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Baseline Testing for New Kitten

L

Leslie

I recently adopted a feral kitten and am wondering what tests are recommended for a new vet to order. I would like to go into the first appointment with a new vet knowing what is needed to establish a baseline, since some vets aren't particularly sensitive to clients' budgets. Should she have a stool test if she doesn't seem to be showing symptoms of worms or parasites? What baseline blood work should she get? Given that she is showing a few minor symptoms of imbalance (tiny, intermittent amounts of mucus on the inside of the eye and sneezing, both of which seem to be allergies), would additional tests be wise? Thank you!
 

Dr. Sara

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Dear Leslie,
I would suggest that you try to find an holistic vet if possible; they are more likely to be open to tailoring recommendations to your individual needs. The website of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association will list vets in your area.
There are several tests I would suggest, along with a thorough examination.

I would suggest a fecal flotation test. Even if kitty is showing no signs of intestinal upset, it is wise to know what sorts of parasites may be present in your kitten's intestinal tract. Some parasites, such as certain tapeworms and roundworms, can lead to disease in susceptible humans, if proper hygiene practices are not followed. After a year of age, most cats become quite resistant to intestinal parasites, except tapeworms.

I would suggest testing for the feline immunosuppressive viruses - FeLV and FIV. These viruses are generally transmitted in the first year of life. Most cats are highly resistant after that time. This is important information for you, as positive cats are more likely to develop immunosuppressive diseases.

If you are going to have the kitten spayed, a pre-surgical blood panel, including checking for adequate clotting factors, should be run in the month before surgery.

The upper respiratory signs that you are noticing may indeed be simply due to allergies. In such cases, wiping kitty down daily with a damp cloth will decrease the allergens to which she is exposed.

It would be wise to note when these signs are increased or lessened. Some cats can be sensitive to house allergens, like off gassing from furniture or rugs, or cleaning products. It is also helpful to ensure that your air ducts are cleaned, and that you vacuum regularly with a HEPA filter in the machine. I wish my animals had opposable thumbs, as I'd like them to be able to do some of the vacuuming....

I hope this is helpful!
S.F. Chapman DVM, MRCVS, VetMFHom
 

Dr. Christina

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Great for you to be thinking proactively.

The small symptoms you may be noticing are discharging ones, so may be an attempt of the vital force to re-balance. Since you recently adopted (how long ago?) TLC, feeding a raw meat diet and avoiding any vaccines at this time (or other toxins) may be all that is needed to clear those symptoms. Maybe add a few vitality boosting supplements (raw goats milk, vitamin C, probiotics, etc). Keep a journal.

Dr. Sara has good suggestions. I would definitely try to find a holistic vet as they can add so much to their basic physical exam (https://ivcjournal.com/integrative-physical-examination/) . Where do you live?

Dr. Christina
 

Dr. Jeff

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Feb 23, 2017
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Congratulations on your new kitty Leslie!?

Thanks Drs. Sara and Christina for the great suggestions.

I agree with them both about the tests and the slight upper respiratory symptoms?

One way to judge the significance of any symptom is by her BEAM (Behavior, Energy, Appetite, Mood).

The BEAM symptoms directly reflect her Vitality and Balance.

You can learn more about BEAM in the introductory course.

The allergy webinar-course and follow-up Empower Hours! go into much more detail about optimizing immune balance to prevent and treat allergic (all allergies are immune imbalances) and other dis-eases.

All courses and Empower Hours! are available in your member area.

Have fun playing with and loving up your new kitty.?
 
L

Leslie

Thank you, Dr.'s Sara, Christina and Jeff for the super helpful answers! I'm sure others will benefit from this info as well.

I've had Sira (pronounced Seera) about a month now. I'm transitioning her to raw, but haven't gone full bore because I'm waiting on supplements (got suggestions from the forum) and lining up sources for raw that will include organs. I used to live in an area of the country where raw suppliers were plentiful, but now live in a much less sophisticated area, so it's challenging.

I've discovered there's only one holistic vet in the area, so I will be going to her very soon to have Sira examined and tested.

I will be exploring the website for allergy and homeopathic information. I, myself, have gotten into homeopathy in the last year, so I am so much more comfortable and informed giving remedies now. It really helped my GSD puppies in the past (thank you, Dr. Jeff!). Luckily, I don't have to deal with vaccine-related damage this time around.
 

Dr. Jeff

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Feb 23, 2017
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You're welcome Leslie (what was your bitch's name?).?

It will definitely be helpful to learn about the allergy threshold!

Then you can concentrate on optimizing immune balance to raise the threshold and decrease allergy symptoms.⚖
 

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