be retested after six months of age, when it carries its own antibodies and test results will be more reliable.
A cat that tests positive or appears to have FIV will likely undergo further tests to measure its general health and the impact the disease is having on individual organs.
Treatment
There has been no proven effective treatment for FIV infection. If your cat has no clinical signs, no treatment may be recommended. In this situation, regular follow-up visits to your veterinarian are important to insure the condition does not progress. If immunodeficiency and secondary infections have developed, your veterinarian will choose treatments to combat them. These are likely to consist of antibiotics for bacterial infections, nutritional support, fluid therapy for dehydrated cats and parasite control.
Several therapies used to treat people with AIDS have been used in cats with FIV infection with the goal of boosting their immune systems and slowing the progress of the disease. These treatments include:
AZT, a well-known AIDS drug. Treatment with AZT may result in clinical improvement, immune function and quality of life, but AZT has some potentially serious adverse effects and should be administered to FIV-infected cats under the supervision of a veterinarian experienced with its use.
Alpha interferon. This drug may reduce viral replication in some infected cats. It is not licensed for use in cats, but some clinical studies found increased activity, increased appetite, improvement of blood abnormalities, increased clearance of virus and prolonged survival in treated cats.
Bone marrow transplantation. This procedure has been performed in a limited number of FIV-infected cats and is successful in restoring white blood cell counts in some instances. Infected cats, however, remain infected with FIV. This procedure is available only at a limited number of referral research institutions.
Home Care
Optimal treatment for your cat requires a combination of home and professional veterinary care. Follow-up is crucial.
Administer any medications as directed by your veterinarian and observe general activity level, body weight, appetite and attitude.
Have your vet show you how to examine and monitor your cat's gum color, urination, defecation and lymph node size.
Contact your veterinarian promptly if you are having trouble treating your cat, your cat develops new symptoms or symptoms worsen.
Provide quality nutrition as directed by your vet and schedule veterinary visits to monitor your cat's condition.
Prevention
A vaccine has recently become available to help reduce the risk of your cat acquiring FIV. In addition to vaccination, eliminating interactions with infected cats and stopping your cat from fighting greatly helps reduce the risk. Keeping your cat indoors and neutering males are probably the most important keys to prevention.
FIV-infected cats should be isolated from cats that do not carry the virus. They should be quarantined to a separate area in a household away from other cats and should have no contact with FIV-negative cats. All bedding, food and water dishes, litter pans and toys should be disinfected. They should not be shared among cats that are infected and cats that are not.
All cats in the household should be tested for FIV. Quarantine all FIV-negative cats to one area. Retest these cats in three months. If they are negative at that time, they are considered free of FIV. Cats are considered free of infection when two negative test results separated by three months have been obtained. Though you want the new cat to be a member of the household as soon as possible, it is important to observe the quarantine period.
Retest all FIV-positive cats. Cats that test negative for FIV after having testing positive on the first test should remain isolated. Re-testing should be carried out after three additional months.
Kittens should not be allowed to nurse if their mothers are infected because the virus can be passed through the milk.
Getting
Your Cat Into The Carrier
If you don't already own a carrier, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind when buying one:
• Be sure it is convenient for you, your cat, and your veterinarian.
• Keeping the carrier in your home and putting treats inside helps you train your cat to see the carrier as a safe place
While there are many carriers on the market, be sure to choose one that has a top opening, and possible an additional opening on the side.
• Top-loading carriers are much easier for placing your cat inside
• Other options include carriers in which the top half is removable so the cat can remain in the carrier during the examination
• Always remove your cat from the carrier carefully. Never dump the cat out of the carrier.
Adjusting to Car Rides
• When traveling with your cat in the car, always put the cat in a carrier or protected container. This is safer for both of you, rather than allowing the cat to roam freely.
• To make your cat comfortable when riding in the car, take the cat to other places than the vet's office.
• Start with short rides at first, then gradually extend the length of the drive
• Because cats travel best on an empty stomach, do not feed your cat for several hours before traveling.
• After each successful car trip, reward your cat with positive attention and treats!
Pleasant Veterinary Visits
• To make your cat feel at home in the veterinarian's office, bring the cat's favorite treats and toys with you.
• When at home, practice regular care routines like grooming, nail trimming, and teeth brushing.
• Pretend to do routine veterinary procedures with your cat by touching the cat's face, ears, feet and tail. This should help your cat to adjust to the veterinary hospital and any home care.
• Make trips to the veterinary hospital for visits involving no examinations or procedures, such as checking the cat's weight. It gives the staff a chance to interact with your cat in a non-threatening way.
For more info, go to catwellness.org and npwm.com.
As in our canine friends, heartworm can be fatal. Transmitted to cats by infected mosquitoes, feline heartworm is difficult to diagnose and currently there is no approved treatment at this time - it must be prevented. Both indoor and outdoor cats are susceptible to heartworm infection. Just one adult heartworm can be fatal in cats, and prevalence is estimated to be from 5-20% of the prevalence of unprotected dogs. Here are more dangerous facts:
• Heartworm disease is being recognized as an increasing problem in cats.
• Clinical signs may be confused with other common feline diseases, such as asthma.
• It may be difficult to and expensive to diagnose
• Only 1-2 worms can cause serious or fatal disease in cats.
• Remember, no approved treatment exists for affected cats
Common signs of feline heartworm include:
• Coughing
• Vomiting
• Sluggishness
• Difficulty breathing
• Collapsing
• Convulsions
• Diarrhea
• Sudden Death
Indoor cats are at risk too! Fully 25% of infected cats are reported to be indoor cats.
Revolution® (selamectin) is the only topical medicine effective against Dirofilaria immitis, the parasite that causes heartworm in cats.
What is Revolution® (selamectin)?
Revolution is the first-ever FDA-approved, topically applied medication for cats that:
• Kills adult fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) and prevents flea eggs from hatching.
• Prevents heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis.
• Treats and controls ear mites (Otodectes cynotis).
• Treats and controls roundworms (Toxocara cati) and hookworms (Ancylostoma tubaeforme).
How does Revolution® (selamectin) work?
Revolution enters the bloodstream through the skin. Concentrations of Revolution in the blood and tissues prevent heartworm disease and prevent and treat roundworm and hookworm infections. Revolution selectively redistributes from the blood to the skin and other tissues, where it provides protection against fleas, flea eggs, and ear mites.
What are the most common side effects?
Revolution is generally well-tolerated. In studies, less than 1% of cats and dogs experienced digestive upset. Approximately 1% of cats experienced temporary hair loss at the application site. Do not use in sick, weak or underweight animals.
For more detailed information about Revolution for cats, click on the link below:
Just like any human doctor/patient relationship, the pet/veterinarian synergy only benefits with time and consistency. By starting and staying with one veterinarian from birth to old age, your pet will be assured of better care throughout its life. With Nashville Cat Clinic, your cat's every need may be met by a single source that specializes in one thing: complete feline care. And in the long run, isn't that what you want to give them?
Below you'll find topics that cover Preventative Health Care for your cat that NCC offers. Starting with kittens, you'll discover a medical plan designed to keep your cat active and healthy for years. Please click on each topic to discover more details!
Please click on a topic below to learn more!
Beginning Preventative Care for Kittens
In addition, a veterinarian will thoroughly examine your kitten to identify any potential problems.
Because your kitten's health and well-being will depend on more than just vaccinations, we will sit down and talk with you about caring for your kitten, behavior issues, and answer any questions you may have.
Kitten series visits consist of:
• Comprehensive Physical Exam
• Intestinal Parasite (worms) Testing & Treatment
• Vaccinations
• Rabies
• Panleukopenia
• Feline Calicivirus
• Feline Leukemia
• Feline Herpevirus
• Feline Rhinotracheitis
• Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIV)
• Pet Owner counseling regarding pet care, housebreaking, behavior problems and socialization.
Maintaining the Health of Your Adult Cat
• A Comprehensive Physical Exam to dectect signs of disease, illness, or aging concerns
• Intestinal Parasite (worms) Testing
• Feline Heartworm Testing & Prevention
• Vaccinations
• Feline Distemper to protect against feline respiratory disease
(Rhinotracheitis & Calicivirus) and Panleukopenia (Distemper)
• Feline Leukemia
• Rabies Vaccine
• Chlamydia
• Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Preventative Health Care for Your Older Cat
• Biannual comprehensive physical examinations to detect early signs of disease, illness, and aging changes.
• EKG - to screen for heart disease
• Geriatric blood profiles to detect early signs of the diseases due to aging
• ERD - (urine test) to find early changes associated with kidney disease
• Blood Pressure Testing (a common hidden disease of older cats)
Feline AIDS
The virus devastates a cat's immune system, stopping it from effectively combating other diseases and infections. Infected cats eventually fall prey to a wide variety of secondary illnesses that overwhelmingly prove fatal. There is no cure, but cats can live for up to 10 years – much of it in seeming good health – before succumbing.
It is estimated that between one percent and 14 percent of the cat population is infected with FIV. The disease is transmitted from cat to cat by blood and saliva. This happens primarily through biting so outdoor and male cats that fight with other cats are at greatest risk. FIV has also been found in milk and can be transmitted from mother to kitten. Transmission among household cats through normal contact is thought to be unlikely. Nor can the disease be transmitted to humans.
How FIV Progresses
FIV has three stages of infection:
Stage 1 – In the first stage the virus first causes infections, fever and swollen lymph nodes.
Stage 2 – During this stage, the virus is in effect dormant and many cats appear “healthy.” This is called the sub-clinical phase and lasts from months to years.
Stage 3 – In the final stage the cat suffers the infections and diseases that are often fatal within a year. It is called the chronic infection stage.
Diagnosis
An infected cat will often suffer from numerous diseases and infections, including anemia, infections of the gums and mouth, cancer and skin disorders. The cat may also suffer neurological problems that cause seizures, problems maintaining balance and dementia, as well as behavioral changes like inappropriate elimination. Co-infection with feline leukemia virus can occur. Many cats may seem healthy but they are still infected.
The key to diagnosing FIV is determining whether these problems are the result of a suppressed immune system caused by the virus. Your veterinarian will take a medical history, do a complete physical examination and administer an FIV blood test designed to see whether a cat has developed antibodies to the virus. If antibodies are present, it indicates the virus is present in the body. This test is called ELISA or IFA.
It is a good idea to test kittens because they contract the virus when nursing, but it is also possible for a test to show wrongly that a kitten is infected; a nursing kitten can also carry the antibodies of an infected mother without being infected itself. A kitten that tests positive should be retested after six months of age, when it carries its own antibodies and test results will be more reliable.
A cat that tests positive or appears to have FIV will likely undergo further tests to measure its general health and the impact the disease is having on individual organs.
Treatment
There has been no proven effective treatment for FIV infection. If your cat has no clinical signs, no treatment may be recommended. In this situation, regular follow-up visits to your veterinarian are important to insure the condition does not progress. If immunodeficiency and secondary infections have developed, your veterinarian will choose treatments to combat them. These are likely to consist of antibiotics for bacterial infections, nutritional support, fluid therapy for dehydrated cats and parasite control.
Several therapies used to treat people with AIDS have been used in cats with FIV infection with the goal of boosting their immune systems and slowing the progress of the disease. These treatments include:
AZT, a well-known AIDS drug. Treatment with AZT may result in clinical improvement, immune function and quality of life, but AZT has some potentially serious adverse effects and should be administered to FIV-infected cats under the supervision of a veterinarian experienced with its use.
Alpha interferon. This drug may reduce viral replication in some infected cats. It is not licensed for use in cats, but some clinical studies found increased activity, increased appetite, improvement of blood abnormalities, increased clearance of virus and prolonged survival in treated cats.
Bone marrow transplantation. This procedure has been performed in a limited number of FIV-infected cats and is successful in restoring white blood cell counts in some instances. Infected cats, however, remain infected with FIV. This procedure is available only at a limited number of referral research institutions.
Home Care
Optimal treatment for your cat requires a combination of home and professional veterinary care. Follow-up is crucial.
Administer any medications as directed by your veterinarian and observe general activity level, body weight, appetite and attitude.
Have your vet show you how to examine and monitor your cat's gum color, urination, defecation and lymph node size.
Contact your veterinarian promptly if you are having trouble treating your cat, your cat develops new symptoms or symptoms worsen.
Provide quality nutrition as directed by your vet and schedule veterinary visits to monitor your cat's condition.
Prevention
A vaccine has recently become available to help reduce the risk of your cat acquiring FIV. In addition to vaccination, eliminating interactions with infected cats and stopping your cat from fighting greatly helps reduce the risk. Keeping your cat indoors and neutering males are probably the most important keys to prevention.
FIV-infected cats should be isolated from cats that do not carry the virus. They should be quarantined to a separate area in a household away from other cats and should have no contact with FIV-negative cats. All bedding, food and water dishes, litter pans and toys should be disinfected. They should not be shared among cats that are infected and cats that are not.
All cats in the household should be tested for FIV. Quarantine all FIV-negative cats to one area. Retest these cats in three months. If they are negative at that time, they are considered free of FIV. Cats are considered free of infection when two negative test results separated by three months have been obtained. Though you want the new cat to be a member of the household as soon as possible, it is important to observe the quarantine period.
Retest all FIV-positive cats. Cats that test negative for FIV after having testing positive on the first test should remain isolated. Re-testing should be carried out after three additional months.
Kittens should not be allowed to nurse if their mothers are infected because the virus can be passed through the milk.
Getting Your Cat to the Clinic
If you don't already own a carrier, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind when buying one:
• Be sure it is convenient for you, your cat, and your veterinarian.
• Keeping the carrier in your home and putting treats inside helps you train your cat to see the carrier as a safe place
While there are many carriers on the market, be sure to choose one that has a top opening, and possible an additional opening on the side.
• Top-loading carriers are much easier for placing your cat inside
• Other options include carriers in which the top half is removable so the cat can remain in the carrier during the examination
• Always remove your cat from the carrier carefully. Never dump the cat out of the carrier.
Adjusting to Car Rides
• When traveling with your cat in the car, always put the cat in a carrier or protected container. This is safer for both of you, rather than allowing the cat to roam freely.
• To make your cat comfortable when riding in the car, take the cat to other places than the vet's office.
• Start with short rides at first, then gradually extend the length of the drive
• Because cats travel best on an empty stomach, do not feed your cat for several hours before traveling.
• After each successful car trip, reward your cat with positive attention and treats!
Pleasant Veterinary Visits
• To make your cat feel at home in the veterinarian's office, bring the cat's favorite treats and toys with you.
• When at home, practice regular care routines like grooming, nail trimming, and teeth brushing.
• Pretend to do routine veterinary procedures with your cat by touching the cat's face, ears, feet and tail. This should help your cat to adjust to the veterinary hospital and any home care.
• Make trips to the veterinary hospital for visits involving no examinations or procedures, such as checking the cat's weight. It gives the staff a chance to interact with your cat in a non-threatening way.
For more info, go to catwellness.org and npwm.com.
Preventing Feline Heartworm
As in our canine friends, heartworm can be fatal. Transmitted to cats by infected mosquitoes, feline heartworm is difficult to diagnose and currently there is no approved treatment at this time - it must be prevented. Both indoor and outdoor cats are susceptible to heartworm infection. Just one adult heartworm can be fatal in cats, and prevalence is estimated to be from 5-20% of the prevalence of unprotected dogs. Here are more dangerous facts:
• Heartworm disease is being recognized as an increasing problem in cats.
• Clinical signs may be confused with other common feline diseases, such as asthma.
• It may be difficult to and expensive to diagnose
• Only 1-2 worms can cause serious or fatal disease in cats.
• Remember, no approved treatment exists for affected cats
Common signs of feline heartworm include:
• Coughing
• Vomiting
• Sluggishness
• Difficulty breathing
• Collapsing
• Convulsions
• Diarrhea
• Sudden Death
Indoor cats are at risk too! Fully 25% of infected cats are reported to be indoor cats.
Revolution® (selamectin) is the only topical medicine effective against Dirofilaria immitis, the parasite that causes heartworm in cats.
What is Revolution® (selamectin)?
Revolution is the first-ever FDA-approved, topically applied medication for cats that:
• Kills adult fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) and prevents flea eggs from hatching.
• Prevents heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis.
• Treats and controls ear mites (Otodectes cynotis).
• Treats and controls roundworms (Toxocara cati) and hookworms (Ancylostoma tubaeforme).
How does Revolution® (selamectin) work?
Revolution enters the bloodstream through the skin. Concentrations of Revolution in the blood and tissues prevent heartworm disease and prevent and treat roundworm and hookworm infections. Revolution selectively redistributes from the blood to the skin and other tissues, where it provides protection against fleas, flea eggs, and ear mites.
What are the most common side effects?
Revolution is generally well-tolerated. In studies, less than 1% of cats and dogs experienced digestive upset. Approximately 1% of cats experienced temporary hair loss at the application site. Do not use in sick, weak or underweight animals.
For more detailed information about Revolution for cats, click on the link below:
