Worried About the Danger of Picking Up Illnesses at Vet Clinic

I have two Himmies, almost 10 years old.  They have had all their baby shots and got a few boosters but I have decided since they are TOTALLY indoor with NO chance of getting outside that I am not doing vaccines anymore.  They are both scaredy cats so I have no worries about them biting or scratching anybody visiting my house - they will be under the bed!  But, I do worry about taking them into the vet clinic.  Are my worries warranted?  They are past due for their checkups and I am stressing about taking them in.  I should mention that one has mild asthma and I definitely don't think he should be subjected to vaccines.  

Hello furrypurry, you can always ask the vet to do house calls of you are afraid that they'll pick up illnesses at the clinic

furrypurry said:

 
I have two Himmies, almost 10 years old.  They have had all their baby shots and got a few boosters but I have decided since they are TOTALLY indoor with NO chance of getting outside that I am not doing vaccines anymore.  They are both scaredy cats so I have no worries about them biting or scratching anybody visiting my house - they will be under the bed!  But, I do worry about taking them into the vet clinic.  Are my worries warranted? 

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If your Vet keeps a clean (not sterile, but well-cared for) examining room, your worries - while not unfounded - are probably fairly minimal.  If there's a mobile vet service in your area, why not consider availing yourself of it?

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TabbyTom said:

Hello furrypurry, you can always ask the vet to do house calls of you are afraid that they'll pick up illnesses at the clinic

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Jeez - you beat my reply by 24 seconds - are you polydactyl, or am I just a slow typist???



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1CatOverTheLine said:

Jeez - you beat my reply by 24 seconds - are you polydactyl, or am I just a slow typist???


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All of the above :lol3:

TabbyTom said:

All of the above

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Well have to start calling you, "TabbyTomThumbs."

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Yep, we do have a mobile vet in our area.  I have considered calling her but wanted to stick with the vet we've been seeing all these years.  

The vet clinic is very nice and seems very well maintained.  I think the chances are slim that they would become ill from visiting but I am a

worry wart.  

Well, then stick with the usual.

Anyway, one can catch a virus practically anywhere except that at a clinic or places where it's more crowded, the chances are higher but it all depends on the resistance.

So don't worry

I agree that the chances of them picking up anything in the exam room are minimal. You can reduce risks further by being smart about your appointment time - try to get the first appointment of the day, or the first appointment at the start of afternoon surgery. That way, the waiting room will be almost empty and you'll be seen quickly I always try do this with my guys - especially the ones who are really nervy at the vets.

As mentioned book for the best time, leave them in the vehicle until it's time  a trick that you can do is take them for a few trips 

prior to visit take them around the block leave them in the car for a few minutes take treats etc always a good experience

It makes the day of less stressful, they already know what to expect for the trip...you've practiced.

It's up to you whether you wish to vaccinate or not, agree yearly is not mandatory for indoor pets. I know

one Vet who will not have you as a client unless you vaccinate every single year if your pet is indoors or not.

We can carry a virus home even. But dangers are still far less when animals are kept inside.

Good Luck with your appointment ~

I must have been    Agree would never worry about exam room it's cleaned

sanitized after every patient.

I don't mean to hijack the thread......but are there any nasties that can be brought in on shoes, etc.?  Long-lived viruses, etc?  I have always had a fear at the vet's due to people bringing their dogs/other animals in on leashes and letting them sit up on the waiting benches and chairs.  I am a bit OCD, but I've always wondered what viruses I'm sitting on in those chairs.

I know when I had dogs I had a pup catch parvo that was in the middle of getting all his puppy vaccines.  When I inquired how he could have picked it up (since we were very cautious) the vet told me it was so contagious that it could be brought in on shoes into our house.  Ever since that experience, I have been a bit unnerved when I have to sit in the waiting room at the vet's office with my cat, and I never take him out of his carrier except to be put on the exam table once back in the exam room.  I have also worried about their treatment rooms, when they "take him to the back" to draw blood, etc., even though I have actually been back there and seen that it's clean.  It's a giant counter running down the middle of a room, but they sat him up there and I wonder just how clean/disinfected it is.

I know that's paranoid, but I'm about at the level of @furrypurry  when it comes to worrying!

Originally Posted by hbunny  

I have also worried about their treatment rooms, when they "take him to the back" to draw blood, etc., even though I have actually been back there and seen that it's clean.  It's a giant counter running down the middle of a room, but they sat him up there and I wonder just how clean/disinfected it is.

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Strictly personal opinion: I'm with you on this score.  I'd never allow a Vet Tech - nor anyone but a DVM - to draw blood, would never allow a cat to be placed on an exam table whose sanitary barrier I had not seen changed with my own eyes, and I'd never allow a cat out of my sight for a routine visit if I went to a Vet's place of business.  Their health is as much the owner's responsibility as it is the Vet's, and if we don't look after them, we shouldn't expect that others will in our stead.  Always better safe than sorry.

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1CatOverTheLine said:

 
Strictly personal opinion: I'm with you on this score.  I'd never allow a Vet Tech - nor anyone but a DVM - to draw blood, would never allow a cat to be placed on an exam table whose sanitary barrier I had not seen changed with my own eyes, and I'd never allow a cat out of my sight for a routine visit if I went to a Vet's place of business.  Their health is as much the owner's responsibility as it is the Vet's, and if we don't look after them, we shouldn't expect that others will in our stead.  Always better safe than sorry.

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I know someone naive about Vet clinic protocol they tried to charge her full pop for a

follow up visit (wrong price) and not necessary - they just needed her pharmacy info to fax prescription..

Plus they billed her for meds administered when they took cat out of room during visit   she had no

knowledge of this until the bill.    then diagnosis was incorrect so they apologized

to her. Worst clinic in town for good reasons.

furrypurry said:

 
I have two Himmies, almost 10 years old.  They have had all their baby shots and got a few boosters but I have decided since they are TOTALLY indoor with NO chance of getting outside that I am not doing vaccines anymore.  They are both scaredy cats so I have no worries about them biting or scratching anybody visiting my house - they will be under the bed!  But, I do worry about taking them into the vet clinic.  Are my worries warranted?  They are past due for their checkups and I am stressing about taking them in.  I should mention that one has mild asthma and I definitely don't think he should be subjected to vaccines.  

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I am sorry to contradict you but the only way that you can really be secure is to vaccinate your cats; however you should have a word with your vet first about vaccination and asthma.    I am a human doctor, not a veterinarian, but I would think that if the asthmatic cat tolerated his/her original vaccination plus at least one  booster, then there may be little problem.  However see what the vet says.  You should certainly vaccinate the non-asthmatic cat, regardless of whether he/she is totally housebound or not.  Even though you keep the cats in the house, you could possibly carry in a virus on your clothes and vaccination of one cat would take at least half the worry off you.   

Sydney, Australia, has not had a Feline Parvovirus/Feline Enteritis case reported for over 40 years and because people in Western Sydney, the poorer section of Sydney, stopped their regular feline vaccinations because of the cost, there are now a number of cases of this rare (for Australia) highly infectious disease reported as occurring in the cat shelters of  Western Sydney. 

The only protection is vaccination.  You may well have Feline Parvovirus/Feline Enteritis already in Southern California, your vet would know, but we have this problem now in New South Wales only because people have let their vaccinations lapse....

Incidentally a veterinary home visit would certainly be the best way to go if possible.

With all best wishes,

Geoffrey