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Summary: The first step in caring for a kitten's health is going to the veterinarian to have a health exam performed, but common issues for kittens include parasites and worms that need to be treated for the sake of public health. Find out how to set up a vaccine schedule with a veterinarian with help from a veterinarian in this free video on cat health.
Dr. Carrie Burhenn is a full-time veterinarian who received her degree in veterinary medicine from Oregon State University in 1990. In 1998, Burhenn received the specialty...read more
"Hi, I'm Dr. Carrie Burhenn. I'm a veterinarian at the Feline Medical Clinic in Vancouver, Washington and I'm here today to tell you about health concerns in kittens. A lot of people acquire a kitten and this may be from a humane society or from a private party. The very first step that you would take with your kitten is to take it to the veterinarian to have a health exam performed to make sure you've got a healthy kitten. Many kittens have common childhood illnesses and these are easily treated by a veterinarian, and some of them you just treat presumptively because the fact is is that some kittens do not have visible signs that they may have worms or other parasites, but that you go ahead and take care of those issues anyway because they are a public health concern and could certainly cause lasting damage to the kitty if they're not appropriately treated when they're young. Your veterinarian can advise you more on what's appropriate for the age of the kitten. They can also tell you more about what appropriate behavior to expect from your kitten if you're not familiar with a cat and you've never owned one before, they can actually rec, recommend several behavior guideline books for you so that you can actually understand what is normal behavior? What is a healthy kitten? What does a sick kitten act like, so you can learn to recognize problems before they actually get out of hand. Your veterinarian will also recommend a vaccine schedule and may start them at that very first appointment. He may also recommend testing for various illnesses that are not readily detectable except by running some blood tests or stool tests. Again, the best advice is if you have acquired a new kitten is to contact your veterinarian and set up a general health exam to make sure the most common childhood illnesses are dealt with and controlled. And if you have any questions, write out a list ahead of time and tell your veterinarian if you've ever owned a cat before because you may not be aware of some of the things that we may wish to discuss if you are a new pet owner. If you have any other additional concerns, again, be sure to bring them up to your veterinarian at that time."
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