Mary Allen
As a rule, kittens are cared for exclusively and in the best possible way by their mother for the first 6 weeks. They are protected against infections by the antibodies in breast milk. If a kitten falls ill anyway, a visit to the vet is always necessary. Because young animals, in particular, have little resistance and for this reason, their vital functions can quickly fail.
Important: Deworming
From the 2nd week onwards, it is important to de-worm every two weeks. Because the little ones get infected with endoparasites through their breast milk. This can cause severe damage to the intestinal epithelium and also lead to severe diarrhea.
At the Vet with Kittens: the First Examination
If a kitten has moved in with you – ideally not before the 10th week of life – you should plan the first visit to the vet after a short period of acclimatization. Usually, the appointment for the first visit to the vet with your kitten can be combined with the basic immunization due in the 9th or 12th week.
What Is Being Done?
As part of the first visit to the vet with your kitten, the vet will check the nutritional and fur condition of the little cat. In addition, the mucous membranes, teeth, and ears are viewed and the heart and lungs are monitored. The veterinarian measures the body temperature and gets necessary vaccinations.
A leukosis test may be carried out before the vaccination. To do this, you must bring fecal samples from several days with you to the first animal species visit. The sample is then examined in practice. Basically, it is important to regularly deworm your kitten up to the age of 12 weeks.
The First Visit to the Vet with Kittens: Getting to Know Each Other
The first and subsequent visits to the vet with your kitten are not only important for health reasons. Your kitten should get to know the vet and the practice. In this way, the fear of visits to the vet can be relieved right from the start.
The vet also gets to know the kitten early on and can thus easily identify the general condition of an acute illness.
Furthermore, he will discuss with you the future diet, the course of growth, the onset of sexual maturity, and the time of any neutering that becomes necessary.