SERVICES
RESOURCES
LIGHT OF LIFE
VETERINARY CLINIC
THE CATS
UPDATED 1 NOV 2023
It is important to learn and understand the commitment, dedication, time, and financial requirements needed to have a cat or a kitten.
For example, a newly born kitten needs to be nursed every 2 hours with the correct milk formula, a 1-6-month-old kitten needs to be fed 3-4 times a day with good quality kitten food, and an adult cat needs a proper size
litter box and fed watery canned food at least once a day to increase its water intake [1,2,4,9].
Below is the projected no-frill, ongoing cost of keeping a relatively, healthy domestic short hair (DSH) cat in Singapore, not considering the other premium, luxury products and options commonly available or marketed, for chronic disease management.
AVERAGE COST OF KEEPING A CAT (SGD)
This is a breakdown of the average and lifetime cost of cat ownership, based on the average health-span of a cat of 12 years.
ITEMS
INITIAL
LIFETIME
ADOPTION
LICENCE
VACCINES
SPAY/NEUTER
GROOMING
FOOD
DENTAL CLEANING
PARASITE PREVENTION
SUPPLEMENTS
VETERINARY CARE
BOARDING
ESTIMATED TOTAL*
$0-500+
N/A
$60-170+
$150-800++
$50++
$80++
$50-800+
$30-50+
$50++
$150-800++
$35++
$1155++
N/A
N/A
$720-1200++
N/A
$2400++
$5760++
$800-9600++
$720-1200++
$600++
$15000+++
$5000++
$31000++
*Currency used SGD
Estimation does not include diagnostics like x-rays, MRI, CT Scan; other major or additional surgeries, or medication and treatment associated with sudden or chronic diseases, and/or palliative care.
CARE FOR VERY YOUNG KITTENS
(<2 MONTHS OLD)
The Fundamentals
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Buy a good quality rectal thermometer to measure the kitten's body temperature.
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The normal temperature of a young kitten should be kept between the range of 38.0ËšC to 39.0ËšC.
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Kittens under 4 weeks old cannot regulate their body temperature well [1,9].
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Do not feed a cold kitten any milk because their cold body cannot digest the formula and may cause severe colic, diarrhea, and vomiting.
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Do not feed cold milk.
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Drip droplets of milk on the back of your hand to check the temperature before feeding. It should be warm, not hot.
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Always warm a cold kitten up slowly before feeding any milk [9].
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Place the kitten near your skin or cover with a sweater to help them keep warm.
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Stimulate the genitalia area, after every feeding, by gently rubbing with a wet, warm cotton swab to mimic a mother cat licking the kitten to encourage it to urinate and defecate. You have to fulfill the role of the mother cat if you have adopted/ rescued a very young kitten [9].
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Always discard unused milk after 24 hours [9].
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Always sterilize all the equipment used for feeding, e.g., milk bottle, spoons and bowls.
KEEP YOUR KITTEN WARM AT ALL TIMES
Above: Three weeks old kittens napping. Pic by LOLVet.
EMERGENCY KITTEN FORMULA
*This formula is NOT for long term use because there are no published nutrient analysis. Buy a kitten milk replacer powder formula as soon as possible.
Bottom: Homemade Milk Replacer for
kittens adapted from Management of Pregnant and Neonatal Dogs, Cats, and Exotic Pets (ME in kilocalories per milliliter (kcal/ml) of milk as fed. Queen's milk contains 1.21 kcal per 100 g milk as fed) [9].
These figures should be used only as guidelines because the individual requirements of kittens can vary greatly.
A guide to estimate the amount of milk to feed according to the approximated age. The amount of milk and frequency of feeding should be adjusted according to the resultant weight changes of the kittens.
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Is your pet terminally ill?Ask your attending vet for a frank prognosis. If yes, fast track to 5. If no, continue to 2.
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Are you able to afford and manage the next phase of medical treatment and care?We definitely cannot put a price on love, but medical management is expensive and real. If yes, fast track to 6A. If no, fast track to 6B.
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Is your pet still eating and drinking normally?A sharp decline in appetite can indicate the need for medical procedure, e.g. to insert a feeding tube for easier management. If yes, continue to 4. If no, back track to 2.
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Does your pet have other persisting/chronic issues?For example: Chronic pain, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Dehydration, Weight loss, Incontinence, Unable to stand, Unable to walk, Labored breathing, Coughing, etc. If yes, back track to 2. If no, continue to 5.
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Are the medical options to improve the condition or only to maintain his/her current condition?To improve - Back track to 2. To maintain only - Continue to 6. Artificially prolonging a non viable life may not be the best option.
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What is the best option for your pet?A. Seek medical treatment and management. B. Choose euthanasia. It is vital to remember what your beloved pet has to undergo at this point of time, with or without the medical support.
Chart and information adapted from Canine and Feline Nutrition, 3rd Ed.
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The different compositions in the milk of different species show that dog’s and cat’s milk provides a larger proportion of their calories from fat and protein and lower proportions from lactose, unlike the milk of the cow and goat.
When converted to a calorie basis, the lactose content of cow’s milk is much higher than that found in a cat’s milk, and kittens that are fed straight cow’s milk will develop severe diarrhea. [1,4,8]
COW'S MILK, GOAT'S MILK OR FRESH MILK
ARE NOT A SUITABLE
SUBSTITUTES FOR KITTENS AND CATS.
FEEDING COMMERCIAL
MILK REPLACER FORMULA
Commercial milk replacers are the preferred source of nutrition as they have been tested for the specific purpose of raising neonatal kittens [2,4,8]. These formulas from reputable manufacturers are now easily available in Singapore pet shops.
The most important aspect of nursing a very young kitten is not to change the brands abruptly as this may cause severe issues in the kitten's digestive system.
The bottle or packaging of these kitten formulas should have clear mixing and feeding instruction to guide you.
QUARANTINE [8]
What is quarantine?
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To place a pet in an area isolated and separated from the main activity area, such that other animals have no access to it.
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When the pet is under quarantine, the primary care taker must thoroughly clean and disinfect himself/herself before and after attending to that quarantined pet to prevent fomite transmission (refer to flow diagram below).
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Why must we quarantine?
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It is important to quarantine your new kitten from your other pets, including cats, dogs parrots, etc.
This will prevent any infectious diseases from passing between the kitten and your home pets.
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For how long must the quarantine be?
We recommend a minimum quarantine period of 14 days from other pets (an ideal quarantine period would be 30 days).
During the quarantine period, the primary care taker must ensure that the kitten is eating normally, monitor if the stool remains firm, adequate urine is produced and the urine colour is normal, and if the kitten develops other conditions such as sneezing, vomiting or diarrhea, and to seek medical attention immediately.
MAIN ACTIVITY
OTHER PETS ARE KEPT.
QUARANTINE
NEW CAT IS KEPT.
SELF
DISINFECTING
AREA
SELF
DISINFECTING
AREA
PROTECT YOUR KITTEN
AND KEEP OTHER ANIMALS AWAY.
CARE FOR OLDER KITTENS
(2-11 MONTHS OLD)
Ten things you should know:
FOOD AND WATER
Growing kittens have energy requirements that are about double of what adult cats need [2,4,9].
To support the growth of new tissues and vital organs, only feed food formulated for kittens that has higher protein content (than those formulated for adult maintenance) and with good quality protein at the correct amount [2,4,9].
Always feed a commercially formulated food from a reputable company.
Homecooked food at this lifestage is not recommended because of the lack of adequate calcium, protein, taurine, vitamins, etc [4,9].
We noticed that Singapore's weather is getting warmer and recommend that you train your kitten to accept the routine of eating canned food spiked with water (mixed into a porridge consistency) daily, in order to increase the water intake now.
We recommend that most cats be fed a wet food diet with limited carbohydrate content (< 15% on a dry-matter basis) [2,4].
Teach your kitten to drink fresh water daily and make it a fun routine so that he/she will carry it through to adulthood.
VACCINATION
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The first kitten vaccine should be given at 6-8 weeks old, followed by a second vaccine 1 month later. This type of vaccination programs are timed to coincide with the period that maternal colostrum derived immune protection is waning and the kittens' own immunity is maturing [7,10].
Click HERE for vaccination recommendation.
Socialisation with other pets should be allowed only 2 weeks after the last kitten vaccine.
Socialisation with other pets should be allowed only 2 weeks after the last kitten vaccine.
DEWORMING
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Anti-intestinal-worm medication should be given every 2 weeks until the completion of its last kitten vaccine.
The future schedule can be quarterly, 6 monthly or annually, depending on the lifestyle of the pet.
FLEAS AND LICE CONTROL
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External parasites should be eliminated because they spread diseases and cause extreme discomfort to your pet [7].
There are many topical and oral medication available to prevent infestation of these external parasites.
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We recommend monthly topical preventative medication only because of their wider safety margin.
Above: 3 months old kitten. Pic by LOLVet.
Below are some common and easily available treatments-:
STERILIZATION
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We recommend sterilizing your pet at about 5-6 months old.
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Click HERE for further explanation
DENTAL CARE
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Train your kitten to let you examine its mouth and teeth.
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Start teeth cleaning with a soft cloth and warm water so the kitten becomes receptive oral examination and brushing.
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Click HERE for further explanation
WEIGHT GAIN
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The most rapid growth period occurs during the first 3 to 6 months of their lives.
Your kitten should be growing quite rapidly - average increment should be at least 10-15% of previous body weight per week, depending on the kitten's breed [1,4].
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LITTER BOX
Ensure that you purchase a litter box big enough for your kitten when it grows into a cat.
Buy a good quality litter that absorbs urine well without irritating your kitten’s paws, respiratory system or eyes.
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Remove soiled litter from the litter box at least twice daily.
PLAY
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Playing with your kitten will help them develop motor skills, vent their frustration of being cooped up and also help them bond to you.
KITTEN-PROOF YOUR HOUSE
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Place fine wire mesh on your windows and doors now to prevent your kitten from falling out or escaping into the dangerous concrete jungle outside or causing irreparable fractures or even death [7].
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Provide many hiding places in addition to the ‘private’ area for your kitten, using boxes, solid-sided carriers, igloo beds, covered litter trays converted into beds, a towel or your unwashed clothes draped over a fitted shelf, because this will reduce potential mental stress during periods of time when you are not at home and mimic the natural feline habitat [1,7,10].
CARE FOR YOUNG ADULT CATS
(>12 MONTHS OLD)
Our domesticated pet cats (Felids) belong to the superfamily, Feloidea, together with the Viverrids (genet), and the Hyaenids (hyena), who have all evolved as strict carnivores.
The history of the cat's evolutionary development, despite their relationship with humans, evidently indicates that this species has remained a pure carnivore, unlike the dogs.
They are still unable to obtain all their required nutrients from plants and plant-based products and must consume animal tissues to get protein, taurine, arachidonic acid, and preformed vitamin A.
You may start feeding the kitten with food that is formulated for adult cat maintenance when they reach about 1 year old [2,4].
Some cats are happy to eat at a fixed time, some prefer to graze. You can provide dry food all the time or canned food 2-4 times a day to accommodate their preference and ensure that eating is a more pleasurable enjoyment for them [4,11].
Encourage good water intake at a young age by making it into a fun game. Most pets should be taking about 60ml/kg of water daily.
You can feed your pets a fixed variety of good quality food. Do not change your
food randomly or excessively or introduce
a large amount of new food and treats so they do not develop a palate that is difficult to please.
Change their diet slowly when you are feeding a brand new food by mixing the old and new food (50%-50%) together for at least 1 week before increasing the percentage of the new food slowly and with a complete replacement after about 3-4 weeks [4,7,10].
Monitor your cat's daily poop consistency, colour, and smell so that you can detect digestive issues as early as possible.
You should arrange for a veterinary consultation and discussion at least every 6 months [10] so that the veterinary team can become more in-tuned to your cats' personalities, behaviour, habits, and medical status. The familiarity will help the team recognize illnesses in your cats and derive a diagnostic decision faster.
BODY CONDITION SCORE 1-9
Chart to check your cat's body condition score. Adapted from WSAVA 2013.
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ONE: Ribs visible on shorthaired cats. No palpable body fat. Severe abdominal tick. Lumbar vertebrae and wings of the ilia are easily palpated.​
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TWO: Ribs are easily visible on shorthaired cats. Lumbar vertebrae are obvious. Pronounced abdominal tuck. No palpable body fat.
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THREE: Ribs are easily palpated with minimal fat covering. Obvious waist behind ribs. Minimal abdominal fat.
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FOUR: Ribs palpable, with minimal fat covering. Noticeable waist behind ribs. Slightly abdominal tuck. Abdominal fat pad absent.
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FIVE: Well-proportioned. Observe waist behind the ribs. Ribs palpable with slight fat covering. Abdomenal fat pad is minimal.
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SIX: Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering. Waist and abdominal fat pad are distinguishable but not obvious. Abdominal tuck
absent.
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SEVEN: Ribs are not easily palpated with moderate fat covering. Waist is poorly discernable. Obvious rounding of the abdomen. Moderate abdominal fat pad.
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EIGHT: Ribs not palpable with excess fat covering. Waist absent. Obvious rounding of the abdomen with a prominent abdominal fat pad. Fat deposit present over the lumbar area.
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NINE: Ribs not palpable under heavy fat cover. Heavy fat deposits over the lumbar area, face and limbs. Extension of abdominal fat deposits.
We recommend that the body condition score of your dog be maintained at about Score 6 because we noticed from the statistics of our client-patient group in Singapore that most pet dogs fare better when there is a little more body reserve.
MUSCLE CONDITION SCORE
Muscle condition score is assessed by visualization and palpation of the spine, scapulae, skull, and -.; wings of the ilia.
Muscle loss is typically first noted in the epaxial muscles on each side of the spine; muscle loss at other sites can be more variable. Muscle condition score is graded as normal, mild loss, moderate loss, or severe loss.
Note that, animals can have significant muscle loss even if they are overweight (body condition score > 5/9). Conversely, animals can have a low body condition score ( < 4/9) but have minimal muscle loss.
Therefore, assessing both body condition score and muscle condition score on every animal at every visit is important.
Palpation is especially important with mild muscle loss and in animals that are overweight. An example of each score is shown below.
NORMAL MUSCLE CONDITION
MILD MUSCLE LOSS
MODERATE MUSCLE LOSS
SEVERE MUSCLE LOSS
Chart to check your cat's body condition score. Adapted from WSAVA 2013.
CARE FOR AGING CATS
(>7 YEARS OLD)
Nowadays, cats are considered to be elderly once they reach about 11 -14 years old. They are deemed geriatric from 15 years old onward [7,10,11,13].
A two-year-old cat will have a physiological age of a 24-year-old human and with each passing year, the cat will age physiologically by about 4 human years.
For example, a 7-year-old cat would have a physiological age of a 44 - 51-year-old human, and a 16-year-old cat would be equivalent to an 80-year-old human.
Older cats are prone to arthritis, kidney failure, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and high blood pressure [1,3,11,12,13].
Click HERE for more.
ORAL HYGIENE
Brushing is a simple way to keep the teeth of your cat clean.
If your cat does not allow brushing, consider annual dental scaling by your regular veterinary team which will help
Ten things you should know:
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A CHAT WITH THE VET
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By now, you should have established a very close working relationship with your regular veterinary clinic and team. Your biannual to annual veterinary check for your apparently healthy cat should continue even if he/she appears perfectly healthy, as the early stages of many diseases are hidden and not apparent [10,13].
Remember, the accumulated bill for regular checkups is still cheaper than the treatment for any advanced, unmanaged, and complicated disease that can cause death.
FOOD
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Normal aging is associated with decrease in lean body tissue (muscles) and total body water because lean tissue contains 73% water, and an increase in the proportion of body fats [2,4].
As the physical condition of your cat changes with age, he/she may not be able to eat convenient, off the shelf, commercial food anymore [2].
Chewing big pieces of hard, rubbery food can become a mechanical problem, their ability to expel excess additive and chemical components like colouring or iodine may be inefficient, their digestive capabilities and ability to maintain proper hydration through food may be significantly reduced [4,10,11,13].
Nutritional goals should include supporting, and preventing the onset or slowing the progression of, age related disorders, and improving the pet’s quality of life and, if possible, prolonging life expectancy [2,4].
Therefore, providing a larger portion of an easily consumed and highly digestible diet containing high quality protein to your older cat at regular intervals throughout the day at this point of time is essential. This type of diet will supply the essential amino acids needed for body maintenance and minimize losses of lean body tissue [2,4].
WATER
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The minimum water intake of a cat should be approximately 60ml/kg/day. Ensure that cool, clean water is available all the times.
Senior animals have a decreased thirst response even on a hot day so they are more prone to dehydration [13].
If you senior cat does not drink enough water, his /her organs can start to malfunction and develop problems such as kidney, liver and cardiopulmonary failure easily, or suffer from deadly conditions associated with heat stress or heat stroke in hot and humid Singapore.
WEIGHT
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Feeding the correct type of food that suits your cat's unique body requirement will ensure that your senior cat stays healthy and fit, with an ideal body weight [4].
Obese cats can develop diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, skin diseases and even cancer [2].
Underweight cats are prone to have poor immune system, skin diseases, digestive problem, severe dehydration and even cancer [2].
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SUPPLEMENTS
The simplest supplement to help fortify your senior cat’s health is fatty acids such as Omega 3 (DHA and EPA). It has been shown to improve mobility in cats with arthritis, help skin condition and assist the aging heart [4].
ensure that the dietary intake is not affected by mastication problem associated with bad oral health [2,3,4,5,6,9].
BOARDING
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Due to the aging immune ability of most older cats, boarding in overcrowded pet hotels and contact with other cats should be minimized to prevent contracting any contagious diseases [7].
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Click HERE for more.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Toys, at this point of time, should be selected carefully to avoid injury to the older cats [3,5,6,8,12,13].
More appropriate toys and games may be a slow, lie-down form of swatting game, a session of fur-brushing and gentle entangling, treasure hunt for treats hidden around the living room and even a food puzzle for him/her to solve [3,5,6,8,12,13].
SPECIAL AIDS
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Some senior cats may need you to change your lifestyle in order to accommodate their aging physiological requirements [3,5,6,8,12,13].
For example, cats with arthritis need beds that are lowered, short ramps and staircase, non-slip mat on the floor for better traction while walking, bowls that are placed at ground level so that they do not need to jump up to eat and drink and litter box that have shorter rims for easy access [1,3,5,6,8,12,13].
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QUIET TIME
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Spending quiet, quality and exclusive time with your elderly cat is the most important aspect of loving and reassuring him/her and reducing stress for him/her [1,12].
Your senior pet can already feel more secure, draw strength and comfort from just laying beside you and probably can maintain a better cognitive connection with his/her surrounding and people with such interactions [1,12].
SOME DIAGNOSTIC TESTS TO CONSIDER [13]
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FIV/ FeLV
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Toxoplasmosis
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FPV (for persisting diarrhea and vomiting)
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Complete Blood Count
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Comprehensive Biochemistry Analysis
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T4 and Cholesterol
Above: Minimum database (MDB) testing can be used for early detection of problems in apparently healthy cats and before procedures requiring sedation or anaesthesia. Table adapted from BSAVA Manual of Feline Practice: A Foundation Manual.
RELATED ARTICLES
Attribution:
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1. Atkinson, Trudi. (2018). Practical Feline Behaviour. Understanding Cat Behaviour and Improving Welfare. UK: CABI
2. Case, L. P., Daristotle, L., Hayek, M. G., Raasch, M. F. (2011). Canine and Feline Nutrition, 3rd Ed. Maryland Heights, Missouri: Mosby.
3. Davies, M. (1996). Canine and Feline Geriatrics. UK: Wiley-Blackwell
4. Fascetti, A. J., Delaney, S. J. (2012). Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
5. Gram, W.D.; Milner, R.J.; Lobetti, R. (2018). Chronic Disease Management for Small Animal. USA: Wiley-Blackwell
6. Gardner, M., McVety, D. (2017). Treatment and Care of the Geriatric Veterinary Patient. UK: Wiley-Blackwell
7. Harvey, A.; Tasker, A. (2013). BSAVA Manual of Feline Practice. A Foundation Manual. UK: BSAVA
8. Landsberg, G.; Madari, A.; Zilka, N. (2017). Canine and Feline Dementia. Molecular Basis, Diagnostics and Therapy. Switzerland: Springer
9. Lopate, C. (2012). Management of Pregnant and Neonatal Dogs, Cats, and Exotic Pets. USA: Wiley-Blackwell
10. Norsworthy, G. D., Crystal, M. A., Magric, S. F. G., Tilley, L. P. (2011). The Feline Patient, 4th Ed. Iowa, USA: Blackwell.
11. Rodan, I.; Heath, S. (2016). Feline Behavioral Health and Welfare. USA: Elsevier
12. Shanan, A.; Pierce, J.; Shearer, T. (2017). Hospice and Palliative Care for Companion Animals. Principles and Practice. UK: Wiley-Blackwell
13. Shojai,A.D. (2010). Complete Care for Your Aging Cat, 2nd Ed. USA: FurryMuse
LOCATION
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#01-3508 Singapore 470703
CONTACT
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(By Appointment Only)
Email: lightoflifevet@live.com.sg
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MON & WED & SUN
5 pm to 10 pm
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