When To Take Your Cat To The Vet
Posted on: 29 June 2020
If you are a cat owner you may assume that your cat is going to be as healthy every day as the day you brought them home. After all, cats are incredibly self-sufficient and can take care of themselves in a lot of ways. However, there are times where cats need pet services from a veterinarian to stay healthy. It is important to know some of the times that you should take your cat to the vet. That way, you do not accidentally let a health issue go or inadvertently put your cat in danger.
They Are Behind on Vaccines
If your cat is behind on any of their vaccines or their vaccines are due soon, you should schedule an appointment with your veterinarian right away. Vaccines, even those not required by law for your cats, are vitally important to their health and well-being. This is especially true if your cat ever spends any time outdoors.
There are several infections that cats can pick up outdoors from contact with other cats or contact with surfaces that other cats have left bodily fluids on at some point. Vaccines for cats include feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline distemper, rabies, and more.
Do not skip or delay any of these important vaccines, even if your cat spends their entire life indoors. This can be a dangerous mistake for your cat.
It Has Been More than a Year
When you own a cat, it can be easy for time to pass quickly and to forget about regular veterinary visits. However, one of the pet services that veterinarians offer is essentially a well pet check. These annual visits are just to examine your cat and to see if they are as healthy as they seem to be.
The veterinarian will weigh your cat, perform a physical exam, and will likely do blood work to ensure that your cat's levels are within normal limits. This can help to detect health problems in your cat like diabetes or even cancer in the early stages so that they can be treated accordingly. It can also just be a great reassurance that your cat is as healthy as possible in your care.
They Develop a Cough
If your cat develops a cough of any kind, you should definitely take them in for a visit to the animal hospital or veterinarian's office. This can be a sign of numerous viral or bacterial infections and should be diagnosed and treated right away. Respiratory illnesses in cats can be serious, so get them in for pet services at the veterinarian's office as soon as you can.
They Suddenly Start Crying or Howling Frequently
If your cat is not very vocal and they suddenly start to howl or cry a lot, you know you have a problem on your hands. This can be a sign of many issues, but the key to keep in mind is that it means your cat is in distress and/or is in pain.
The sooner you get to the veterinarian, the better. Your cat could have something like a severe UTI causing them pain, bladder or kidney stones, an intestinal blockage, an injury to their body, or some other serious illness or ailment.
Now that you know some of the times you should take your cat in for pet services with their veterinarian, you can be sure you are doing what is best for your cat at all times.
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