Cat Advice

Flea Treatment

Fleas are the most common parasites caught by cats. They are small, wingless insects, with back legs that are modified for jumping. Fleas cause itching, they also transmit worms, and will bite humans. The majority of a flea’s life cycle (approx. 95%) occurs off the animal – in your home and environment. Adult fleas feed on your pet’s blood and lay thousands of microscopic eggs each which fall off into the environment. It is important to understand the flea life cycle when choosing a flea product to ensure it targeted at treating both the pet and the environmental load.

You can help protect your cat from fleas with correct advice and treatment. We generally do not recommend non-prescription products as they are not effective. Speak to our friendly vets and nurses who can advise and provide you with safe, effective flea prevention and treatments for your cat!

Worming Treatment
As a caring pet owner, you will know that worms come with the territory. Pets can be suffering with worms without showing any obvious symptoms, so worming your pet is important. Worms carried by cats and dogs can pose a health risk, not just to the pet in question, but to other animals and to humans. Worms sound unpleasant because they are. They are parasites that live in intestines, affecting how your dog digests their food.

Contact us for information on how you can help protect your pet against parasites.

Dental disease in cats is very common. Without adequate dental hygiene cat’s teeth will develop dental plaque, formed from bacteria. If left, plaque can form tartar. The acid created by the bacteria in plaque severely damages the surface of the teeth and irritates the gums; leading to inflammation of the gums and damage to the tissues around the teeth, and, potentially, tooth loss.

Signs of dental disease can include:

• Bad breath
• Red or bleeding gums
• Dribbling
• Difficulty eating or reduced appetite
• Weight loss
• Pawing or rubbing at the face

Looking after your cat’s teeth is just as important as looking after your own. It is an important part of maintaining their overall health. Dental issues often go unrecognised but the pain they cause may have serious affects to your cat’s behaviour and general health.

Like most things, prevention of dental disease is much better than cure. Brushing should be introduced as young as possible. At Wellpets, we can provide special toothbrushes exclusively for cats, and meat or poultry flavoured toothpaste! You can make an appointment for a dental check with one of our nurses or vets who can demonstrate how to brush your cat’s teeth, advise you on the best products and provide you with the correct diet to help maintain good dental health.

Additionally, we are fully equipped for any dental problem your cat may be suffering with. Our operating theatres contain compressed air dental machinery and manual dental equipment to enable efficient cleaning and removal of any damaged teeth.

It is important to ensure you follow advice about when your pet is due a booster vaccination. Extensive research has been carried out to show how long immunity from vaccines lasts. If your pet is overdue then they are not protected and may need to have a restart course. Your vet will be able to advise you on this.

Cats are vaccinated against:

• Cat Flu
• Feline Enteritis (similar to Parvo Virus in dogs)
• Feline Leukaemia Virus
• Kittens start their vaccine course from 9 weeks old and have 2 injections (3-4 weeks apart).

It is recommended not to let kittens go outside until after their vaccine course (or even better until after they are neutered) as they can very easily pick up diseases early, especially cat flu.

Booster vaccinations are annual and highly advised. Catteries will often insist that cats are up to date with their vaccines, and some insurance companies do too. Cats can also be vaccinated against Rabies.