You adore your cat, and you want to ensure that they live a long, healthy life. Here, our Rancho Cucamonga vets share facts discuss how often you should take your cat to the vet for preventive care, including routine checkups.
How often should I take my cat to the vet?
To make sure your kitty enjoys a long, healthy life, is to prevent them from catching serious, life-threatening illnesses, or to have them detected early when they are easier to treat.
Bringing your cat to our vets in Rancho Cucamonga regularly for checkups allows your veterinarian the chance to check your four-legged friend's general physical health and well-being, look for the earliest signs of disease and offer recommendations for any preventive care products your kitty requires.
At Rancho Regional Veterinary Hospital, we understand that some cat owners may be concerned about the potential cost of routine checkups and preventive care, especially if your cat seems to be in great health. However, take a proactive preventive approach to your kitten or cat's health can help you save costs on more expensive treatments in the future.
What is a cat checkup?
Taking your cat to your veterinarian in Rancho Cucamonga is similar to your physical checkup with your doctor. Just like with humans, how often your cat should have a physical examination will depend on her overall health, age and lifestyle.
Typically, we recommend annual wellness exams for healthy adult cats. However, senior cats, those with underlying health conditions and kittens should see a vet more often for an examination.
How often should kittens see a vet?
Is your kitty less than a year old? We recommend bringing them to the vet once a month starting when they are about 8 weeks old.
Throughout their first year, kittens need multiple rounds of vaccinations to help protect them from common infectious diseases. Kittens should get the Feline Leukemia vaccine and the FVRCP vaccine which helps protect your feline friend from 3 highly contagious and life-threatening feline diseases, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FHV-1) Feline Calicivirus (FCV), and Feline Panleukopenia (FPL).
Your kitten will be provided with these vaccines over the course of approximately 16 weeks, which will go a long way in helping to keep them healthy their whole life.
The exact timing of your kitten's vaccinations will vary depending on your location and the overall health of your furry friend.
Our vets recommend having your kitten spayed or neutered when they are between 5 - 6 months in order to prevent a host of diseases and undesirable behaviors as well as unwanted litters of kittens.
How often should middle-aged cats see a vet?
If you have a healthy adult cat between 1 - 10 years old, we recommend taking them in once a year for an exam. These examinations are yearly physical checkups that should be completed even when your cat seems to be perfectly healthy.
Throughout your adult cat's routine exam your vet will implement a head-to-tail examination to look for early signs of diseases or other issues, such as parasites, joint pain, or tooth decay.
Your veterinarian will also provide your kitty with any required vaccines or booster shots, and have a conversation with you about your cat's diet and nutritional requirements, as well as recommend the appropriate parasite protection products.
If your vet detects any signs of a health issue, they will explain their findings to you and recommend the next steps.
How often should senior cats see a vet?
Cats are typically considered to be senior when they reach 11 years of age.
Since many cat diseases and injuries tend to be more common in older pets we recommend bringing your senior companion to your veterinarian in Rancho Cucamonga every 6 months. Twice-yearly wellness check-ups for your geriatric cat will include all of the checks and advice listed above, but with a few additional diagnostic tests to obtain extra insights into your furry friend's overall health.
Some diagnostic tests we recommend for our senior patients include blood tests and urinalysis to check for early signs of problems such as kidney disease or diabetes.
Geriatric care for cats also includes a more proactive approach to keeping your feline companion comfortable as age-related issues such as joint pain become more common. If you have a senior cat, ask your vet how often you should bring your pet in to our animal hospital in Rancho Cucamonga, CA for a routine exam.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.