upcoming annual vet visit, what should I advocate for?

[lunch]

Hi all, long time no post

My boy-cat's one year adopt-iversary is next month and I'm looking for advice regarding his next vet visit. When I adopted him I was offered a free initial vet visit with the vet clinic associated with the rescue organization, but I was a little surprised that it was such a simple, mostly visual exam that took only a few minutes. I was told he was young and healthy, and since he had a recent fecal and was vaxed and neutered prior to adopting him, nothing else really needed to be done.

This is very different from my last experience with a cat, who was my first cat and might have given me a warped idea of what vet experiences are like . I had adopted my first cat knowing he was coming with some health issues so his health exams were always more involved. He also could not be sedated safely so I have no experience with dentals, I don't even know the typical timeline for dental concerns.

I'll be returning to the same clinic for Goose's annual and I'm wondering what I should advocate for going forward with this "healthy" young cat. He will be just under two years old for his annual this year, and as far as I know he is a healthy guy. Can I get baseline blood work done anyway? What are the boxes I should absolutely be checking? I don't want to leave it to the vet to tell me what to do, I'd like to go in knowing what I want, so I'm hoping the experienced folk can help me come up with a game plan.

Thanks!

 

[GranolaLouise]

I know this is not a 'new' cat to you, but Personally I would ( and i plan on doingthis with my next adopted cat) I would ask for extensive blood work focusing on what the health of kidneys and liver are. Dental would be next. Also a good ear cleaning.Please as about any red flagged boxes in the bloodwork chart, or numbers above normal. Just what I am planning for my first vet visit after adoption.

 

[lisahe]

Can I get baseline blood work done anyway? What are the boxes I should absolutely be checking

Yes! We also did this when our cats hit their one-year anniversary with us. They were then about two years old. Our vet was thrilled that we wanted to do that baseline blood work.

It's also worth talking with your vet about what to expect as your cat ages. I don't mean this in a morbid sense but rather that metabolism and motility may slow, cats' food preferences may change, and so on and so forth. Our vet mentioned some of those things early on and it's been very helpful. Our cats are now almost 11.

Here's hoping the visit goes well!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

A typical Vet visit for an annual exam should include blood work, weight, temperature, the Vet checking the cat's ears, eyes, mouth, listening to their heart and lungs, feeling their bodies for anything unusual, checking for any bald spots, asking YOU question about how the cat is eating, drinking, peeing, pooping and their attitude in general. If they find anything unusual, then they should discuss that with you. At the age of two, hopefully they will not find anything out of sync and you'll be good for another year . Some cats already need a dental at that age, but that is not really the norm.

Of course, if you have noticed anything your cat is doing that you think the Vet should know about, bring it up. I usually have a little list of issues to discuss, but my cats are almost 15, so things come up.

 

[lunch]

This helps a ton! Thank you all for chiming in. I will go forward with this this list and if the vet gives me the "he's young, don't worry" attitude again I will be switching vets for sure.

 

[IndyJones]

One thing not meantioned is vaccines. I would have rabies and FRVCP at the bare minumum. And keep them up to date. You can bring him illness on your clothes even if they are indoor only. Kabuto got cat flu from my clothes a few months ago and I probably would have lost him had he not been up to date.

 

[lunch]

Definitely, thanks for that reminder Indy. So glad that Kabuto was able to recover.

I will be asking the vet for sure about dentals, but just curious to hear others experiences. When did yall have your first dental done?

 

[stephanietx]

If you have no reason to suspect any ill health, meaning he's not had any health issues the past year, I would just do a basic exam, a good check of his teeth, and be done with it. I'm not a fan of yearly vaccines as it can cause issues and bloodwork isn't necessary if your cat's not having any problems. I've never had bloodwork done as part of an annual exam.