NEW KITTEN PEDIATRIC VISITS

At Maple Veterinary Hospital, our goal is to provide our clients with knowledge-based information and medical guidance that will help them make the best healthcare choices for their pets. That is why Maple Veterinary Hospital veterinarians and staff spend a lot of time educating clients about the medical needs of their new kitten and about the care their new family member will need.

Kittens should be examined by a veterinarian as early as the day of their birth. Medical examinations can detect congenital birth defects that are an early indication of the kitten's overall health and life expectancy.

Since most kittens are not usually separated from their mother until at least six weeks of age, it is recommended that newly adopted kittens be brought to see their veterinarian for a thorough pediatric evaluation immediately following adoption. Should the veterinarian discover a congenital defect, such as a heart murmur, the news is less devastating when the adopted family has not had several days or weeks to bond with the new kitten. Reputable breeders and pet stores usually have a return clause within the first 24 to 48 hours should a medical problem be diagnosed by the adopted family's veterinarian.

Just like children, kittens have a poor immunity system that needs to be boosted by a series of vaccinations that are given every 2 to 4 weeks until the kitten is 14 weeks of age. Distemper vaccinations are started as young as 6 weeks of age.

Maple Veterinary Hospital veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians will perform a vaccination risk assessment for each pediatric patient. Based on the kitten's new lifestyle, an appropriate vaccination protocol will be established.

Vaccinations recommended for all kittens include a series of 4 Feline Distemper, Rhinotracheitis, Calici Virus which are given between the ages of 6 and 16 weeks of age. Following completion of the distemper series, kittens receive their first Rabies vaccination which provides protection for one year.

First kitten visits are scheduled as extended 30 minute appointments so that you and your kitten can get to know our staff who will provide you with educational information about how to keep your kitten healthy. Second kitten visits are scheduled for 30 minutes to provide additional time to review the information presented at the first kitten visit and to answer any new questions that you may have now that your kitten has been with you for a few weeks.

During the first kitten visit extended appointment, a licensed veterinary technician will review with you the contents of a kitten care kit that contains valuable information about what you can expect during your kitten's first year of life. Additionally, the technician will perform a vaccination risk assessment for your kitten by asking you questions about the environments to which your kitten will be exposed.

A Maple Veterinary Hospital veterinarian will give your kitten a thorough examination each time it is seen for vaccinations. Your kitten's veterinarian will provide you with information regarding the health of your kitten as well as additional information that will help you care for your kitten during its first year of life.

It is common for kittens to have intestinal parasites. Roundworms are frequently passed from the mother to her kittens. This does not mean that the mother was sick. Rather, it is the etiology of the roundworm to lay dormant in the mother until it can become active in the kittens. Following the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), our veterinarians advise that all kittens be tested for intestinal parasites and be put on deworming medication. Kittens should be retested for intestinal parasites at specified intervals that will be determined by your kitten's veterinarian.

Feline Leukemia is a contagious virus that can be passed from the mother to her kittens. It is highly recommended that all kittens be tested for Feline Leukemia at their first kitten visit and retest at their third kitten visit.

Earmites are commonly found in kittens. Earmites are not transferable to humans and are easily treated.

Heartworm disease is life threatening but preventable. It takes 6 to 9 months to develop heartworms after an infectious exposure. Your kitten can be started on once-a-month oral heartworm preventative as early as 6 weeks of age to reduce the risk of heartworm disease. Heartworm preventative dosage is based on your kitten's weight. As your kitten grows, the amount of heartworm preventative will be adjusted to correspond with your kitten's weight to maintain adequate coverage.

Our licensed veterinary technicians will provide complimentary nail trims at each kitten vaccine visit. It is important to start desensitizing your kitten to feet touching and nail trimming at an early age so that proper nail care can be maintained throughout your pet's lifetime. An alternative to routine nail trimming would be a surgical declaw procedure.

Our veterinarians recommend spaying a female or neutering a male at 6 months of age for all cats that are not part of a breeding program. We feel that 6 months of age is the most appropriate time based on physical development. Therefore, it is in the best interests of our patients that we recommend scheduling spays and neuters at the developmentally appropriate age of 6 months.

RECOMMENDED TIME-FRAME FOR STERILIZATION IS 6 MONTHS OF AGE

The following are several reasons why veterinarians at Maple Veterinary Hospital recommend that spays and neuters be done at 6 months of age:

Completion of the vaccination schedule prior to major surgery.

Pet is allowed to mature both physically and emotionally.

Safer anesthetic and surgical procedure for small, sick or weak pets.

Minimal research and long-term studies available on post-surgical effects of early sterilization at ages less than 6 months.

Traditionally the accepted and appropriate age.

Maple Veterinary Hospital veterinarians may authorize individual exceptions to these recommendations. It may be appropriate in pets that exhibit early behavior problems (aggression or urinary marking) to spay or neuter earlier than 6 months of age.

HUMANE SOCIETY PROMOTION OF EARLY STERILIZATION

The Michigan Humane Society promotes early sterilization to control careless or accidental breeding resulting in overpopulation. It is estimated that 15 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in shelters. While we support the importance of responsible spaying and neutering to prevent overpopulation, we feel the benefits of surgical sterilization at 6 months of age outweigh the population control benefits of doing this procedure at a younger age.

The Michigan Human Society will extend the terms of the sterilization contract to 6 months in accordance with the recommendations of a veterinarian. As your pet's primary care veterinarians, we will be happy to contact the Humane Society to obtain a surgical extension for any of our patients.