Dr. Michael McCaw is passionate about cats and has five of his own. He is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, and is known as our "cat whisperer." He is highly knowledgeable about feline-specific medicine, focusing much of his continuing education on feline health and disease. He believes that cats are amazing, and often  misunderstood, creatures.  He tries to make every visit for our kitty friends as relaxing and as enjoyable as possible. 

Both indoor and outdoor cats should come in once yearly for a wellness visit. During this visit the doctor performs a full physical exam to check vitals and administers needed vaccines.  We also recommend bringing a stool sample to test for internal parasites. Evaluating the pet's overall health, discussing the pets environment, and generally getting to know an animal as well as possible all contribute to making their life as long, comfortable and happy as possible.

The physical exam is a crucial step to determining health. It begins with gathering a history which helps us detect and treat problems early. Taking vitals and palpating the abdomen and lymph nodes as well as ausculting the heart and listening to the lungs can all help prevent more serious problems from developing. Cats can be very stoic animals and may not show signs of illness, even when they have a serious disease.

Vaccines and Preventive Care for Indoor Cats:

Indoor cats do need to be vaccinated to protect their health.  Rabies Vaccine is mandatory for all cats by State of Maine laws. However, indoor cats are at risk. The most common carrier is bats which when infected often seek shelter and get into homes.  We recommend the Rabies PureVax. This vaccine was specially formulated to reduce the occurrence of vaccine-associated fibrosarcomas (a type of cancer) in cats. Other rabies vaccines contain an irritant or adjuvant to increase the body’s response to the vaccine. It is this irritant or adjuvant that has been identified as the cause of the fibrosarcoma tumors in cats. The PureVax is a nonadjuvanted, extremely safe and should be administered once yearly.

 The other recommended vaccine for indoor cats is Feline Distemper (FVRCP). This vaccine provides immunity against three separate upper respiratory diseases, including Rhinotracheitis, Calici Virus and Panleukopenia. These diseases are highly contagious and can be brought into the environment by other pets that go outside, or even on the owners clothing. If your cat has never had the vaccine it is given initially as a series of 2-3 vaccines, boostered a year later, and then is given once every 3 years.

An additional consideration for preventive care would be a flea control product. Cats are flea’s favorite hosts. If you are living in an apartment situation or have other animals that go outside your indoor cat is at increased risk. There are several options ranging from monthly topical application to a 6 month injection. Call to talk with a technician for more information.

Vaccines and Preventive Care for Outdoor Cats:

Outdoor cats are exposed to more in their environments and require additional vaccines to protect them.  Rabies vaccine, as mentioned above, is mandatory for all cats by State of Maine laws and outdoor cats are at risk. Feline Distemper (FVRCP) is also considered a core vaccine for these cats.  

We also highly recommend that outdoor cats get vaccinated against Feline Leukemia. Outdoor cats have the risk of exposure to feral cats and non-vaccinated cats that may be infected and are therefore at risk of exposure to this disease. The vaccine we now use is administered by a new technology called VetJet. The vaccine is “sprayed” through the skin instead of injected. This method of delivering the vaccine causes increased vaccine contact with tissues, providing better immunity with one half the volume of the vaccine. This vaccine also does not cause vaccine-associated fibrosarcomas due to its delivery system and the lack of adjuvant attached to the vaccine.

An additional consideration for preventive care would be internal and external parasite control. Outdoor cats like to hunt and often eat all or part of their pray.  This puts them at increased risk for internal parasites including round worm, hook worm, and heart worm. Tape worms are also a concern.  External parasites are also a concern including fleas and ticks. A product like Revolution can be administered monthly to prevent most intestinal and external parasites and keep your hunter healthy!

Getting Your Cat to the Vet

Cats are not as sociable creatures as dogs and are not as accustomed to traveling away from their safe home environment.  The travel and transport to the veterinary office can therefore be stressful for them. We often hear from owners that the second the cat carrier comes out, the cat vanishes from sight! To make the trip more easy and comfortable for you and your feline friend we have linked some videos and articles on cat carrier training provided by the CATalyst Council.

• Tips for Taking you Cat to the Veterinarian
• Cat Carrier Training Day 1
• Cat Carrier Training Day 2
• Cat Crate Training
  

Feline Exam Room
Our feline facilities include both a feline-specific exam room, and a feline-specific hospital ward. The feline exam room offers a quiet and comfortable space away from barking dogs to conduct annual visits and cater to your cat's needs. To minimize the stress of the visit, all weights are taken on scales brought to the room. Dr. McCaw tries to make exams as comfortable as possible by working around where your cat feels safest, whether it be in the bottom of the carrier or in his arms.






Cat Ward
If your cat should ever need to stay for treatments or surgery, we also have a cat specific ward. This room has the capacity for 12 feline occupants. The room is temperature-controlled, and kept dark and quite. Each cage is lined with a fleece blanket for comfort, and individual food, water, and litter are provided.  We can provide a hide-box or cover the front of the cage for any kitty that prefers to remain hidden.

Our lab offers many in-house diagnostic tests both for wellness screening and sick felines. This allows us to give your cat the best care possible, assisting in a quick diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Our diagnostic tests include:

• feline combo test (FeLV, FIV, HW)
• thyroid testing (T4)
• general wellness panels

Declaw surgery (onychectomy) is an elective procedure.  During this surgery, the veterinarian surgically removes the last bone of the toes, along with the claws. As with all surgeries at Veazie Veterinary Clinic, we try to make surgery as easy as possible on the pet by practicing the best and most medically advanced methods available. If you choose Veazie Veterinary Clinic for declaw surgery, the services included are:

• pre-operative bloodwork to ensure your pet is healthy enough for anesthesia
• local nerve block for pain control and post-surgical comfort
• laser surgery
  
• intravenous (IV) catheter and fluids
• close post-operative care
• complementary ear cleaning and hind nail trim