- Hours:
- Mon: 9A - 9P
- Tue-Fri: 9A - 10P
- Sat: 9A - 2P
- Sun: Closed
Our goal at the Animal Hospital of Streamwood is to help your pet stay healthy, help heal your pet when it is sick or injured, and to ease your pet's pain when it is hurting.
We will do this with quality care, compassion and tenderness.
Preventative healthcare for your cat
New research is showing that we do not need to vaccinate cats as much as we once did. We know that cats can be susceptible not only to Feline Distemper, Viral Rhinotracheitis, Rabies and Leukemia, but also to Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Calicivirus. Vaccinating for all of these diseases annually is not necessary for most cats, as most cats are not at risk for getting these diseases. Also, giving vaccines is not without risk; there can be allergic reactions or, in very rare cases, tumors. It is best for you and your cat to tailor a preventative care protocol that best suits your cat. Our current preventative healthcare recommendations for our feline friends include regular exams and a vaccination schedule as follows.
For cats in low- risk groups; meaning cats that live in households with no more than 3 cats total, all of these cats always remain indoors and none of these cats have been to a cat show, kennel, or groomer for longer than one day in the preceding year, we recommend the following:
- A complete physical examination, a three year rabies vaccine and a Feline Distemper titer (a blood test to measure the level of vaccine protection) at their next annual visit.
- The following year they will receive a complete physical exam and another Feline Distemper titer to ensure sufficient immunity.
- In the next year they will receive their Feline Distemper vaccination along with their complete physical examination.
Routine physical exams may be the most important part of your cat's preventative healthcare. Each physical exam evaluates the coat and skin of your cat, checking for external parasites such as fleas, ticks or mites and checking for lumps. We will palpate, or feel, your cat's abdomen evaluating organ size and checking for tenderness. Eyes and ears will be evaluated as well as the heart and lungs, listening for heart murmurs or respiratory problems. The mouth will be examined closely for tooth or gum disease. At each visit, preventive healthcare recommendations will be made regarding diet and exercise, feeding schedules and training tips, home dental care, and other concerns that will help promote a long, healthy life for your cat. It is far easier to prevent disease than it is to treat it.
If your cat is in the high-risk group; meaning there are more than 3 cats in the home or some of these cats go outside, they need to receive the Feline Leukemia vaccination annually. If your cat goes outside unsupervised or you take in stray cats/kittens, your cat will need to be tested for the Feline Immunodeficiency virus and Feline Leukemia annually and may benefit from vaccine protection against FIP. Screening for intestinal parasites in a stool sample needs to be done every year.
Cats over the age of 7 need physical exams twice a year. For early detection of diseases in our senior pets, it is best to run blood tests, a urinalysis and test blood pressure regularly. Our pets can't tell us when they aren't quite right and often outward signs don't show up until advanced stages of disease. We know that with early detection, we can gain many more happy, healthy years by intervening in these disease processes quickly, before they become advanced.