August 22nd is National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day!
by Melissa Gisleson, DVM
Has it been a while? Maybe it’s time for a visit!
Many times our feline friends’ medical care can fall by the wayside due to the additional work and effort it takes to bring them in for veterinary care. Often, kitties hide or become very fearful, and possibly combative, prior to veterinary visits or whenever their carrier is taken out. This can make it incredibly difficult to transport your cat safely in the car.
It is often due to this additional stress that cats’ veterinary care and annual preventative medicine is neglected. There are many options available now that can help make these visits easier on you and your cats. These options include ideas like changing the carrier type, using feline pheromones to reduce stress, and allowing the carrier to stay out in the open for the cat at all times. The following link provides these options and many others to get your cat to the vet safely and with less stress!
http://catfriendly.com/be-a-cat-friendly-caregiver/getting-cat-veterinarian/
If after following these tips you are still having problems or your cat’s anxiety or stress level is too great, please contact us, so we can discuss home calls or medical intervention to help create a more “Fear Free” visit.
It is important for kitties to have an annual exam every year. During this exam, we will do a complete a physical exam to search for any signs of potential problems and discuss preventative care. Cats can often hide illnesses or pain very well and often still appear very healthy. Often times, labwork is recommended for senior patients to screen for early signs of clinical diseases, like kidney disease.
