Protecting Your Pet Through Vaccination

Did you know that your cat is susceptible to a variety of particular diseases that can potentially be fatal if left untreated?

That is why it is recommended that all kittens and cats receive annual protection against the most serious threats.

When your kitten is a few weeks old, they will need to undergo two initial injections three to four weeks apart. Following this, they will only need a ‘booster’ vaccination once a year to ensure that their immunity is always topped up.

Your kitten should have their first vaccination at 9 weeks of age and the second 3 weeks later.

They should be vaccinated against:

• Feline Influenza Viruses
• Infectious Enteritis
• Feline Leukaemia Virus
• Feline Chlamydia

Going forward, your vet will ask you lots of questions about the lifestyle of your cat so that the most appropriate vaccination protocol can be provided.

What’s more, here at Parkvets we also carry out a full health check on your cat every time they come in to see us for their vaccinations, just to make sure they are still happy and healthy, and that everything is as it should be.

For more information on the vaccinations that are recommended for your pet, please give us a call on 0208 300 8111.

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Protecting your Pet Against Parasites

Parasites are defined as organisms that live on another mammal as a ‘host’, and feed off them as a source of nutrition.

There are several different types of parasites that can affect your cat, and once your cat is infected you and your family may be at risk too. Some parasites can cause significant disease in both humans and animals, which is why it is so important to ensure that your pet receives proper protection.

Parasites can be divided into two main groups. There are endoparasites, which live inside the host’s body – such as roundworms, tapeworms and lungworms – and ectoparasites, which live outside the body – such as fleas, ticks and mites.

Roundworms Toxocara and Toxascaris are particularly harmful to human health, and may occasionally cause blindness or possibly epilepsy in people. In addition the tapeworm Echinococcus ssp, which is very common in Wales and Europe, can cause severe disease and even death.

For your pet cat, mange or fleas cause significant distress. Additionally, ticks or sandflies are carriers of serious disease and are particularly prevalent if you take your pet abroad. As with many illnesses, the effects can be more pronounced in very young or very old animals.

For cats we recommend Advocate monthly. However, it is important that you discuss your pet’s individual requirements with your vet, as each animal’s lifestyle and habits may affect the parasites they are likely to encounter.

In some cats, for example, we recommend replacing the Advocate dose with Profender once every 3 months.

The reasons for our recommendation are as follows:

• Advocate provides a broad range of parasite control, treating fleas, mange, ear mites, lice, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and heartworm.
• Monthly treatment also helps to control the human health risk posed by roundworms.

If your cat is susceptible to ticks an alternative product such as Broadline may be recommended by your vet.

Please feel free to contact us on 0208 300 8111 for more information about the most suitable parasite control programme for your cat, or discuss this with your vet at their annual health check.

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Keeping Your Pet's Teeth In Tip Top Condition

Your cat is good at tolerating pain, and therefore won’t always make it obvious when they’re experiencing any problems with their teeth. However, minor problems or inflammation can soon develop into potentially serious diseases and infections, so it’s important to ensure that your cat attends regular dental check-ups.

At Parkvets our nurses are able to carry out thorough oral hygiene consultations and offer advice on how you can best care for your pet’s teeth. Should your furry friend then require treatment, we can carry out scaling and polishing – much like you would have at your own dentist.

However, there are several things you can do at home to help keep your cat’s mouth in top condition and disease at bay:

• Brushing teeth daily – but remember that you should always use specialist animal toothpaste; never human products. One of our team can demonstrate the best techniques for doing this with minimal stress or discomfort to your pet.
• A dry diet – Crunching hard biscuit-type food will act in an abrasive way against your pet’s teeth, removing any plaque build-up.

The following tell-tale behaviour could indicate that your pet is suffering from a problem with their mouth or teeth:

• Quiet or subdued behaviour
• Pawing at the mouth
• Not eating/difficulty eating/chewing on one side of the mouth
• Keen to eat (visiting the food bowl) but then not eating
• Excess salivation

If your pet demonstrates any of the symptoms above, we recommend that you book an appointment to see one of our dental nurses as soon as possible. For more information about oral care for your pet, or to book an appointment to see one of our team for a dental check-up, simply call us on 0208 300 8111.

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Meeting Your Pet's Nutritional Needs

When it comes to choosing a brand or type of food for your pet, there are so many options available that you may well feel overwhelmed at the choice!

Any of our vets or nurses will be happy to talk to you about the best options for your cat, based on their size, breed and typical lifestyle.

Simply give us a call, pop in whenever you are next passing, or bring it up with one of our team during your cat’s next appointment.

However, here at Parkvets we particularly recommend Royal Canin food, because of its excellent natural balance of nutrition and essential vitamins and minerals. There are also several varieties available, each tailored to the different needs or sensitivities that your pet might have.

Reducing Your Pet's Stress Through Consults At Home

Pets can sometimes be wary of going to the vets, but for some animals the stress can be enough to make a visit seriously distressing. Add to this any logistical reason why a visit to the vets is difficult, then the whole thing can become traumatic and upsetting.

However, you need not worry – Parkvets@Home is designed to take the anxiety out of visiting the vet – because we come to you instead.

By prior appointment, one of our vets can come to see your pet in the comfort of their own home, where it is likely that they will be far more relaxed, as they are in a familiar environment.

We are able to carry out the full range of normal health checks, as we would in one of our practices, and we can also administer vaccinations and parasite treatments.

In the event that your pet might require diagnostic investigation or treatment, we will be happy to arrange their transportation to our Parkvets hospital where our full range of clinical tools and facilities will be at our disposal.

Our state-of-the-art laboratory testing services mean that any tests can be completed efficiently and results obtained quickly.

What’s more, our team of vets will collaborate with each other on complex cases, drawing on each other’s experience; you can rest assured your pet always receives the benefit of the combined expertise of our fantastic team.

If you are interested in having a visit from the Parkvets@Home team the next time your pet needs a check-up, please call 0208 300 8111 to speak to a member of our team.

Appointments must be arranged in advance, but with all of the following consultation hours we’re sure you’ll find a time to suit you.

Hours of operation vary depending on the availability of the vets. Outside these hours, appointments are available as normal at any of our Parkvets branch locations. Alternatively, we can arrange a home visit at a time to suit, although the cost is significantly higher when visits are outside our usual consulting times.

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