For Preventative Medical Care, Cats Matter Too!
All pets need veterinary check-ups to live their best, long, and healthy lives. Unfortunately, 25% of cat owners don’t believe that annual veterinary care is necessary for cats. In fact, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 10% of cat owners never take their cats to the vet at all. Is this because cat owners feel their pet is less valuable than dogs? That their cat “isn’t worth it”, or “just a cat”? The answer is typically, “No!”. So why do cats not always receive the care they deserve and require? These are questions veterinary professionals have been studying in recent years.
These findings are unnerving if you think about how many cats will suffer through illness and disease that could have been prevented and treated. Wellness care for cats goes beyond addressing illness – it also focuses on the prevention of conditions associated with aging through preventive care.
At Blue Lake Animal Care Center, we want to help people engage in the health of our feline friends by asserting the importance of wellness care, which includes comprehensive physical examinations and much more!
What is Wellness Care for Cats?
Modern medicine has shifted away from strictly treating diseases to trying to prevent them. The focus is now on overall health, quality of life, and prevention. Veterinary medicine is no exception to this progress.
In the past, we often only saw feline pets only when they became sick, but we now know that focusing on regular, complete care relies on more frequent exams, advanced diagnostics, and, most importantly, creating relationships between pets, owners, and veterinarians. This can not only allow your cat to live a longer life, but can also actually save money.
Each individual patient should be treated exactly as such: an individual with unique needs and health requirements. By getting to know your feline family through consistent, regular visits, we can better understand their specific needs and detect any subtle changes in their health.
Wellness care encompasses a multitude of physical and behavioral health services, some of which include:
- Nose-to-tail examination
- Diagnostics, including fecal parasite screening and bloodwork for disease detection/screening
- Dental care
- Personalized vaccination protocol and parasite prevention
- Weight management and nutritional counseling
- Behavioral consultation
During annual or bi-annual wellness exams (we recommend twice yearly check-ups for pets over 8 years old), you’re encouraged to ask questions about your pet and to alert us as to any changes you may have noticed. This helps to establish optimal health for your kitty, and builds communication and trust through joint partnership that promotes good health.
What are the Advantages?
While we love them for their mysterious, unassuming ways, cats can also be at a HUGE disadvantage when it comes to the subtlety of pain or illness they may be experiencing. Regular exams help establish a baseline of your pet’s normal health, so we can spot any changes more quickly.
The benefits of regular wellness care include:
- Early disease detection
- Increased dental health (which is often overlooked without regular exams)
- Slowing down the effects of aging
- Regular screening for parasites and other common diseases
- Strengthening trust and the bond between pet, owner, and veterinarian
- Addressing at-home daily needs and quality of home medical care
Just like our dogs, cats deserve exceptional veterinary care. To help you achieve this, or if we can answer any of your questions or concerns, and you would like to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 530-600-3911.