What should I expect at my kitten’s first veterinary visit?

What I would expect is that you brought in their history and any previous medical records that you have, so we know where we're starting. You hopefully brought in a history of observations that you made with your kitten since you've had it. And you might have a list of questions that you want to bring in also, and obviously that you brought in a kitten! So that's what we're going to have. And then the veterinarian is going to do a full physical examination and ask you some follow-up questions as well.

At your first visit you'll get introduced to the team. You'll get introduced to how we are going to go about caring for your pet in the different lifestyles and phases. We'll talk about a lot of information on behavior, and do a thorough physical exam. We make sure there are no congenital abnormalities that have gone undetected, or underlying parasites like fleas or ticks. And we’ll just have an overall discussion of your kitten's health and needs. Be prepared to discuss lifestyle as well. Are you thinking about having an indoor kitty or outdoor kitty? How many pets do you have in the house? So these are some things to expect to discuss and for us to go over at your veterinary visit.

We're going to probably ask some questions of you about the kitten’s vaccine history. Then we're going to do a thorough physical from their nose to their tail, and have a good look at the kitten to make sure that everything looks right there. We’ll discuss behavioral issues, preventative care, parasites, and we’ll do a fecal on your kitty and get the vaccines started.

When you come here to the Animal Hospital of Statesville, you will get lots of education. We talk about how to care for your kitten. We talk about the first set of vaccines and deworming that there they are going to get. They can carry or have intestinal parasites that can be contagious to you and me, so we educate on that. And your kitten's going to receive a complete physical exam, and we make sure you know how to take care of them at home. We’ll ensure you have a proper carrier and have them set up and ready to go in that.

At your kitten's first veterinary visit, you should expect that your veterinarian will perform a full exam on your kitten. We will also take their weight and temperature and listen to the heart and lungs. We might recommend some vaccines depending on age and previous medical history. We may recommend a fecal test or a FeLV-FIV snap test. So there may be some testing or vaccines recommended as well.

During your kitten's first vet visit, your veterinarian will educate you on the necessary vaccines and deworming protocol for intestinal parasites. They will also address any behavioral concerns you may have and perform a general health examination to identify any potential medical issues. Additionally, kittens are often screened for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

At the first veterinary visit, your kitten will receive a physical exam. Your veterinarian will look for any congenital, genetic, or developmental issues, as well as check for external parasites like fleas or ticks. They will assess the quality of your kitten's coat, listen to their heart and lungs, and conduct a general assessment. An intestinal parasite screen, or fecal, will be conducted to check for worms. A small blood sample will be taken during the first or second visit to screen for feline leukemia virus or feline AIDS, which can be contracted from the environment or their mother.