It’s Time For My Cat’s Annual Exam - What Should I Expect?
Annual exams are a major part of a well rounded care routine for our little ones. These vet visits help to promote a long and happy life for your cat, as well as identifying any health complications that may develop throughout their life. Ranging from spotting abnormalities with your cat’s health to offering helpful behavioral tips, these visits can offer it all.
Though annual exams provide so much value, many pet parents aren’t aware of exactly what to expect during these visits. Vetted wants to empower you through education on your cat’s care, so let’s discuss everything you need to know about what to expect at your cat’s next annual exam.
Why Are Annual Exams Important For Cats?
Before we dive into the details of a yearly exam for cats, we should first explain why these visits are so important. Annual exams are easy to forget about when your cat appears young and healthy, but there are so many reasons why they should be a care priority.
Catching any developing illness: An in depth physical exam can alert your vet to any abnormalities in their vitals or behaviors. Sometimes these illnesses can be detected with a simple exam, while other times your vet can suggest specific testing to address their symptoms. Many underlying conditions have been detected during an annual exam, ranging from heart murmurs to painful dental disease.
Understanding any complicated behaviors: If your cat is participating in any strange or undesirable behaviors at home, your vet is a wonderful person to speak to about it. They can offer you information that can help you better understand your cat, as well as a few helpful tips to address the behavior moving forward.
Routine vaccines and other preventative care: Annual exams are the perfect time to administer any routine vaccines, perform viral testing, perform routine fecal testing, and any other preventative care options that fit your cat’s needs. It’s also a great time to discuss any new risks your cat may be exposed to such as going outside or being around unknown cats, as they can offer your cat adequate vaccine protection.
Nutrition counseling: Your veterinary team is happy to answer any questions about your cat’s diet at their annual exam. This can be about their current diet, wet food versus dry food, or even which treat options are the healthiest.
Necessary testing for different life stages: Just like in humans, many cats will encounter health complications as they get older. Annual exams not only help your vet spot changes in their vitals, but they can suggest any testing that is necessary for their age. For example, many vets will recommend yearly senior blood tests once a cat reaches 10 years of age.
If you have any questions about your cat’s health in between their annual exams, you can always download the Vetted app or email our team directly at love@getvetted.io
What Will My Vet Do During My Cat’s Annual Exam?
Now that you know just how much value an annual exam has to offer your little one, let’s discuss what you can expect at each step of the appointment.
Ask Questions About Your Cat
First your vet tech and veterinarian will begin by asking you a list of general questions about your cat’s habits at home. Some of the most common questions that you can expect include:
- How is your cat’s appetite?
- What do they eat each day?
- Do they drink plenty of water?
- Does your cat use the litter box? If so, is there urine and stool in the box each day?
- Is your cat playful?
- How does your cat spend their time each day?
- Is your cat indoor only, or do they go outside?
- Are there any other cats in your home?
- Do you ever notice any symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.?
Once you answer these questions for your vet, they can then dig a bit further on any topic if it’s needed. For example, if your cat sometimes urinates outside of the litter box, they may then explore the litter box questions a bit further. This is always the perfect time to share any concerns about their diet, appetite, behavior, and more.
The Vetted app also sends you a weekly check in reminder that allows you to document any current concerns about your cat’s health or behavior. By reviewing your previous input on the app, you can go over any concerns that you’ve had about your cat in between their annual exams.
Perform A Physical Exam
Once your vet asks a series of questions to gauge your little one’s behaviors at home, they will then begin their physical exam. A typical physical exam will involve listening to your cat’s heart and lungs with a stethoscope, obtaining vitals such as body temperature and heart rate, checking their eyes for proper response times, checking inside their ears for any evidence of dirt or infection, looking at their skin and fur, and feeling their abdomen for any sign of pain or abnormalities.
If your vet finds anything of concern on their physical exam, they can then pair these results with the answers you provided to determine the best diagnostic plan of action. Some of the many diagnostics they could perform include blood tests, x-rays, urine testing, fecal testing, and even specialty referral if they think it is necessary.
Discuss Any Tests Or Preventative Care That Is Due
Once your cat has gotten the all clear on their physical exam, your vet can then move on to any treatment or diagnostics that are due based on their life stage. This could be anything from yearly vaccinations to senior blood testing, so it will truly vary based on your cat and their current state of health.
In most cases, you will receive a reminder before their vet visit on what treatments or diagnostics are due. You can always download the Vetted app or email our team directly at love@getvetted.io
What Costs Can I Expect At My Cat’s Annual Exam?
Not only is it important to be aware of what to expect at your cat’s annual exam, but you should also have an idea of expected costs. While every clinic will vary in their pricing, there is a typical average for routine cat care. We also suggest calling your vet clinic before your cat’s next appointment, as this will allow you to prepare for costs ahead of time. It’s also important to mention that if you live in an urban city, you should typically expect about a 25-50% increase on these prices due to increased staffing and ongoing clinic costs.
The average pricing for an annual cat exam is as follows:
- Office visit: $50-$80
- Routine vaccines: $25-$40
- Flea and tick prevention: $50-$75
- Neutering procedure: $200-$250
- Spaying procedure: $250-$350
- Fecal tests: $20-$40
- Routine blood tests: $100-$250
Final Thoughts
Annual exams are essential when it comes to maintaining our little one’s health throughout the years. We hope that with an understanding of what to expect at your cat’s next annual visit, you will be adequately prepared each step of the way!
We also know how stressful it can be to have a nervous cat at the vet, so we created a detailed guide on how to best help your anxious cat prepare for their next vet visit. Check it out here!
