Owners are sometimes reluctant to bring their cat to the veterinarian for wellness checkups. This can be for many reasons: sometimes they feel their cat is healthy or they don’t have any current medical concerns, or they believe the process is just too stressful for them and their feline companion.
You may ask why cats need routine wellness care. The primary reason is that cats are notorious for hiding their illnesses. They can hide symptoms until they are very, very ill, limiting treatment options for their owners. There are many issues that can be found or prevented during a physical examination and consultation with our Veterinary Team, most commonly:
- Obesity: About 80% of the cats we see in the clinic are overweight. Excess weight can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. All of these conditions can be costly and will shorten your cat’s life. By addressing their weight early, we can avoid these health concerns and lengthen your cat’s lifespan.
- Dental Disease: Severe dental disease is painful and leads to heart and kidney disease. Lack of prevention will cause pain and irreversible organ damage. By preforming routine wellness checks, we can diagnose oral disease in the early stages. With this early intervention, we can eliminate the effects of dental disease by providing easy tips on dental care that owners can provide at home, or dental cleaning options here at Bloor Animal Hospital.
- Longevity issues including heart disease, thyroid disease, kidney disease: These are all medical conditions that, without treatment, will decrease your cat’s quality and length of life. Routine wellness care and early diagnosis can provide the best treatment options to deal with the progression of these conditions.
- Nutritional Requirements: As a cat ages, their body changes and their nutritional requirements also change. Together with our Veterinary Team, the best nutritional plan for your cat can be can determined. Proper nutrition at each life stage is the easiest and most cost-effective way to prevent health problems in our pets.
- Behavioural Problems: Let’s face it, sometimes cats can be a handful! Their mischievous ways are partly why we love them so much. However, sometimes these behaviours can make them difficult to live with. There are many resources for feline behaviour. By discussing any issues promptly with our Veterinary Team, we can help decrease or eliminate these issues, making everyone in the house happier.
REMOVING THE STRESS FROM YOUR CAT’S APPOINTMENTS
Here are some great tips to help take the stress out of your cat’s appointment!
BEFORE YOU COME IN:
- Always transport your cat in a cat carrier.
- If you have multiple cats, each should have their own carrier.
- The best carriers open from the top or front, and can be taken apart so that the cat can remain in the bottom for most of the exam if they wish.
- Help the cat become accustomed to the carrier by leaving it open in the house and placing toys, treats, or food inside.
- Place a soft, clean towel or familiar bedding in the bottom of the carrier.
- Spray the carrier with facial pheromone (e.g., Feliway TM ) 10-15 minutes before traveling.
- For very anxious cats, we recommend using a supplement called Zylkene (you will start the day before their appointment).
- Secure the carrier in the foot well of the back seat of the car to avoid movement during transportation and airbag injuries.
- When carrying the carrier, keep it stable and horizontal.
- When you arrive, place the carrier on the seat beside you vs on the ground. This will help your cat feel safe and will help prevent any sniffing pooches from sticking their snout where it doesn’t belong.
- Place a towel over the top of the carrier to help calm your cat and prevent other pets in the waiting room from making direct eye contact. You can spray this towel with the Feliway spray also!
- At Bloor Animal Hospital, we are sensitive to feline anxiety. We use Feliway diffusers in the exam room as well as in the treatment room. Our staff are well-trained professionals and they strive to make our feline patients and their treatments as comfortable and quick as possible.
Ultimately, routine wellness examinations will improve your cat’s quality-of-life and increase their life-span. Prevention is also much easier and less expensive than treatment. Trips to Bloor Animal Hospital do not need to be stressful for either you or your cat!
If you have any questions about your cat’s health or would like to book a wellness check-up for your feline friend, please contact us today.
Source: cathealthy.ca
