Thomasville Veterinary Hospital Embraces Feline-Friendly Handling Guidelines to Make Vet Visits Easier for Cats
Thanks to the new Feline Friendly Handling Guidelines recently released by the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the International Society of Feline Medicine, veterinary visits for cats should become a little easier in the future,
While cats outnumber dogs as pets (according to the latest statistics from the American Pet Products Association, there are 78.2 million households that own dogs versus 86.4 million that own cats), cats receive significantly less veterinary care than dogs. Cat owners often express a belief that cats “do not need medical care.” According to Dr. Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP (Feline), “there is a misconception that cats are independent and they don’t need the level of care that dogs do.” Cats are just as prone to disease conditions as dogs, if not more so. Preventative health care is necessary to prevent certain diseases, as well as provide early disease detection.
Additionally, many cat owners cite the difficulty of getting the cat into a carrier, driving the cat to the clinic, and dealing with a scared or stressed cat at the clinic as reasons for fewer visits. The goal of the feline-friendly handling guidelines is to reduce these barriers by helping cat owners understand feline behavior, preparing the cat and the client for the vet visit, creating a cat-friendly environment at the veterinary practice, and training veterinary staff on how to meet the unique needs of their feline patients.
The guidelines suggest that by understanding the unique social and behavioral characteristics of cats, and by recognizing early signs of fear, vet visits can be made less stressful for both cat and owner. Some people think the cat is mean. In reality, most are just frightened. Here are some recommendations to ease that fear—and your frustration:
- Make the transport carrier your cat’s home away from home: Use your cat’s carrier as a comfortable resting, feeding, and play location. To do this, keep the carrier out and accessible at all times, not just when you’re getting ready to take your cat somewhere. Line it with a soft blanket, lay favorite toys inside, and drop in treats every now and then. If your cat still doesn’t want to get into its carrier, consider getting a different carrier. It’s best to use a top-loading carrier with a top portion that’s easily removed. This feature lets veterinarians allow cats to stay in the bottom portion of the carrier during most of the visit, which makes cats feel more secure.
- Train your cat to be a savvy traveler: Get your cat used to riding in the car, beginning when it’s young for best results. Start by getting your cat into its carrier and carrying it around your house. Then graduate to getting your cat into its carrier and taking short drives around the block. Eventually build up to making a fun trip to the veterinarian for a meet-and-greet play session with no exam. After all these outings,even if you don’t leave your house, give your cat a fun reward, like a treat. Before heading to a veterinary appointment, give yourself plenty of time to get the cat into the carrier. And if you have time to spare, that’s all the better: Letting your cat wait in the carrier before leaving can ease its stress.
- Let your cat play: Create a hiding place for your cat in the carrier by placing a towel or blanket from your home inside. Also, drape a towel or blanket over the outside of part of the carrier. Cats feel more secure when they have a place to hide, and the simple presence of a familiar blanket or towel may comfort your cat during your visit to the veterinary office.
- Travel on a an empty stomach: Pets often get motion sickness. If you avoid feeding your cat before traveling, you’ll decrease the chance that your cat will get carsick. Plus, it might be more willing to partake in the treats the veterinary staff has to offer. This could make the visit more pleasant for your cat, for you, and for your veterinarian.
Thomasville Veterinary Hospital, in response to these guidelines, is changing its approach to feline handling in the exam room and throughout the hospital. Our attempt is to make cat visits less stressful not only for the cat but for their owners as well.
- Synthetic feline facial pheromone will be sprayed in exam room and on materials used around patient. This has been shown to calm cats.
- While waiting in the exam room, a comfortable place for the cat to hide (other than its carrier) that staff can easily remove without disturbing the patient will be provided.
- Warm towels will be placed on exam tables.
- Staff that is specially trained for handling cats will be used during exams and performing diagnostics.
- Minimal restraint will be used whenever possible.
These guidelines go into great detail on how to interact with cats in the practice. They offer recommendations for working with fearful or aggressive cats, ranging from pre-visit techniques that may include medication to using various restraint methods, stressing the need to be sensitive to each individual cat’s response.
If you have a feline family member and have experienced difficulty with veterinary visits, please consider trying these guidelines. If you need any assistance, contact your veterinarian for help on how to implement these suggestions with your pet. You can visit www.thomasvillevet.net for more information on these guidelines or for other links that may help you with your particular situation.
Considering Surgery for Your Pet? Make Sure you are Comparing Apples to Apples
By Joy Milliren, Hospital Manager
This past year I found myself needing knee replacement and initially did not realize all the various options that were out there for me to consider. It was not until I started telling others I was considering the procedure that it became apparent all replacements are not equal. I decided I needed to do some research and discovered all doctors are not the same when it comes to knee replacements. They use different implants, their success rates differ and the hospitals where the procedures are performed differ as well. Fortunately, the orthopedic surgeon I had used for some time used the implant I preferred and everything else checked out as well; however, it is important to realize this is not always the case and we need to know the quality of service we are going to receive and not just assume everyone or place is the same.
Because of my knee replacement, I discovered after Thanksgiving, internet shopping. I couldn’t get out because of my knee and did almost all of my shopping online. It was great! I just needed to know what I wanted, type it in, and several options came up. Easily I could see who charged the least for the same item. I could look at the different features offered and choose accordingly. The manufacturer had a lot to do with the choices I made. It dawned on me that I had done the same thing when deciding on my knee replacement. Working in veterinary medicine, it also dawned on me that it is what one should do when selecting a veterinarian to perform a surgery.
However, there is one major difference between choosing a doctor or veterinarian and buying something online. Most of the time we can get a guarantee on our purchase but we cannot get back the health or life of our pet or ourselves if we don’t choose to select the “features” that will safeguard us during a medical procedure. Because of our current economy, we are all looking for the less costly option; however, the old saying that you “get what you pay for” is definitely true when it comes to medicine and surgery.
The best medicine or even just good medicine comes with a price. It is not inexpensive to have quality medical professionals, a clean facility, reliable and up to date equipment, along with drugs that are safe and will keep a pet pain free. Some of the services many view as optional in veterinary medicine would never be considered in human medicine.
At Thomasville Veterinary Hospital, it is important for us to provide the best care possible for our patients and we take that very seriously. All surgical patients receive full examinations and appropriate lab work prior to surgery. Pain medication is administered as well. We use monitoring equipment and thermal support throughout the procedure and assign a technician to monitor anesthesia and recovery for each patient. Our patients also receive 24 hour nursing care overnight. This may make us more expensive than the discounted, subsidized facilities, but it does give our clients and our team peace of mind that the pet has been given every opportunity to have an uneventful, comfortable, and successful surgery.
Just as I was comforted in knowing my doctor, his staff and the hospital facility was going to provide what I expected for my knee replacement you can also be comforted in knowing what to expect from your veterinarian. Ask what is included in the price for a procedure. If you haven’t seen your veterinarian’s surgical suites, don’t be afraid to ask for a tour. I think you will be impressed at the precautions many hospitals take when they are performing surgery with your precious family member. Medicine doesn’t come with the typical warranty like a product does but there are ways to minimize risk.
Flu Season For Dogs
The winter months mark the height of the human flu season. However, the flu virus is not just found in humans. Each year we see many of our canine patients hit by the flu virus. With humans, we typically only have to worry about the flu for part of the year. In dogs, they have to battle this virus throughout the calendar year. Our friends at AAHA recently posted an article Flu Season For Dogs. This short article points out some common misconceptions and things to look for to ensure your pets stay flu free all year long.
Holiday Pet Hazards
With the 2011 Holiday Season here we wanted to remind you to keep a watchful eye out for hazards that may be problematic for your pets. AAHA Pets Matters has posted an article, Holiday Pet Hazards, which focuses on some of the things to watch for ensuring that this Holiday season is enjoyable for every member of your family, even the four legged ones.
Your Friends at Thomasville Veterinary Hospital
