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VACCINATIONS Many common diseases, including distemper, are deadly to your cat. During the initial day of nursing, kittens receive antibodies against certain diseases from their mother’s milk. These protecting antibodies are gradually lost between 6 and 16 weeks of age. A series of vaccinations are given during this period to stimulate your kitten’s immune system to produce its own antibodies. Even if your cat never goes outside, many viruses are quite hardy, and can be carried to your cat on your hands, shoes or clothing. Make sure your pet is protected! Talk to your veterinarian about a vaccine protocol. FELINE LEUKEMIA Feline leukemia, or FeLV, is a deadly disease that is spread directly from cat to cat, and from mother cats to their kittens before or shortly after birth. As many as 40% of cat deaths annually are due to feline leukemia and related viruses. Cats that live indoors, or whose owners are sure their cat isn’t exposed to other cats of unknown/questionable history, are at almost no risk for developing this disease because the disease is primarily spread through deep bite wounds and scratches. Kittens should be screened for the disease at their first visit, and vaccination against the disease is HIGHLY recommended for cats that will be outdoors or in contact with other non-indoor cats. FIV FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, and in many ways is similar to HIV in humans. It is an immunosuppressive disease that renders a cat susceptible to diseases and other infectious agents because it suppresses their immune system. It is transmitted between cats through deep bit wounds and scratches, however it is not transmissible to humans. Kittens should be screened for the virus at around 6 months of age and cats that go outdoors should be screened for the virus annually because of their risk of contracting the disease through fighting with other potentially infected cats. FECAL SCREENING As a part of your kitten's general health assessment we require that a fecal float screen be completed upon their first visit to our hospital. This test screens your kitten for intestinal parasites. It is common for kittens to be infected with these parasites, as they are passed through a mother's milk to her kittens or through placental transfer during embryonic development. Kittens can also ingest these parasites through normal grooming because the eggs of these parasites can exist in contaminated soil. Kittens or cats that hunt or eat prey are also at high risk of developing intestinal parasites because their prey may be the host of developing parasites. It is important that a kitten's stool in screened for intestinal parasites and that an annual fecal screening becomes a part of their general health regiment. VACCINE PROTOCOLS Vaccine protocols have changed due to recent developments in research and as new diseases have appeared and spread. Chances are good that our vaccine recommendations will change again over the next ten years. As your cat comes in for annual physical exams we will inform you of new vaccines and vaccination schedules.We now see many, many cats who live to be 18 or more years old. Regular veterinary care is the reason why!
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