Reasons one should take their cats in regular vet visits

donutte

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Recently, I was a devout "my cats only go in when they are sick" person, After the last twelve months or so, however, I've become quite the opposite. My cats will be going in for annual wellness checks from now on. My sickie will obviously be going in more than that, but the others will be going in for regular visits.

I wanted to list out the reasons for this. I am hoping that if there is anyone debating whether they should or not, this will help them decide. Or if anyone is dead set against wellness visits, they may reconsider.

1. Establish a clinical history. This doesn't sound like a biggie, but it is. If you only take your cat to the vet when they are sick, they only have that one visit to go by, and no history to compare against. Have things gotten better / worse / remained the same? It will always be a mystery, and if something seems off (even if the cat is perfectly ok) they will test the heck out of that one thing because they have nothing to compare against.

2. Establish a relationship with the vet. Imagine going to a mechanic that doesn't know you at all, doesn't know if you're the type that is "good for it" in terms of making payments. Do you think they'll fix your car without payment up front? Probably not. While a veterinarian is a doctor, they still need to be paid. If they don't know who you are, they will likely not be willing to do payment plans with you if your cat needs some sort of expensive procedure done. Vets that see patients and their owners on a regular basis get to know you and more importantly, know that you will pay them, and are more willing to work with you on such things.

3. Catch and address problems before cats show symptoms. There are a lot of diseases out there that have no obvious symptoms, but will show up in tests run at the vet's office. I personally know some folks that would say that just gives the vet an excuse to charge you more for something. that isn't bothering your cat. Well, let's talking chronic kidney disease (CKD). This is something that shows in the blood work and urine quite a bit before actual symptoms show. And treatment can start before symptoms show, which is really ideal because you don't want your pet to lose its appetite (this is usually the first obvious symptom). The problem is, the symptoms don't show until the level of toxins in the blood get pretty high, and by that point, you have to treat it a lot more aggressively, which is no fun for you, your cat, or your wallet.

4. Being proactive is less costly than being reactive. This is both in terms of money, as well as your cat's health. While it's never a guarantee, there are a lot of cases where you'll spend less by taking your cat to the vet on a regular basis, than only treating when symptomatic. Usually when a cat is symptomatic it is very ill (as stated in #3), because they are very good at hiding things. It has to be pretty bad before anything shows. It's also easier to make a small payment once a year than to have to make a big lump-sum payment when your cat is very sick and needs to have a lot done all of a sudden.

I'm sure there are other points, but I've wanted to put this list together for awhile now. These are the big ones I can think of. I've had two very sick cats in the past year, and with the one in particular, I have to wonder how much of this could have been caught or even prevented (or made easier somehow). I've probably spent thousands (many thousands) in the last year. It's not easy to do that, nor has it been fun for my cat to go into the vet at least once a month now.
 

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This is a great post! I couldn't agree more with all your points, particularly the first: establishing that clinical history is very important. Spending money on benchmark blood tests for a young cat may seem silly but I'm very glad we had it done for our two: the vet has something to start building that history with.

I don't want to hijack this great thread but I might add one thing since I've seen this question more than once: Getting rabies shots, on-time, is very important, even for indoor cats. You never know when a bat might fly into your house and spend a minute or two in a room, alone, with one of your cats before you have a chance to figure out which way the bat flew. That happened in our house last summer and we have no real idea where the bat came from. We got boosters for the cats, the bat was captured and tested (negative), and everything was fine. But nobody wants to be in a situation where a bat tests positive for rabies and a cat that may have come in contact with the bat is unvaccinated. I was lax about getting rabies shots on-time for our previous cats but after the bat incident, I will never, ever let our cats go a day beyond their recommended date!
 

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Couldn't agree more!

And, not only does the vet get to know your and your pet, but you get to know the vet and the clinic! The most expensive clinic in town may not be the best; and, likewise, the cheapest clinic in town may not be the worst. And, the nicest vets aren't always the most competent in the business. But, how are you going to know if you don't have much, if any, experience with them?
 
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Adding that it's important to ask the vet questions if you're not sure what he / she is talking about. Vets use a lot of jargon and medical terms that the average pet owner may not understand. If you have no idea what the vet is saying, speak up and ASK for clarification in layman terms. If your pet is given medicine to treat something, it's important to know what the medicine is, how much to give, if it has to be given in a syringe or something how to correctly measure the medicine, how often to give the medicine and for how long, any potential side effects, etc. There may be more than one way to treat or diagnose something so ask the vet for all the options.

Make suggestions to the vet on your pet's care. I've bought up Levemir insulin to a former vet as an option to try She had never heard of Levemir before. After reviewing the stuff I had printed out, which included a published study done on cats, she let me give the insulin a try. I later switched vets and the new vet let me tell him how I wanted my cat's diabetes managed
He knew I was a well informed pet owner who wouldn't settle for less than top notch vet care
I still use him for my current two cats.

Basically, be proactive in your pet's medical care
Don't assume the vet knows what's best because he / she went to vet school and has a professional degree and certifications.
 

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I totally agree! 

I would like to add regular dental cleaning to the list.  I know the biggest mistake I did not do with my Tiger was the regular dental check ups and  cleaning. By the time she really needed it, she was diabetic and CKD, two of my vets would not do the procedure. People don't realize how much pain dental problems can cause and how it will lead to many other ailments.

Totally agree on being proactive!  To add to what LT3 has said regarding feline diabetes, a friend who takes her kitties to UC Davis was told that vet schools give about2- 3 hours of training on diabetes if they are lucky, that's it!
. So it is no wonder many vets are clueless when it comes to feline diabetes:-(
 

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Very well said!  I agree!  Especially with the last point - being proactive is less costly than being reactive.

When Mia was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about a year ago, it was found during a routine visit.  We decided to schedule radioactive iodine treatment, but the soonest date we could get was 3 months later, and she steadily lost weight the entire time.  If we had waited until she had lost a ton of weight before even bringing her to the vet, she wouldn't have gotten the treatment in time, which completely cured her of hyperthyroidism.
 
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donutte

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I know hindsight is 20/20, but at least now I can do the right thing with the younger ones. I really want to establish that medical history with them.

And I'm not knocking people that feel for some reason they can't do regular visits. I get it. I've been in positions where I just couldn't take them in on a regular basis. I still remember being at a point where I didn't know from week to week if I could afford groceries, or my medicine, or anything. A vet visit? But I can now, and have been able to for awhile. Unfortunately, I waited until they got sick.

I agree with the dental also. Also good home dental care. I'm gonna learn what I need to do to take care of their teeth at home. Omg, poor Sara and her tooth right now! I'm so glad I have a vet that does check the teeth and also that one of them in the practice specializes in dental.

Re: vaccines, I do remember hearing a story about a bat that WAS rabid that got into someone's house. The cat had to be quarantined for a long time, and it was very expensive, WAY more expensive than the cost of the vaccine would have been. And there are signs all over my vet's office about there being no such thing as an "outdoor-only mosquito". I've been told by the one vet (the one that saw Sara the other day actually) if there is even the potential for a cat to get outside, they should be vaccinated against other things as well, like feline leukemia. We have a lot of ferals around where I live, and oftentimes they like to lay on our porches. Sara and Lucky used to always try to get out, and sometimes succeeded. I'm hoping the others won't try. I know Oliver tried once and freaked out. Oscar is very curious but hasn't tried yet. Not sure yet about Penelopy. Maple has absolutely no interest in leaving the house. I just want her to leave my room sometimes!
 

kittens mom

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We always used the same vet until the day the vet tech grabbed Kitten in the middle of the back and we had total chaos the rest of the exam.  Same vet tech that copped an attitude when I reminded her numerous times on the same visit that she had left the door open behind her. And got snotty when I asked her to scan the chip to make sure it had stayed in place.  The vets were great there. It was dealing with some of the staff at a dog oriented clinic.  Of course that's what led me to the Vet of Death.  Who at the time didn't have a bad review and has no sanctions through the SVB.

Finding a good vet seems to be a crap shoot.

One big change or bonus I see in the VCA we're using now is they address the animals health as a whole rather that wanting to stick a needle in and say next. And yes they do sell you packages like the best care we purchased for Mook.  She will go in for a dental in April with a vet that we feel secure with. Hey she got blood out of Mook and some pee without a fuss.

Nor did we feel pressured to buy the package over an office exam or pressured as bad cat parents if we didn't get her a dental. Quite frankly if we want human grade medical services for our cats it's going to cost.

The only year Kitten skipped was the one where her rabies was overdue as we were waiting for the cat safe 3 year rabies. I wasn't sure if you could take them in and not have to get them a shot required here and I was not going to stir the pot. Of course Dr Quack lied and gave her the old one anyway.

Vets need more oversight than a board of their peers.  While my focus is on Kitten I'm not blind to some of the posters qualms at the very least about their vets knowledge to treat a condition.
 

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Vets need more oversight than a board of their peers.  
Could not agree more!  No doctor would really lay into one of their own - they are like one big family 


I'm stuck in a bad situation now - I had this fantastic vet who I absolutely trusted with anything.  He's one of the last of the old-school vets who provide great care at a low cost (his office/exam fee was only $15  - and half the time, he wouldn't even charge me the fee since I was a good customer, just pay for medicine & procedures).   And maybe his low-cost philosophy ultimately doomed him - he closed his office last week because he said he couldn't afford to keep the lights on any more.   His practice is closing, no vet is going to come take over for him.    

I'm on the hunt for a new vet, because I totally agree that building a good rapport with your vet will benefit everyone in the long run - never know when you'll need to ask them for a favor, and if you've been a longstanding client, they'll be a lot more likely to indulge you  versus a stranger off the street.

So when you guys take your cats in for annual checkups - what all do you normally ask to have done?   Besides a general physical & dental look-see, do you ask for specific types of blood tests?   Is that how you catch kidney/liver/thyroid diseases early, through blood tests?   My cats don't need more vaccines yet - they're almost  2 years old and they all had their booster last year, so vaccines won't be an issue until a few years from now (cats are all indoor-only).   Is there anything in particular you guys would ask for or expect to be done at their yearly checkups?    Thanks!
 
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donutte

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Being comfortable with the vet will definitely play a part in someone wanting to take their pets for regular visits.
So when you guys take your cats in for annual checkups - what all do you normally ask to have done?   Besides a general physical & dental look-see, do you ask for specific types of blood tests?   Is that how you catch kidney/liver/thyroid diseases early, through blood tests?   My cats don't need more vaccines yet - they're almost 2 years old and they all had their booster last year, so vaccines won't be an issue until a few years from now (cats are all indoor-only).   Is there anything in particular you guys would ask for or expect to be done at their yearly checkups?    Thanks!
In all honesty, I'm not sure! I think it differs for younger cats and older cats as well. I've only had older cats for a really long time. This is the first year I've had younger cats since I first got Maple, which was almost 13-1/2 years ago. Came across this link though: http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pe...imal-health/wellness-examination-in-cats/5046
 

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Thanks Donutte, that link is really helpful!   I am mainly interested in disease prevention & early detection at their age - I bet it's a good idea to get yearly blood tests while they're young, so you have baseline values for the cat to see how certain levels change as they age, etc.    Since we have 3 male cats, I've done so much reading about urinary issues - I must be a paranoid type 
 - so I'll make sure to ask about blood/urine testing when I have a new vet lined up.   It really sucks, I loved my old vet, I hate having to find someone new........I hope I get a good one right off the bat!
 

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So when you guys take your cats in for annual checkups - what all do you normally ask to have done?   Besides a general physical & dental look-see, do you ask for specific types of blood tests?   Is that how you catch kidney/liver/thyroid diseases early, through blood tests?   My cats don't need more vaccines yet - they're almost  2 years old and they all had their booster last year, so vaccines won't be an issue until a few years from now (cats are all indoor-only).   Is there anything in particular you guys would ask for or expect to be done at their yearly checkups?    Thanks!
Most adult cats up to about senior age don't need any blood work or testing done unless they're obviously sick. Senior cats should have blood work done at least once to get a baseline of their health and potentially catch something and do preventative treatment / management before it might become an issue, like borderline diabetes.

A general wellness check up and vaccines is all most cats need. You can ask the vet to do blood work and other testing if you really want to have a baseline for future reference. I'm sure no vet will refuse the money you'll fork over to pay for testing
 
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donutte

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Thanks Donutte, that link is really helpful!   I am mainly interested in disease prevention & early detection at their age - I bet it's a good idea to get yearly blood tests while they're young, so you have baseline values for the cat to see how certain levels change as they age, etc.    Since we have 3 male cats, I've done so much reading about urinary issues - I must be a paranoid type :lol3:  - so I'll make sure to ask about blood/urine testing when I have a new vet lined up.   It really sucks, I loved my old vet, I hate having to find someone new........I hope I get a good one right off the bat!
I completely get that paranoid feeling. 100%.
 

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Our vets recommend a blood test be done at around age 5 so that there is something to compare to once the cat becomes a senior. I did this for my older ones last year. I also have done BW on two of my now 4 yr olds. One I did a full "senior" panel since he has had health issues (primarily reoccurring pancreatitis); the other I did a Pro BNP with a full Chem panel. I chose the Pro BNP after learning that bad case of Calicivirus can sometimes cause heart damage (and other organ damage) due to the virus being systemic. T had a very bad case when he was 9 mo old (he even went into acute renal failure due to a mucus plug). The test did confirm damage, so he'll be going in for a heart echo this year.
 

kittens mom

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Could not agree more!  No doctor would really lay into one of their own - they are like one big family 


I'm stuck in a bad situation now - I had this fantastic vet who I absolutely trusted with anything.  He's one of the last of the old-school vets who provide great care at a low cost (his office/exam fee was only $15  - and half the time, he wouldn't even charge me the fee since I was a good customer, just pay for medicine & procedures).   And maybe his low-cost philosophy ultimately doomed him - he closed his office last week because he said he couldn't afford to keep the lights on any more.   His practice is closing, no vet is going to come take over for him.    

I'm on the hunt for a new vet, because I totally agree that building a good rapport with your vet will benefit everyone in the long run - never know when you'll need to ask them for a favor, and if you've been a longstanding client, they'll be a lot more likely to indulge you  versus a stranger off the street.

So when you guys take your cats in for annual checkups - what all do you normally ask to have done?   Besides a general physical & dental look-see, do you ask for specific types of blood tests?   Is that how you catch kidney/liver/thyroid diseases early, through blood tests?   My cats don't need more vaccines yet - they're almost  2 years old and they all had their booster last year, so vaccines won't be an issue until a few years from now (cats are all indoor-only).   Is there anything in particular you guys would ask for or expect to be done at their yearly checkups?    Thanks!
The VCA clinic offers different packages. Sounds awful doesn't it. Because Dr Death had touched Mook we had a Blood and Urine analysis done. I honestly had visions of this woman using contaminated vaccines and reusing needles. ( She may well be doing that ).  I tend to go along with what the vet recommends as long as they can give a good reason.  A good vet can talk to you in terms you understand.  She showed me where Mook has some mild gingivitis and so I would agree that she should have a dental. Kitten had her first around 5-6 years.

I actually brought up the blood work so the package wasn't presented until I asked. It included the fecal , blood work, urine, and heartworm test plus the office exam.

Mercy had blood work done in Dec and she's teething so that package would have been nonsense for her. The fecal was paid for by the shelter although I picked up the cost of the rabies since I refuse to use crap vaccines.

I'm not sure you need to do these things every year until your cat becomes around 10. 
 

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kittens mom kittens mom , I think it is interesting that you ended up at a VCA clinic, as I too have recently started using one. Out of all the clinics I called/checked into/interview (well over a dozen!) I'm honestly surprised that this is where I have settled, at least for the time being.

I was impressed at how friendly the staff has been, how clean the building is, the fact that they use Feliway in the cat exam room (which is only for cats), and just how well they have handled our cats in general. We had some kittens due for spay/neuters and ALL of my questions regarding their spay procedure were answered (BW done prior, catheter placed and fluids given, type of anesthetic(s) used, etc...)

I haven't yet decided if their care plans would be beneficial to me; but, I really like the option!
 

kittens mom

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Thank you for starting this thread Donutte. It's an excellent subject for discussion. One thing every pet owner should have is a hard copy of their pets chart notes. When we took Kitten to the ER the vets had access to all of her records on the spot.  Getting things like that from your vet at 2AM is unlikely.
 

kittens mom

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@Kittens Mom, I think it is interesting that you ended up at a VCA clinic, as I too have recently started using one. Out of all the clinics I called/checked into/interview (well over a dozen!) I'm honestly surprised that this is where I have settled, at least for the time being.

I was impressed at how friendly the staff has been, how clean the building is, the fact that they use Feliway in the cat exam room (which is only for cats), and just how well they have handled our cats in general. We had some kittens due for spay/neuters and ALL of my questions regarding their spay procedure were answered (BW done prior, catheter placed and fluids given, type of anesthetic(s) used, etc...)

I haven't yet decided if their care plans would be beneficial to me; but, I really like the option!
I'm amazed myself. They have the cat only rooms plus to be honest if something is wrong the facilities needed to treat them are in the building.  The whole package cost just under 300 which is a fair chunk of change. However they explain the charges what you're getting and why. We had mosquitoes for the first time ever out here last year. Heartworm has been on our minds. The vet and the tech were able to instantly shift gears in dealing with the social butterfly Mercy and Mook the reclusive who was terrified. And believe me mommy and daddy were watching.
 

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Totally agree with all points. I always develop a relationship with A Vetranarian when ever I move somewhere new. I want the Vet to know my Pets before something goes wrong.
 

kittens mom

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Adult Best Care Checkup includes:**

Complete history and physical exam

Blood work (CBC + 8 tests)

Urinalysis

Fecal test (check for common parasites)

Heartworm test

This is the package we bought for Mook. It was 249.
 
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