We now offer in home Ultrasound!
Call us today to schedule your appointment!
Come see Alexander the Great & Pumpkin at ITT's 12th Annual Scout Safety Awareness Day this Saturday! May 5th
Welcome to the Furr, Feathers, and Scales the New River and Roanoke Valleys' mobile veterinary practice website!
Here at Furr, Feathers, and Scales, we are dedicated to provide your family members with the highest quality of medical care we can offer. We service the Montgomery, Radford, Floyd, Giles, Pulaski and Roanoke counties. If you are unsure if you fall within our service area please give us a call! Our mobile practice is unique in that we service ALL SPECIES! Whether you have a snake, dog, fish, or pig we are ready to work for you! Housecalls also give us the opportunity to have a more efficient and less traumatic experience for your pet. One of our visits averages close to 45 minutes and you never leave the safety of your own home. The average round trip travel time and visit for a small animal vaccine visit to your vet is 2.5 hours. Traditionally, your pet will become anxious, possibly fearful, or may even be physically unable to travel to your local veterinary office. Housecalls offer greater freedom to you and less stress for your pet. Also, the advantage for us to have a more comfortable animal and in the case of most exotics, we are able to better examine the animals environment to enable us to better serve you. We are constantly updating our website. Please, come back to see what new and interesting things we are doing. For questions on our services or to schedule an appointment please call 540-239-7691. Thank you! | Indoor Only Cats Are NOT Protected Against Parasites!
When I visit my client's homes one of the first questions I will ask is "What flea and tick prevention does your cat have?" The most common response I get is, "My cat is 100% indoors, he/she does not need it."
So many indoor cat owners have not been educated to the truth of indoor pets! Speaking from experience, having indoor only kitties my whole life, we are NOT immune to fleas, mosquitoes and the common parasitic diseases that our indoor/outdoor neighbors have. Especially, with this mild past winter, parasites will be at an ALL TIME HIGH this spring in ALL OUR ANIMALS! Indoor only cats are commonly affected by parasites. We should all be concerned about Feline heartworm disease (which is transmitted by the mosquito). This disease has been documented in all states except Alaska. Several studies have shown that indoor only cats are indeed at risk and unlike dogs, they do not necessarily need to be tested before starting preventative. The adult worms cannot be treated once infected therefore, this leaves preventative as our main defense! Like dogs, they have safe and easily administered once monthly preventatives, and with many newer products, they can also be treated for intestinal parasites simultaneously. Check out the following websites on feline heartworms: knowheartworms.org and heartwormsociety.org (which includes specific Feline guidelines and has a fun kids section too!). Ideally, cats are dewormed with their monthly heartworm and intestinal parasite preventatives. It is always helpful to have a fecal sample along for their annual veterinary visit, since even this aggressive deworming approach will not cover everything they could be exposed to – namely Giardia (which does have zoonotic potential). A routine deworming schedule, either annually with a veterinarian or monthly with preventative is STILL essential with indoor kitties. There is a potential risk of some zoonotics parasites that can be extreme concerns fr children and the elderly. We also have to be concerned about fleas. Indoor only cats are still susceptible to fleas and the diseases they can bring (Mycoplasma felis anemia of all ages, and flea bite anemia of kittens which can be fatal). It is often the OWNER that brings fleas into the home when these guys hitch hike on clothing or other animals that come to visit. Fleas also bring skin problems with susceptible individuals. Again, many of the monthly preventatives can alleviate this problem preemptively. Please contact us to get your cat examined and let us help you to protect your family as well as your furry family member. |
