Taking a feral to the vet... good times!

kikilove

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Hello all!

After reading about ringworm, I called my vet to see if I could bring them a sample or whatever so that they could test, etc.  They told me "not really... it has to be a sterile sample and should be done by the vet."  I said "ok, I've been thinking about taking her to the vet for a while now; can you handle a feral?"  The vet lady reacted as if I'd asked "do you breath air?"  She said "of course we do... we're trained technicians."  ANYway, like I said, Soots adopted my yard about 4 years ago and I know she's never had any kind of medical attention and, after being beat up twice by that bully, I just thought maybe it's time.  I'm pretty sure I can lure her into a carrier (she loves hay so if I stuff the carrier w hay she'll probably go in the carrier to sleep); if not, she's very sweet and will let me pick her up.

My questions are:

 - What are all of the things I should have them do (at minimal expense) which will improve her quality of life?  I'm going to have them test for RW, clean her teeth, give her a general check up, treat for fleas and lice... what else?

 - Any advice for when I get her home?  I'm afraid this whole experience will be so traumatic for her that she'll run away and never come back.  Are there any things I could do once I get her back to our yard which might calm her and "ground" her?  Maybe release her into a giant pile of hay?  

 - Any other tips regarding your experiences of taking a feral to the vet would be appreciated (things I haven't even thought of, etc)

Also-

 - Should I be treating her for fleas on a regular basis?  

Thanks!

Jenna
 

calicosrspecial

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kikilove,

I think she needs to be spayed if she is not already. Then I would get her all her shots. Also have her tested for worms and parasites (the type of test is very important so make sure you ask what test it is and how comprehensive it is). Personally, I would probably not have her teeth cleaned unless they are really bad but others may have a different opinion and your vet may have a different opinion.

I just realized you are looking to release her back to the outside. Release her in the same spot she was trapped. She might be a touch traumatized but nothing too lasting. If she was eating and drinking and getting shelter from you before she will most likely return.

Getting them into a trap or carrier is the toughest part. Once in there it is pretty easy getting them into the vet (just put a cover over the trap or crate so they feel more safe and secure).

Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask anything.
 
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kikilove

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Hi Calico-

All super good points; see I knew you all would think of things I hadn't.  I hadn't even thought about vaccines, which seems so obvious.  I just pray she doesn't already have FIV or FELV.  That said, I know she was "fixed" as she has the little notch in her ear; the signal from the local TNR group that she/he's been spayed/neutered.  Makes me wonder if it's standard practice for those groups to immunize as well.  I should find out.

The deworming and parasite checks are also fantastic ideas.  Going to have to shake that piggy bank hard!

Love the idea re covering the carrier with a blanket; and when I release her, I'm going to open the door of the carrier directly facing her favorite pile of hay.  And some treats.  

Ok re the teeth.  Her's don't look bad at all, so we'll skip that. 

J
 

Willowy

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They usually do give them vaccines when they're altered. But if it's been over a year you should get her a rabies booster (at least. You could do a FVCRP combo too but that vaccine has long-lasting immunity so you could choose not to).

I don't think I would test for FeLV/FIV. Would it change anything if you knew she had it? Would you feel pressured to put her down? If she seems healthy I wouldn't do it. Adult cats have a fairly high natural immunity for FeLV anyway, and since she's still alive after 4 years she probably doesn't have it.

Yes on flea, ear mite, and worm meds. Outdoor cats are always picking up parasites.
 

molly92

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Thank you for taking care of this poor baby! (Sounds like you've picked a good vet, surprisingly there are some who are not as adept at dealing with cats!)

The vet will probably have some good suggestions for what needs to be done. Definitely a check-up, and the standard rabies and FVRCP vaccines. I think most TNR groups do vaccinate for these, but you can check. The recommendation is every 3 years or more for a lot of those vaccines but they usually last significantly longer than that, so you may not need to do the boosters. You can also get a SNAP test done for FIV/FeLV.  There is a vaccine for FIV, but it is not widely administered because it is not always effective and if the vaccine is given, the cat will always test positive for FIV and many FIV positive cats are euthanized when found by shelters, even though it is now known that FIV positive cats can live near-normal long, healthy lives. FeLV vaccination may or may not have been given when she was spayed, but it does not cause false positives. She may or may not actually need her teeth cleaned, the vet will let you know about that. If she's having any diarrhea she might have parasites, in which case the vet can do some in-house tests, but those are not very accurate and a more accurate (but more expensive) PCR panel can be done.

She definitely does not sound like a full feral, or even semi feral if you can pick her up. It sounds like you're planning on releasing her again, which is an option, but I'd encourage you to keep her indoors at least while she's getting healthy. She's just going to get exposed to everything again and be more susceptible to it in her weakened state if she's outdoors. Even after she gets better, it's up to you, but she will have a much better quality of life as an indoor pet. It would take some work to socialize her, but she sounds like a very good candidate.

A monthly flea preventative would be great, but that's going to depend on your budget. The best ones protect from many diseases, but they are expensive. If you do decide to use one, be sure to get one recommended by your vet, because cheaper ones that are available at pet stores are more dangerous and not worth the risk. If you don't do a monthly preventative and you decide to let her back outside, she's going to pick up fleas and worms again right away, so those might not be worth doing the one time.

She will be stressed out from the vet and from the treatment for ringworm if that's what she has. It usually involves baths unfortunately! But my experience with cats that are in poor condition is that they will start to understand that you're helping them and will put up with a lot and still love you, especially when they start to feel better because all of the medicine and good food is making them feel a lot better! Not to mention that they really appreciate being warm and dry. I would keep her in a bathroom so you can clean up easily and minimize the risk of spreading ringworm, plus scared cats do better confined in smaller spaces because they are less overwhelming. Providing a cardboard box with a towel is a great place for cats to feel safe and comfortable. Treats will always help with the bonding, as will toys for playful cats. Don't make a lot of direct eye contact, and when you do blink slowly and then look away. This is a very non-threatening signal to cats and will help her feel more at ease. I've also had success getting cats to come out of their shell by acting like I'm not paying too much attention to them while I'm in their room. Cats don't naturally pay a lot of attention to people and cats that they feel safe around, so if you indicate that you feel safe and relaxed, she'll feel more safe and relaxed as well.

If you decide to try to socialize her, this is a great guide to follow: http://bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-cats-how-socialize-very-shy-or-fearful-cat
 

calicosrspecial

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kikilove,

Willowy gives good advice as well.

Glad to hear she is "notched". Very good to hear!! Kudos to your local TNR folks. I don't know any TNR people who don't give them their shots but they may be out of date. Ask your vet and your vet will probably give the shots.

Great idea to point the crate towards the straw. She may run but she most likely will be back for food and water.

You are doing a great job with her and you are making her life better!! Good for you and good for her!!

Feel free to ask any other questions. hope this helps.
 
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kikilove

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Again- more excellent info. I really appreciate all of you. So nice to have met this community.
Will check in again later but wanted to give a quick response - just have a few mins. I've read before that ferals tend not to vocalize? No yowling when their happy to see you, no purring. If that's true then I suspect she may have belonged to someone at some point. But she's been at my house for years so ... I'll just never know. I've also heard about this thing called "feral fixation" where a feral will allow one person to bond with (usually the one feeding it :0) ) - which seems to be the case w her. Although... Now that I think about it- I used to say she was socially inept because when she first started visiting me, she would always hiss while walking toward me; she continued this long after she'd let me start petting her... Which I found hilarious.
Anyway... About having her indoors- the real issue is my other 3 cats (all indoor only). We just lost two babies over the past 3 years and then started our new family - so we just barely made it to the miraculous place where all 3 of them get along. Which, as you can imagine, was quite a process- lots of patience and prayers (please god make my Tortie be nice to the tabby!!!); also one time I let soots wander in the front door -
She got about 10 feet in and lost her way and started this yowl-screaming like I've never heard before. So not sure how this would go. But I'll read the link and think about it.
Purr!
J
 
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kikilove

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Update!  One of the things mentioned on this forum is vets who do housecalls (yardcalls?)... so I found that there is one in my area.  I'm playing email-tag with her now.  If she can help, this might be the ideal solution.  But if she can't, you all have given me so much great info.  I'll keep you posted!
 
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