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The Pets Blog Week in Review for January 21-27

What happened last week in the Pets Blog? Aimee had a pretty eventful week at the cat clinic where she works, which made for excellent articles. As for me, I wasn’t as prolific as my blogging partner but had some “surprising” articles just the same. Check out the daily play-by-plays to see what I mean. Monday, January 21 I.C.E. Stickers: Have You Got One Posted? Who’s going to save your pets in a home emergency if you’re not around to tell emergency responders there are pets inside? An I.C.E sticker will! What is FVRCP? I’ll give you some hints: it’s … Continue reading →

What is FVRCP?

If you are a cat owner, your cat has probably received the FVRCP vaccination. But do you know what it does? The FVRCP vaccination protects your cat against three contagious diseases. Kittens receive four FVRCP injections, starting at the age of six to eight weeks. A booster shot is typically given annually, though some experts believe a less frequent booster shot would be just as effective. FVR = Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis. This is a severe upper respiratory infection that is most dangerous to young kittens and older cats. The virus is extremely contagious to cats, and is caused by a … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Outbreak!

It started with one cat: runny nose, weepy eyes, sneezing. Soon three more cats were drippy and lethargic. The cats-only boarding facility had an outbreak! I’ve been working at the boarding facility since last December (how time flies) and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this. The first cat — patient zero — usually has runny eyes and a sniffly nose. He’s a Himalayan, and like other flat-faced breeds, they can be susceptible to upper respiratory problems. Other Himalayans who come in to stay with us tend to have very runny eyes, too. So when patient zero … Continue reading →

Type of Care Vet Schools Can Offer Your Pet

Yesterday I wrote about vet schools perhaps being an alternative to costly vet procedures. Something I quickly realized was that vet schools aren’t just like regular vets with cheaper prices. Most require referrals from your current vet. At least when you’re dealing with more specialized cases, like surgeries. However, this wasn’t always the case. Vet Schools’ Veterinary Services Some vet schools, like Virginia Tech’s Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, provided primary care services just like a regular vet practice would. Their “full service out-patient preventive health care” services included vaccinations, spaying and neutering, … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: When Vet Opinions Differ

I know I talk a lot about vaccines, both here in the Pets Blog and over in the Health Blog. The way I see it, immunization helps prevent diseases that would otherwise ravage the population. The one vaccine we require at the cats-only boarding facility is FVRCP — the upper respiratory combination vaccine. Cats from different families never come into physical contact with each other, but they are breathing the same air in the room. Some veterinarians believe that the FVRCP vaccine is good for three years; others feel that it only absolutely protects cats for one year. The vet … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: My Bulletin Board

I’ve picked up a new responsibility at the cats only boarding facility — I am now in charge of the monthly bulletin board. The job comes with a large (and I mean overflowing) box of assorted cat calendars, cat pictures from catalogues and magazines, a rainbow of colored paper, and more. I offered to take on the bulletin board a few weeks ago, so I’ve had a chance to plan a bit. One thing I wanted to focus on was educational materials. There are lots of things we do at the boarding facility that our clients might not understand — … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: How Not to Wash a Cat

I’ve learned lots of interesting things in my time at the cats only boarding facility — has it really been two months already? Thanks to all the different guests we’ve had, I’ve learned about giving injections, why we give certain vaccinations, how to handle an aggressive cat, how to feed a cat on hunger strike, and more. Now I’ve learned how not to wash a cat. Whether you’re hoping to bathe your cat at home or hoping to embark on a grooming career, please learn from my example. Here’s what you should not do: Prepare the grooming area with towel, … Continue reading →

How to Give Injections to a Cat

Today at the cats only boarding facility, one of my coworkers from the veterinarian side showed me how to give an injection. Why do I need to know this sort of thing? Well, sometimes we have guests at the boarding facility who are diabetic, and need insulin injections before they eat. Sometimes, guests arrive and are in need of vaccinations — if the owner wants the cat to stay in the main part of the boarding facility, the cat must be up to date on his or her FVRCP. Today, we happened to have two guests who were in need … Continue reading →