At the Animal Medical Clinic, we customize the preventive care of your cat to his or her specific lifestyle and risk factors.  Recommendations for preventive care, including vaccinations, will be made by Dr. Moon in consultation with you, the pet owner, to fit the individual needs of you and your pet.  Among the tools of preventive care for you to consider are:

 

  • Physical examinations:  We recommend annual physical examinations for young cats, and semiannual examinations beginning at five years of age.  Regular physical examinations allow us to recognize and intervene early in disease processes, monitor your cat’s weight, make appropriate recommendations for dental care, and answer any questions you may have about your cat’s home care and medical needs.
  • Feline distemper vaccines:  Feline distemper, also known as panleukopenia, is a disease very similar to canine parvovirus disease, causing vomiting and diarrhea so severe that it can be life threatening.  Included in the same vaccine are several agents of upper respiratory diseases.  A series of vaccines is recommended beginning at six to eight weeks and ending at or near three months of age, followed by a booster a year later.  Beginning at two years of age, we recommend yearly testing, called “titers,” to determine your cat’s immunity against panleukopenia.  When titers show a significant decrease in immunity, re-vaccination will be recommended.  Although routine yearly vaccination is a lower-cost alternative, there is a risk of vaccine reactions ranging from a mild fever of short duration to allergic reactions that can be life-threatening; we therefore recommend customizing the vaccine schedule to the individual, using titers results to guide the vaccination of adult cats for these diseases.
  • Rabies vaccines:  Rabies vaccines are required by state and local law.  Vaccination at or near four months, one year later, and then at three year intervals, complies with legal requirements and is safe and effective for most cats.  If your cat has an adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine, we may recommend special precautions in its administration, or arrange with legal authorities to waive the vaccine requirements.
  • Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) vaccines:  FeLV rarely causes leukemia in cats, but more often causes cancers of lymph tissues and general debility leading to death.  It is transmitted primarily through saliva exchange – not just bite wounds, but grooming activities, sharing food and water sources, or even just hissing at each other during territorial displays.  Although some veterinarians recommend against vaccinating indoor cats, we are mindful that the definition of “indoor” here in paradise includes screen porches, pool decks, and lanais.  And we remember the early years of our practice, before the advent of FeLV vaccines, when a small but significant number of nominally indoor cats succumbed to FeLV.  We therefore recommend vaccination of all cats against FeLV, and since the average duration of immunity in one large study was just sixteen months, we recommend annual vaccination after an initial two-dose series.  If you are certain that your pet is entirely indoors with no possible indirect contact with other cats, you may of course decline FeLV vaccination.
  • Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) vaccines:  FIV causes an AIDS-like disease in cats, in the same way that HIV causes the AIDS disease in humans.  They are separate and distinct viruses specific for their host species, however – FIV does not infect humans, and HIV does not infect cats.  FIV is spread almost entirely by bite wounds (with a small proportion spread venereally), so vaccination for outdoor cats is recommended and vaccination for indoor cats is not recommended.  A series of three vaccines is given three weeks apart to start, then annual boosters are given.
  • Bordetella vaccines:  Although some shelters use vaccines against Bordetella (kennel cough) to help control the spread of respiratory illnesses in the high-density situation of shelters, their routine use in pet cats does not appear to be justified.
  • Heartworm preventative:  Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes, and dogs are their primary host.  Cats are aberrant hosts for heartworms, and infestations among cats are much rarer than among dogs when neither are protected by heartworm preventatives, primarily because the immune system of cats is capable of attacking and killing heartworm larvae at an earlier stage.  This was formerly considered to be a justification for going without heartworm preventative in cats, even by us, but  recent studies have shown that the immune response itself is so intense that even a successful immune response against heartworm larvae damages the lungs of cats just as much as a mature heartworm infestation.  Since heartworms cause such severe disease in cats and diagnosis and treatment is so extremely difficult and risky, we recommend heartworm preventative be administered to cats each month.  The heartworm preventatives most commonly selected by our cat-owning clients are Revolution®, a topical that also controls fleas quite effectively and has moderately good activity against intestinal parasites, and Interceptor®, a pill that controls heartworms and most intestinal parasites effectively.  (The dose for Interceptor® is different for cats, so for reliable effectiveness please consult with us before administering your dog’s Interceptor® to your cat.
  • Fecal analysis:  Interceptor® and Revolution® prevent infestation with most intestinal parasites, but because some parasites can be transmitted to humans, we recommend monitoring of fecal samples for parasites at least once a year, for the protection of cats and their families.  For those familiar with the recommendations of the Companion Animal Parasite Council, we are one of only around 20% of U.S. veterinarians who comply with those recommendations by processing fecal samples using a centrifuge.
  • Spaying and neutering:  Spaying female cats and neutering male cats at or near six months of age is recommended, for all cats not intended for breeding.  Breast cancers only rarely develop in spayed cats, but are highly malignant in unspayed queens.  Life-threatening uterine infections and tumors of the uterus and ovaries are also prevented by early spays.  The behavior of cats in heat can border on the intolerable, as well.  Un-neutered male cats are famous for spraying their strong-smelling urine for scent marking, a trait that makes them extremely objectionable house companions.  (Cats don’t have prostate glands, so prostatic diseases are not a concern as they are in dogs and humans.) Spaying and neutering decreases the number of unwanted kittens in shelters and improves both the quality and duration of life for pet cats.  We strive to keep the cost of spays and neuters affordable while still maintaining professional standards in administering anesthesia and performing surgery, and giving your cat individualized attention as a surgical patient.
  • Dental care:  Tartar accumulation causes gum disease that can lead to deeper infections of the mouth and jaw tissues, including the bones of the upper and lower jaws, and spread to other body sites like the liver, kidneys, and heart valves.  Cats also form cavity-like lesions that quickly extend into the pulp canal of the tooth and cause significant pain.  The rate and severity of dental tartar formation varies widely in cats.  We therefore do not make standardized recommendations regarding the intervals between teeth cleaning for cats; rather, we perform dental examinations as a part of every physical examination and make specific recommendations based on your cat’s condition.  All cats accumulate tartar at some rate, and professional dental cleaning under anesthesia will be recommended at appropriate times during your cat’s life.
  • Senior care:  Older cats are at increased risk for a variety of problems, such as compromised kidney and/or liver function, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, and diabetes.  Routine testing of blood and urine samples can contribute to the diagnosis and management of these problems, and may be recommended at one- to two-year intervals for geriatric cats.

 

Preventive health care is an important part of our services that help you and your cat enjoy a long and happy life together.  If you have any questions regarding our recommendations and their specific applications to your cat, please feel free to discuss them with Dr. Moon or any staff member.