Wellness examinations are important for a growing kitten. Our veterinarians will do a nose-tail examination of your kitty to ensure he/she is a healthy addition to your family. The first visit often involves checking for any developmental or medical health concerns such as ear mites, heart murmurs, umbilical hernias, confirming gender and proper development of testes (in male kittens). Subsequent kitten examinations ensure that growth and development are progressing well and allows us to follow up on any health or behavior concerns.
In our Headstart Kitten Packages, we recommend wellness visits at 8, 12, 16 and 20-24 weeks. We will give appropriate vaccinations based on your kittens age, health and vaccine history. A full dental oral health examination and neutering/spaying is recommended around 5-6 months (before a female kitten can go into heat and hopefully before your male kitten starts spraying or marking your home).
Adoption Visit
If your kitten is 7 weeks or younger, an optional early wellness visit is included in the Headstart Kitten Package. We do not usually vaccinate kittens before 8 weeks, but we will do a nose to tail exam, discuss nutrition, behaviour and any other questions you may have. Depending on the health of your new kitten, how you acquired him or her and whether you have other cats, we may want to do the FeLV/FIV blood test and start dewormer at this visit rather than at the first vaccination visit.
All pets adopted from the SPCA are given a free wellness visit within one week of being adopted. Many SPCA and shelter kittens will have had one to two rounds of dewormer and their combination vaccine, and most will still require two to four more veterinary visits. We can help decide what the right schedule will be at your first free wellness visit.