Start your new Kitten off Right with a Visit to your Veterinarian

Jan 25
08:41

2012

Bob B. Hamilton

Bob B. Hamilton

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Everyone likes getting a new kitten. You may be in a rush to get the cute little creature back to your home. However you need to make sure you make an appointment to take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

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Everyone likes getting a new kitten.  You may be in a rush to get the cute little creature back to your home.  However you need to make sure you make an appointment to take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible. 

Ideally you will take the new kitten to the vet even before you take it back to your home.  This is especially important if you have other cats or pets in the household.  Kittens,Start your new Kitten off Right with a Visit to your Veterinarian Articles no matter how cute they may look, can have serious diseases such as feline immunodeficiency virus or feline leukemia virus.

If you decide not to take your new kitten to the vet before bringing it home you should keep it separated from your other pets.  During this time you should watch the kitten for signs there is something wrong that requires a vet visit.  Common signs include sneezing, trouble breathing, and refusal to eat.

Upon the first visit to the veterinarian, he will check your cat for many things.  The eyes, ears, and fur will all need to be checked.  The vet will also palpate the major organs to see if there is anything wrong with them.

When you take your kitten to the vet for the first time, you need to take a stool sample with you.  The vet can check the sample to see if your feline is infected with worms.  If so, the proper medications will need to be administered to get rid of them.

Your kitten may also undergo a blood test.  This blood test will determine if the kitten is infected with one of the major viruses including the feline immunodeficiency virus and the feline leukemia virus.  Kittens are usually tested for these diseases at just over two months of age.  If your kitten is younger the vet may elect to wait until your new pet is old enough for the test.

You should also be aware it is quite common for kittens to register a false positive for these diseases.  This happens because the mother's antibodies to the disease will be transferred to the kitten.  If the test comes back positive your kitten will need to be tested again in a few months to make sure.

Start your life with your new kitten off right by making a trip to the veterinarian as soon as you can.  You do not want any potentially deadly diseases to go undetected, especially if you have other pets in the home already.