Yearly visits for a cat who takes years to finish growing
One full veterinary visit a year is the right rhythm for an adult Turkish Van, with kitten visits clustered in the first months and six-monthly visits from his senior years. A Van may not reach his full muscular size until he is three to five years old, so the annual visits of his young adulthood are growth audits as much as health checks — the vet confirms that weight gained is frame and muscle, that hips and shoulders move freely under the load, and that his heart keeps pace with a body that keeps getting bigger.
Heart and joints: the physical core of the visit
Ask for unhurried heart listening at every appointment. Heart muscle thickening is reported in the breed, and a large cat's early signs — slightly less stamina, slightly longer naps after play — are easy to credit to maturity rather than to a heart working harder. Any murmur should lead to a defined next step, usually imaging, with the date agreed before you leave. Joints deserve equal time: a heavy, athletic cat who launches himself off furniture loads his hips and elbows daily, so report any hesitation before jumps, stiffness after rest, or a new preference for lower routes around the house.
The water-loving quirk, discussed honestly
Tell the vet if your Van plays in water, swims, or fishes in the bath, because wet ears and skin are part of his health picture. Ask how to dry his ears gently after water play and what ear signs — head shaking, scratching, odour, dark debris — should trigger a visit. His coat is a single, water-shedding layer that needs less intervention than a double coat, but the vet should still check the skin along his back and tail base annually, and you should report matting or sore patches that appear where he dries himself against furniture and radiators.
Weight in a breed that should feel like an athlete
A Van should feel solid and muscular, never soft, and the distinction blurs at home as he matures. Insist on a recorded weight and body condition score at each visit, set a target range in writing, and weigh him monthly between visits — a steady creep is corrected easily, a finished gain in a joint-loaded cat is not. Bring his food amounts with you, measured honestly, so advice is based on his actual bowl rather than the bag's optimistic chart.
Senior years and the six-month shift
From around nine or ten years, twice-yearly visits watch kidney and thyroid values, blood pressure, dental health, heart status, and arthritis in a cat who will keep attempting his old jumps out of habit. Add steps or a ramp to his favourite heights before he needs them, and report appetite change, increased thirst, vomiting patterns, or litter box changes promptly rather than storing them for the next appointment — in a big senior, small drifts matter early.
With his heart findings, joint notes, and weight record held in his KinsLe Pet Passport, his Turkish Van visits build one continuous health story.