Preventive care and disease screening programs provide several benefits to the cat, the client, and the veterinary clinic by:
- Providing wellness care
- Detecting disease early when we can prevent or alleviate suffering and save expense
- Protecting life and enhancing welfare
- Increasing clinic visits by providing financial incentives for the client to make optimal healthcare more manageable
- Improving client relationships and growing the bond between the veterinary healthcare team and the client
Creating a defined program helps the veterinary healthcare team promote the same preventive care. This increases client uptake of these programs. Below are examples of bundled prepaid preventive care programs:
First Year of Life Program:
By averaging the cost of surgical sterilization for males and females, the program cost can be the same for both sexes. The program could include:
- All comprehensive physical examinations and consultations during the first year of life plus at 1 year of age
- All required vaccinations including boosters 1 year after end of kitten series
- Feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus testing
- Surgical sterilization
- Permanent identification (microchip +/- tattoo)
- Broad spectrum deworming +/- fecal examinations
- Nutritional consultation at 9 months to reinforce body condition and prevent obesity
Mature and Senior Cat Program:
This program can be recommended annually for all cats from the age of 8 years onward and every 6 months for cats over 14 years of age (or once abnormalities have been detected to assist in the management of these problems). The program could include:
- Comprehensive physical examination and consultation
- Blood pressure measurement
- Serum chemistry panel, complete blood count, total T4
- Urinalysis (+/- urine culture +/- urine protein-creatinine ratio when indicated)
- Survey chest and abdominal radiographs
These models can be adapted for other preventive care and disease monitoring programs (e.g., dental care, management of diseases such as obesity, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, etc.).
Table 1: Suggestions for age-matched preventive care and disease screening
| AGE | EXAMINATION & CONSULTATION (INCLUDING BEHAVIOUR, NUTRITION) | FELV AND FIV TESTS | BLOOD TESTS | URINALYSIS | BLOOD PRESSURE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 1 year | 2 or more | At least 1X | +/- | +/- | +/- |
| 1+ to 7 years | 1 | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- |
| 7+ to 10 years | 1-2 | +/- | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 10+ years | 2 | +/- | 2 | 2 | 2 |
1: Recommended once a year
1-2: Recommended 1-2/year
2: Recommended twice a year
FELINE SPECIALIST AUTHORS
- Susan Little, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice) Bytown Cat Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario
- Diane McKelvey, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice) Aberdeen Veterinary Hospital, Kamloops, British Columbia
- Elizabeth O’Brien, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice) The Cat Clinic, Hamilton, Ontario
- Elizabeth Ruelle, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice) Wild Rose Cat Clinic of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
- Kelly St. Denis, MSC, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice)
- Margie Scherk, DVM, DABVP (Feline Practice) catsINK, Vancouver, British Columbia
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