This is a combination vaccine protecting against 3 different viral diseases

• FVR = Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis

• C = CaIicivirus

These are upper respiratory viruses that can cause nasal congestion, fever, loss of appetite, eye infections and ulcers.

Many kittens have already been exposed to one of these viruses, but vaccination can decrease the severity of their symptoms.

• P = Panleukopenia

A gastrointestinal virus that causes profuse vomiting and diarrhea, and it also suppresses the immune system making recovery very difficult.

This virus can be transmitted on clothing, bedding, as well as cat-to-cat.

Kittens quickly become dehydrated and rapid treatment is essential for survival, but it is costly and often requires days to weeks of intensive in-hospital care.

• A retrovirus similar to the Human HIV virus, Feline Leukemia can lead to immune suppression, bone marrow disease and/or cancers

• It is spread through close, social contact: sharing dishes, litterboxes, mutual grooming and bite wounds as well as through the placental or milk of the mother cat

• We strongly recommend testing all kittens and cats for leukemia infection. The feline leukemia virus has potential to be latent in a carrier cat without any signs of illness, and this carrier state can persist for years. During this time, the cat is contagious and at risk for numerous problems. Knowing that a cat is positive allows you to prevent the spread of the disease to other cats and to prepare for expected illnesses and treatments needed.

• This disease is typically contracted through the bite of an infected animal. It is always fatal in non-vaccinated animals. It is also a ZOONOTIC disease, meaning we can catch it from animals, and it is fatal to us as well. Common carriers of the disease include skunks, foxes, bats and racoons. Even indoor cats can be exposed to rabies by animals such as bats that can easily enter the home.

• There is no cure or treatment for Rabies. Prevention with vaccination is the only option.

Intestinal parasites are very common in kittens, they include worms and single-celled protozoan parasites. Kittens can even be born with some types of worms. We will check a sample of your kitten's stool under the microscope to look for worm eggs or other parasites. Sometimes the stool sample can be negative even though parasites are present. This is because the worms in kittens are often immature and not producing eggs. Parasites are eliminated with "deworming" medications. It is important to follow the deworming protocol set out by your veterinarian. Often multiple dewormings are prescribed, which allows us to eliminate parasites early before they start to produce eggs and contaminate the environment. Affected animals may have soft stool or diarrhea, but often the stool looks normal. As the infection worsens we start to see a variety of symptoms; your kitten may appear thin, pot-bellied, have a dull, rough hair coat, seem more hungry, and may occasionally vomit. These signs can progress to coughing, pneumonia, anemia, intestinal obstruction, and sometimes death.

Many intestinal parasites are ZOONOTIC diseases, and can be passed to people. It is important to pick up all stool promptly, clean and disinfect any areas of your house where the kitten may defecate, and wash hands regularly. If your kitten has diarrhea or you see any worms in the stool contact your veterinarian right away.

These are probably the most common worms seen. They are transmitted through eggs in the stool. Puppies and kittens can also be affected by larvae crossing the placenta or through mother's milk. They can cause stunted growth, poor health, poor coat, and occasionally diarrhea, gas and vomiting. You will often see a potbellied appearance. Affected animal may have diarrhea but often the stool looks normal. These are ZOONOTIC: larvae can migrate to our eyes, lungs, liver, and central nervous system causing extensive damage. Children are especially susceptible.

These are contracted by eating fleas, rodents or rabbits. Tapeworms are long segmented worms. They are not always present in the stool, but you may find the segments around the hind end or bedding. Segments look like grains of rice or sesame seeds and may be moving.

These tiny worms attach to the intestines and feed on blood. Severe anemia can result when a lot of worms are present. It can be transmitted through eggs passed in the stool and through mother's milk. These are ZOONOTIC, and the larvae can enter our body through the skin.

This is a single celled organism that doesn't often cause disease in our cats but can affect children in utero as it is ZOONOTIC. It is important for pregnant women to know to take every precaution possible when cleaning up after their cats. Ideally, someone else should keep the litter clean.

This is a single celled organism which causes diarrhea and occasionally vomiting in a wide variety of species, including humans, so it is a ZOONOTIC disease. These are more difficult to detect on fecal examination. Infection is transmitted through the stool or through contaminated drinking water.

Also a single celled organism. They can infect the intestinal lining and can cause diarrhea, often very severe illness in puppies and kittens. These are passed through the stool of infected animals of the same species.

Fleas are small parasitic insects that live in the fur of animals. They are reddish brown to black, about 2 mm long, and move quickly through the fur. They produce a black "ground pepper" like material in the fur that is actually the digested blood they feed on. It turns red when water is applied to it. Dogs and cats share the same fleas. It is important that all pets in your home are on a flea preventive.

Yes, indoor cats can get fleas, even when they don't live with a dog! We can carry fleas inside on our clothes, and they can enter the house through small gaps around windows or doors.

The life cycle of fleas have 4 stages, egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. Only the adult fleas live on the animals, the rest of the life stages are in the environment — your carpets, furniture, bedding, etc. It takes several months for a flea to complete its life cycle, so it is important to continue applying the monthly treatments even if you don't see evidence of fleas. We also have products to help with environmental control and eliminate the immature stages. Fleas can cause anemia, especially in young or debilitated dogs. A single female flea can take up to 15 times her body weight in blood over the several weeks of her adult life. In addition, fleas can carry several diseases and also act as vectors to spread one of the most common tapeworms of the dog and cat.

Treating your pet for fleas has never been easier. With the many choices we have today, we can provide you with the safest and most effective flea preventive for your pet's needs. Advantage@

Ticks are very common in the Niagara Region; however, they are rarely seen on cats due to their diligent grooming behaviour that often removes the tick prior to skin attachment. When ticks are found attached to your pet's skin it is important to pull them off as soon as possible. We can do this for you, or demonstrate how to do this. As ticks carry disease, we recommend either bringing the tick to us or public health to be identified.

It is important to feed your kitten the right amount of food at proper intervals, but that can be tricky, as feeding requirements vary greatly from one kitten to another. The feeding guides on the food can or bag are just a starting point. It's critical to your kitten's health that his physical condition is monitored regularly and the feeding amount be adjusted as needed. Free choice feeding is generally not recommended, as it can contribute to obesity. Meal feeding also allows you to notice a decrease in your kitten's appetite very quickly, so a possible medical issue can be addressed before it becomes a larger problem. The best approach is to feed your kitten's daily allotment of food in two to three equal measured meals a day.

Canned vs. Dry

Both canned and dry foods can be good for your kitten. We encourage you to offer some of both types of food, and to try different flavours of a good quality diet. This has shown to decrease the "pickiness" of our older cats

Most raw diets have a large number of nutrient deficiencies. This may put them at risk of abnormal bone development leading to brittle, easily broken bones. Raw food also carries a high risk of bacterial and parasitic contamination which can make your kitten, your children, or even you very sick!

A by-product is simply "anything produced in the course of making another thing." When processing soybeans, for example, the by-product vitamin E is produced; other examples of by-products in food are vegetable oils, beef bouillon and gelatin. By-products are common ingredients in both human and pet food. Ingredients listed on pet food labels as meat by-products include organ meats such as liver and kidney, which have excellent nutritive value. They include the muscle meat, organs, and bones not intended for human consumption. Materials such as hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers are NOT considered by-products. When comparing animal by-product meals with their "regular" meal counterparts, the differences can be nutritionally insignificant.

For example, in the case of rendered ingredients (cooked to remove fat), the digestibility, and nutrient content of both poultry and poultry by-product meals are nearly identical. It is important to ensure the byproducts are named (eg. chicken, pork) and not some mystery meat when buying a food. When a manufacturer refuses to identify the source of the material the food should be avoided at all costs.

There are no reasons why the majority of cats and kittens cannot have corn and grains. They are nutritious, highly digestible source of carbohydrates and proteins as well as beneficial fiber for digestive tract health. A very small percentage of cats will be allergic to the "glutens", which are the protein components. This percentage is much smaller however than the percentage of cats who are allergic to chicken and pork proteins. You will notice that cat foods have lower amounts of grains as cats are carnivores who require a higher level of digestible protein. Unbalanced diets can lead to nutritional deficiencies, poor growth or conversely obesity, and result in poor health.

Healthy treats are an important part of training, socializing, and just plain loving them. Training using food rewards is the easiest and most positive way to train a kitten — yes they can be trained! Human food should ideally be avoided from the start. This will reduce begging, stealing, and the risk of obesity.