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8 results for “FeLV”
Health Checks to Do After Rescuing a Stray Cat
Before a stray cat joins your home, a veterinary check-up protects the cat, any resident pets, and your family. Strays can carry parasites, skin disease, or hidden infections, so a targeted exam is worth the cost. Core tests include a physical exam, infectious-disease screening (panleukopenia, coronavirus, calicivirus, herpesvirus; add FIV and FeLV if you have other cats), a fecal exam for internal parasites, and a blood count to flag anemia, inflammation, or dehydration. Imaging or a Toxoplasma test may be added for specific risks. To keep costs down, ask clinics about rescue discounts, look for packaged wellness plans, and have the vet handle basic grooming during the visit. Always isolate the new cat for 7–14 days, deflea and deworm, then start vaccines once it has settled in.
Why Your Cat Keeps Sneezing
An occasional sneeze is nothing, but frequent sneezing with discharge, eye issues, or coughing can hide something serious. Causes span environment, infection, and even facial structure, from dust and viruses to flat-faced-breed anatomy. This guide explains the reasons, when to see a vet, and how to care for and prevent sneezing fits.
Which Vaccines Does Your Own Cat Need?
Even indoor cats need the core FVRCP vaccine—owners, supplies, and pet-store visits can carry viruses home. Core shots cover panleukopenia (distemper), calicivirus, and herpes (rhinotracheitis); the first dose is never skippable. Non-core vaccines (FeLV, FIV, FIP, chlamydia, Bordetella, rabies) depend on risk. Follow AAFP siting: FVRCP right front leg, FeLV left front, rabies right hind. First immunity is two shots a month apart, then a booster about a year later; many vets now booster every three years, not annually.
Why Pets Drool: Stomatitis and Periodontal Disease
Persistent drooling often points to mouth inflammation. Stomatitis can be contagious (virus-linked) and, in cats, often lifelong — a red line forms where gum meets tooth, with constant drooling. As it worsens, ulcers grow, the cat may stop eating and lose weight. Periodontitis, driven by bacteria and tartar, also causes drooling, bad breath, and tooth loss. Diagnosis needs an oral exam (often under anesthesia) and dental X-rays; treatment ranges from antibacterial rinses to antibiotics and, in severe tartar cases, extraction.
Common Oral Diseases in Cats
To live, a cat must take food and water by mouth. If trauma, foreign body, periodontal disease, stomatitis, or immune disease causes oral disease, the cat cannot eat, lacks nutrition, and may struggle to survive.
Common Feline Oral Diseases and Care
The mouth is vital for cats - for food, water, and defense. Oral disease makes survival hard.
Feline Leukemia: Symptoms and Treatment
Feline AIDS and feline leukemia are topics owners avoid; clinically similar yet different. There is a separate article on feline AIDS for those interested.
Feline AIDS (FIV): Symptoms and Treatment
Feline AIDS (FAIDS) is a contagious disease in cats caused by Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), which attacks the immune system and makes cats more vulnerable to other infections.