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Thinking Of Stopping Doing Annual Exams For Cats

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  • Jul 27th, 2015 11:44 am
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Deal Addict
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Jul 19, 2012
1988 posts
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Canada
he's an outdoor cat, for sure he needs vaccinations as for annual exams, that's a matter of choice but it can help for prevention!!
Deal Guru
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Aug 20, 2005
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anastasia1009 wrote: I have four cats - they are my children - they don't get vaccines or annual exams but when they are sick or not feeling well they go to the vet. So far on my himalyan he has had PU surgery ($2600) and ear cancer surgery ($680). Now my oldest cat who turned 16 today she stopped going to the vet at the age of 3 but she has IBD but managed with organic, grain free food and human meds. Rascal has been back and forth to the vet with the herpes virus but I will do anything to make him happy and healthy.
As long as you look out for them, you watch how much they pee and poo plus do your own exam every so often to check for lump, bumps etc - that is how we caught the cancer early plus the herpes virus. And you save some money into an account for vet appointments :)
I don't think exams every year are necessary and vaccines only if they are outdoor cats.
Even indoor cats can get out so they should be vaccinated. You can monitor your cat's litter box but until you can do lab tests (blood and urinalysis) at home or even x-rays, you need to see a vet for regular exams. By the time you see things in the litter box, your cat is already very sick. Diabetes and kidney disease are two common ones that come to mind. You could have avoided the PU surgery if you didn't feed dry food. Cats need plenty of water and don't drink enough so canned food is essential to keep things moving so they don't get blocked up.
Deal Addict
Sep 27, 2009
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Oakville, ON
I don't think I've ever had a vet suggest a blood test or urinalysis at an annual checkup.
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Some vets never bother to do proactive testing. Others do a senior/geriatric blood profile starting around age 9 for cats. Some do it at 7. The blood test should go hand in hand with a urinalysis. But some will only do a urinalysis if something is suspected or based on the results of the blood tests. You do blood and urine tests when you go for a physical so it only makes sense to do it with a cat. In fact, it makes more sense with cats, as they can't tell you they are sick and are quite good at hiding it. Diabetes is common with cats and so is kidney disease with older cats. By the time you see symptoms of kidney disease, the kidneys are about 75% destroyed and you can't get back that function. However, you can slow the decline and cats can get by with little kidney function.
Newbie
Feb 12, 2015
52 posts
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North York, ON
Just continue plz! Your cat is not pretty old..
Deal Addict
Feb 11, 2007
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Whitby
Guncho wrote: I don't think I've ever had a vet suggest a blood test or urinalysis at an annual checkup.
You're lucky. You have to be there to see the level of greed in some of them. Emotional blackmail to the max.
Deal Fanatic
Oct 1, 2004
6651 posts
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GTA
With this kind of mentality your raising two kids? Oh man... I never understood when ppl say they have to watch their money cause they have two kids, if your living paycheque to paycheque just have one...
Member
Jan 31, 2008
408 posts
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OP, and when you're sort of old or so, will you be ok if your kids say they will give you the basic vaccinations because you're so damm old anyways? And they would have their own kids so they rather spend money on them than an old fart like you? How do you feel about that?

If you don't have money then ok. But if have some then just spend it. The cat has given you many years of company. If you couldn't afford the two kids then you should have just had one.
Deal Addict
Sep 27, 2009
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When I get old I will instruct my children to put me on an iceberg and push me out to sea as I did to my parents when they started calling themselves Zoomers.
Member
Jan 31, 2008
408 posts
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Guncho wrote: When I get old I will instruct my children to put me on an iceberg and push me out to sea as I did to my parents when they started calling themselves Zoomers.
Very funny..

What comes around goes around. As long as you're OK with that happening to you then sure.
Member
Mar 4, 2015
401 posts
41 upvotes
Montreal, QC
I would continue to do at least a yearly exam especially if you have an outdoor cat. It would also be important to get heart worm medication and check for ticks etc. You don't know what your cat can have (even if they seem normal). A blood test can go a long way. I wouldn't give them up.
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Aug 16, 2011
841 posts
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Kitchener
KDivers wrote: I would continue to do at least a yearly exam especially if you have an outdoor cat. It would also be important to get heart worm medication and check for ticks etc. You don't know what your cat can have (even if they seem normal). A blood test can go a long way. I wouldn't give them up.
heartworm is still pretty rare in cats, about 10% of the rate of canine cases, for example in Toronto, of dogs who hadn't left the country there were only 5 cases of heartworm in 2010, meaning not even half a cat got heartworm staistically. Only 3 heartworm positive cats were reported in Ontario that year and one was from out of country. http://ovc.uoguelph.ca/doc/heartworm/2010/Ontario.pdf
Deal Addict
Sep 27, 2009
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Oakville, ON
I have never given a cat heart worm medication or had a vet suggest it.

I've also never had a vet request a blood test at an annual exam.

They just poke, around, listen to his breathing and stick a thermometer up his butt.
Deal Addict
Feb 20, 2009
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OP Stop feeding these trolls just ignore them, I'm with you I don't have a cat but I have a dog and the constant vet visits were a cash grab. I take my dog to the vet if she's sick otherwise she's home safe and sound with me your pet is way better off with you than in a shelter or without a home. I too have kids and understand PRIORITIZATION your not a bad person for limiting the amount of money your willing to spend on your pets health it's the reality of life sometimes unfortunately.
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Nov 20, 2013
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Toronto, ON
u0dcameron wrote: OP Stop feeding these trolls just ignore them, I'm with you I don't have a cat but I have a dog and the constant vet visits were a cash grab. I take my dog to the vet if she's sick otherwise she's home safe and sound with me your pet is way better off with you than in a shelter or without a home. I too have kids and understand PRIORITIZATION your not a bad person for limiting the amount of money your willing to spend on your pets health it's the reality of life sometimes unfortunately.
A number of people could probably take that scenario apart, but I'm pretty sure that's been talked about already. Isn't it you who's feeding the troll here? Seeing as it was clear from the beginning that the OP just wanted someone to agree with him, which is what you're doing. Not to mention, there's been a conclusion, and in most cases an agree to disagree type of thing.

Kinda reminds me of Donald Trump and the whole "I didn't expect the backlash to be quite this severe".
Sr. Member
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Aug 23, 2010
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up to you, but i would keep em going

pay for an exam is like betting that your cat is sick

it's a waste of money until your cat actually is sick, then not so much
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Mar 4, 2015
401 posts
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Montreal, QC
starrlamia wrote: heartworm is still pretty rare in cats, about 10% of the rate of canine cases, for example in Toronto, of dogs who hadn't left the country there were only 5 cases of heartworm in 2010, meaning not even half a cat got heartworm staistically. Only 3 heartworm positive cats were reported in Ontario that year and one was from out of country. http://ovc.uoguelph.ca/doc/heartworm/2010/Ontario.pdf
I still think a yearly blood test would still be a good idea. Most people go for a yearly check up. I think of pets as another member of the family and would want them to get at least a blood test.
Sr. Member
Aug 16, 2011
841 posts
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Kitchener
my pets are my family too, but I'm not going to bother putting them through the stress of a blood draw for something that is incredibly rare.

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