Infectious diseases at the vet?

I've gotten used to my vet making house calls...but now the cats have some issues that require a visit to a clinic/hospital. I am very worried that they will get sick due to all the sicknesses floating around there.

I mean, if someone else's cat comes in with distemper, sneezing and wheezing all over (as far as I know, my cats are unvaccinated), and my cat sits on the same exam table, being weighed and measured and poked with the same equipment...could my cat get the illness?!

I suppose (hope!) I'm worrying too much, but I do worry.... Sorry if I've been asking too many stupid questions lately!

these are not stupid questions, they are legitimate concerns.

It would be hoped that your vet uses normal hygiene procedures. Wiping down the table between pets with a disinfectant, washing hands of course, and changing her (his) coat between patients if s/he's been with a sick animal, disinfecting and using sterile with each patient equipment.

By all means call your vet clinic and ask what their standard procedures are to clean consultation rooms between patients.

I always ask the tech ushering me in to the room to wipe down the stainless steel table in my presence. It doesn't matter that it has already been wiped down. I want to see it done. Now they do it without me asking. I made a joke of it, so as not to give offense "oh you know me, so picky about things haha".

My vet clinic now has a sign on the door that says if the cat or dog is coughing to keep the animal out in the car and someone will come get them when it's their turn.

Keep your cats in their carriers and sit away from other cats if at all possible.

My cats are frequent visitors to the vet and none have ever gotten sick there.

Originally Posted by otto

these are not stupid questions, they are legitimate concerns.

It would be hoped that your vet uses normal hygiene procedures. Wiping down the table between pets with a disinfectant, washing hands of course, and changing her (his) coat between patients if s/he's been with a sick animal, disinfecting and using sterile with each patient equipment.

By all means call your vet clinic and ask what their standard procedures are to clean consultation rooms between patients.

I always ask the tech ushering me in to the room to wipe down the stainless steel table in my presence. It doesn't matter that it has already been wiped down. I want to see it done. Now they do it without me asking. I made a joke of it, so as not to give offense "oh you know me, so picky about things haha".

My vet clinic now has a sign on the door that says if the cat or dog is coughing to keep the animal out in the car and someone will come get them when it's their turn.

Keep your cats in their carriers and sit away from other cats if at all possible.

My cats are frequent visitors to the vet and none have ever gotten sick there.

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Otto wrote what I was thinking...

I use a one vet, one tech clinic primarily and it is always spotless and well kept.. the two vet clinic I use also is the same though they are much bigger and have more to do

Thanks, Otto and Sharky!

Now that I think of it, I doubt my house-call vet washes the cat bag in between patients...I wonder how many sick cats have been in that bag.... Unless, of course, she uses a different bag for each patient...but that's doubtful.

The cat-only vet has little signs they put out on the exam tables that say "Clean" and "Dirty". That way, when you go in, you have the assurance that the table and room has been cleaned.

My vet's exam rooms are always wiped down between animals, BUT there's a lot of little nook and crannies that don't look like they get washed often (sometimes I'm waiting for several minutes, I'm a clean freak that pays over attention to details). I'd like to tell them they have dustbunnies/hairballs built up under the exam table but figure it would be too rude.

None of mine have came back with a virus from the vet. My little male kitten did however come back with two (really rough looking) fleas from his overnight stay there.

Most are very stringent about cleaning and disinfecting between cats. Mine have always come back healthy from the vet and they are immuno-compromised. They know who they need to disinfect very well after. Attitude and Nuts both have feline leukemia so I know they prolly do an extra once over before they use the room again. If they have a very ill animal with a very highly contagious disease, and honestly leukemia isn't, when it comes to what we are talking about, it doesn't last long enough outside the body to infect anyone through a vet table. If they have had an animal with a highly contagious infection/ disease chances are they are going to do a full cleaning of the room before allowing any other animals or owners into the room. They don't want an outbreak of sick animals that could even remotely be traced to their practice.

If you are worried ask them to do the table again before using the table, they'll understand.

Taryn

When I worked at a Vet's office we had serverla practices to keep infectious illnesses from spreading.

Pets that we suspected had a contagious illness were moved with their owners into an exam room ASAP.

If an animal was diagnosed the exam room was completely disinfected after the pet left and may be made off-limits to the type of animal the disease affects (dog or cat) for a time (usually a day or two).

The best thing you can do is keep your cat restrained with a carrier or box while in the office. Don't let your pets mingle with other peoples'. If you think you're cat might have something contagious please inform reception and hopefully they will get you in an exam room ASAP for other pets' protection.

I keep Attitude and Nuts in a carrier together. I will leash them so they can stick their heads out the carrier top when I open it(it's the bag type and they can't escape and since I have them leashed and harnessed if they were they wouldn't get anywhere but that is as far as they are allowed to go. I tend to sit near dogs and not cats. If there is no one else then I might remove them from the carrier. Like I said at the vet's the leukemia is not a risk as long as there is no actual physical contact between Attitude or Nuts and another cat, and there is no way in heck I would allow any animal to have physical contact with any animal in a vet's office. ewww. Attitude has a never ending eye infection. The office always know what I am coming in for specifically. Everyone in the vet's office knows Attitude, it doesn't hurt that she's in there for stuff for her eye or whatever, the name does it all. Miss personality that she is.

Like I said no vet is going to risk their reputation by even letting anyone for one second suspect their animal caught something nasty from a vet's office, that would be instant murder to their practice.

Taryn

Originally Posted by MissKalamata

I've gotten used to my vet making house calls...but now the cats have some issues that require a visit to a clinic/hospital. I am very worried that they will get sick due to all the sicknesses floating around there.

I mean, if someone else's cat comes in with distemper, sneezing and wheezing all over (as far as I know, my cats are unvaccinated), and my cat sits on the same exam table, being weighed and measured and poked with the same equipment...could my cat get the illness?!

I suppose (hope!) I'm worrying too much, but I do worry.... Sorry if I've been asking too many stupid questions lately!

Click to expand...

Some clinics, like the one I work in, will put a sneezing cat in the room in which dogs are examined. Conversely, they will put a potential parvo dog in the cat room. As URIs can't be passed from cats to dogs and parvo from dogs to cats is the reasoning. Not sure if it's valid or not. Mind you, we disinfect the tables, counters and scale after each animal. If a sneezing cat does end up in the cat room, we bleach everything including the walls. If you are worried, ask them to disinfect the table while you are there.

And, while we're on the subject, if your cat ever needs to have an IV, request that the IV lines and such are brand new ones. Some clinics 'sterilize' used IV lines, syringes and buretrols.

Originally Posted by MissKalamata

I've gotten used to my vet making house calls...but now the cats have some issues that require a visit to a clinic/hospital. I am very worried that they will get sick due to all the sicknesses floating around there.

I mean, if someone else's cat comes in with distemper, sneezing and wheezing all over (as far as I know, my cats are unvaccinated), and my cat sits on the same exam table, being weighed and measured and poked with the same equipment...could my cat get the illness?!

I suppose (hope!) I'm worrying too much, but I do worry.... Sorry if I've been asking too many stupid questions lately!

Click to expand...

i took our cat to the vet about 2 weeks ago for her annual shots. she was fine. not sick, no signs of anything wrong.
two days later, she got sick, she hid in the closet for 2 days and would not come out, would not eat or nothing.
i took her back and he gave her a shot and some medicine for an upper respiratory infection.
i think she got it at the vet's office but of course, i cannot prove it.
she is fine now but it cost me more money than the annual shots to get her better.

Originally Posted by jimanuel12

i took our cat to the vet about 2 weeks ago for her annual shots. she was fine. not sick, no signs of anything wrong.
two days later, she got sick, she hid in the closet for 2 days and would not come out, would not eat or nothing.
i took her back and he gave her a shot and some medicine for an upper respiratory infection.
i think she got it at the vet's office but of course, i cannot prove it.
she is fine now but it cost me more money than the annual shots to get her better.

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A lot of cats carry viruses that can flare up when they're stressed. Also a lot of cats can get vaccine reactions.
I think the onset of symptoms between initial infection and virus showing signs would probably be more than just two days in an adult, though, which is why I suggest that your cat may just be a carrier.

The lesson here: watch your cat after vet visits. If anything is amiss get them back in ASAP.

Originally Posted by otto

I always ask the tech ushering me in to the room to wipe down the stainless steel table in my presence. It doesn't matter that it has already been wiped down. I want to see it done.

Keep your cats in their carriers and sit away from other cats if at all possible.

Click to expand...

You have asked a very important question.

I practice both of the above plus, when I return home, I open the carrier door, my cat will jump out, then I immediately, in our shower, disinfect the outside and inside of the carrier with a diluted bleach solution , rinse throughly, then let it dry, before I set it on our floor.

Thank you everyone for the good answers!

I will admit that I'd feel rather awkward asking the vet to wipe the table down though. In my experience, vets don't like having their procedures questioned. How do you even ask? "Hey, can you wipe that table down again to satisfy my paranoia?"


Also, on a related note, what of moving into a new apartment or house? Do you ask if the previous renter had cats? Carpet clean? Or just assume it has been sufficiently cleaned? If a sick cat did live there, I assume an apartment/house would be a lot harder to disinfect than a vet exam table. And sicknesses like distemper can lurk a long time.

I ask because a few years ago my cats moved into a house that had been home to a flea-ridden dog. The cats got fleas. Could that have been prevented? I know that apartment dwellers with a clean apartment can get fleas simply because the neighbor down the hall has fleas.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

A lot of cats carry viruses that can flare up when they're stressed. Also a lot of cats can get vaccine reactions.
I think the onset of symptoms between initial infection and virus showing signs would probably be more than just two days in an adult, though, which is why I suggest that your cat may just be a carrier.

The lesson here: watch your cat after vet visits. If anything is amiss get them back in ASAP.

Click to expand...

I agree with this post.

Originally Posted by SweetPea24

And, while we're on the subject, if your cat ever needs to have an IV, request that the IV lines and such are brand new ones. Some clinics 'sterilize' used IV lines, syringes and buretrols.

Click to expand...

I had never thought of asking about the IV stuff.
Thank you so much for sharing that important info. with us.

Originally Posted by MissKalamata

How do you even ask? "Hey, can you wipe that table down again to satisfy my paranoia?"

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Our kitties depend on us, we are their voice,
we must be assertive, and ask for what we need.
Remember....
better safe than sorry.

I say to the tech, when requesting a re-wipe down in front of me, that my cats are not fully inoculated (no FIP etc.) so please do me a favor and wipe down the table, scales etc. again. They never hesitate to do it.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

A lot of cats carry viruses that can flare up when they're stressed. Also a lot of cats can get vaccine reactions.
I think the onset of symptoms between initial infection and virus showing signs would probably be more than just two days in an adult, though, which is why I suggest that your cat may just be a carrier.

The lesson here: watch your cat after vet visits. If anything is amiss get them back in ASAP.

Click to expand...

that is exactly what my vet said, but i did not know that. i just thought that she had picked up something at the vet's office becasue i had taken her there before and she had never gotten sick. he said that she might be a carrier and the stress may have brought it out. i guess i will believe him next time.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

A lot of cats carry viruses that can flare up when they're stressed. Also a lot of cats can get vaccine reactions.
I think the onset of symptoms between initial infection and virus showing signs would probably be more than just two days in an adult, though, which is why I suggest that your cat may just be a carrier.

The lesson here: watch your cat after vet visits. If anything is amiss get them back in ASAP.

Click to expand...

i forgot to add: her mother is a feral cat that came to our house and had 4 kittens which she was one. their mother brought them all up on our carport which allowed us to pet and feed them, all the kittens became tame but the mother never did.
maybe this is something she was born with or got when she was a kitten. but thanks for the info

Originally Posted by xocats

You have asked a very important question.

I practice both of the above plus, when I return home, I open the carrier door, my cat will jump out, then I immediately, in our shower, disinfect the outside and inside of the carrier with a diluted bleach solution , rinse throughly, then let it dry, before I set it on our floor.

Click to expand...

Wow, what a great suggestion. I have never done that (unless a kitty soils the carrier) but it is an excellent idea, thanks!

Originally Posted by MissKalamata

Thank you everyone for the good answers!

I will admit that I'd feel rather awkward asking the vet to wipe the table down though. In my experience, vets don't like having their procedures questioned. How do you even ask? "Hey, can you wipe that table down again to satisfy my paranoia?"

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A vet that doesn't like to be questioned is not a vet I would go to for very long. A good vet is open minded and willing to accommodate the client where feasible.

Just make fun of yourself/ "haha, I'm so paranoid about everything, could I please just go ahead and wipe down this table myself before I put my cat on it?" You could even bring your own wipes.

Also, on a related note, what of moving into a new apartment or house? Do you ask if the previous renter had cats? Carpet clean? Or just assume it has been sufficiently cleaned? If a sick cat did live there, I assume an apartment/house would be a lot harder to disinfect than a vet exam table. And sicknesses like distemper can lurk a long time.

I ask because a few years ago my cats moved into a house that had been home to a flea-ridden dog. The cats got fleas. Could that have been prevented? I know that apartment dwellers with a clean apartment can get fleas simply because the neighbor down the hall has fleas.

Click to expand...

Before I moved myself and my cats into this apartment I bombed it, then steam cleaned the carpets, and washed everything. I don't think it is unreasonable to want to do that. And in this day and age, it's just good sense.

I had a long talk with my vet about disease spread after I started volunteering at my local animal shelter. I was concerned about clothing, shoes, etc. bringing disease home to my girls. My vet was for many years a shelter vet and she said she encountered ALL kinds of diseases there and never once brought anything home to her pets. She suggested stepping in a bleach solution with my shoes & obviously washing the clothes in hot water - normal precautions.

My take-away from that was that maybe things aren't quite as communicable as I had feared -- I, too, had wondered about what they would get just visiting the vet's office. If she could do all those years as a shelter vet and not have any contagion, then... That said, I'm always happy with my one kitty who so happily stays in her carrier while at the vet and less happy with the one who has to go explore the smallest nooks & crannies that get cleaned less often, I imagine, than I would like.