Knowing your new cat’s health status enables you to provide it with the best possible medical care. This way, you can focus on getting your furry baby treated as the earliest and help lower its pain and suffering, suppose it is dealing with acute or chronic medical conditions.
Take this step to avoid transmission of potentially dangerous illnesses like parasitic infections and allergies to other feline family members and humans. At the same time, consider being prepared with pet health insurance so unplanned vet costs need not be financially burdening.
Contemplate purchasing a policy after considering the pet insurance cost, your budget, and your feline’s health needs. In the meantime, read this article to learn three standard tests vets perform when you take a new pet cat for a health examination.
Common vet-recommended tests
1. Complete physical examination
Your vet will perform a thorough physical examination during the first visit. This helps the vet determine the health status from head to tail. A typical session includes an oral and dental checkup to ensure the teeth and gums are healthy, inspecting for parasites like fleas and ticks, and weighing the fur baby.
The cat’s weight can give insights into its quality of life and nutrition. Its physical appearance can give clues about potential health issues. For instance, an animal specialist will inspect the feline’s eyes to ensure they are clear and bright. Also, they will check the heart rate and touch and feel vital organs to ensure a furball is okay in terms of physical health.
2. Blood profile
The vet might run a blood test and analyze the results to get hints on potential medical conditions. A complete blood profile lets the vet identify health issues early, even if the symptoms haven’t manifested.
For instance, the test results help rule out or confirm endocrine, renal, and other critical health disorders. This is especially important when people adopt senior cats that require timely and quality medical assistance.
Blood tests are also performed to understand a cat’s health before spaying/neutering. It helps the vet to estimate a furry baby’s ability to withstand anaesthesia that will be administered during the surgery. Also, blood profiling helps detect Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Viruses.
These viruses hamper a cat’s immune system, make it susceptible to several other health conditions, and are easily transmissible. So, spotting the issue early can help save other fur babies in the household from getting infected.
3. Fecal test
This test helps determine if a cat has harmful internal parasites that can be transferred to humans/animals. The vet may test a cat’s stools to rule out heartworm infections, Toxoplasma, Giardia, roundworms, and other intestinal parasites.
After bringing home a new feline pet, please take it to the vet for a health checkup. Whether you brought home a stray, shelter, or bred cat, getting a clean bill of health from the vet is essential. A stray animal doesn’t have a documented medical history which is why it is more important to get a vet clearance.
Note that health issues are often unpredictable and can involve colossal vet bills, which is why timely testing is vital. At the same time, consider being prepared with pet health insurance so that tackling unexpected vet costs is much easier.
Search popular cat insurance policies online, check the pet insurance cost, then request and compare quotes before signing up for a policy that best fits your furball’s health requirements and your budget—this way, your cat and your savings both can be protected during dire health scenarios and medical emergencies.