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Pet Care Topics

Learn more about our pet care topics below.

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Pet Care Topics

Four Paws Animal Hospital & Wellness Center is aware of the vast amount of information available on the Internet.
Our team has taken the time and evaluated the following sites. We trust the information the listed websites provide to you, our client, and member of our family.

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Cat Care Topics

Behavioral

Tips on getting your cat into their crate (Video)

Tips on transporting your cat

Ways to lessen your cat’s anxiety at the vet’s

What makes your cat happy? (Handout)

The right way to feed your cat

How to clean up cat urine (Handout)

Medical

How to administer fluids to your cat (Video)
Related: How to administer fluids to your cat (Handout)

How to restrain your cat (Video)

How to apply eye medications (Video)

My cat seems healthy—why take him to the vet?

Cats are masters at hiding physical problems. This served them well in the wild, but it means we have to be extra diligent to see the subtle early warning signs such as:

  • Changes in appetite or drinking
  • Vocalizing
  • Weight changes
  • Changes in bathroom habits including Frequency, Diarrhea, Stops using litter box
  • Vomiting more than once a month
  • Hiding
  • Trouble eating
  • Lethargy

Your veterinarian is specially trained to detect early physical changes in your cat and to recognize early warning signs in your cat’s history.

It also gives the veterinarian an opportunity to discuss any behavioral problems you are having. With undesirable behaviors such as scratching, aggression, or not using the litter box it is crucial to address them as soon as they arise. Long-standing problems are much harder to fix.

Preventive care can ward off many diseases, make your life easier, and even save you money!

Benefits of a Veterinary Visit

Veterinarians are trained to assess your cat’s health with a thorough physical exam. They evaluate multiple body systems including:

  • Eyes
  • Heart & vessels
  • Skin
  • Lungs
  • Ears
  • Digestive
  • Musculoskeletal
  • Teeth
  • Nervous system
  • Immune system

Some of the more common abnormalities found include:

  • Dental disease
  • Skin problems
  • Heart disease
  • Ear infections
  • Lumps and bumps
  • Weight management issues

In most cases, owners are not aware of the abnormalities found by the doctor after a physical exam.

Problems are easier to address if detected early

  • Many initial stage abnormalities are easily treated with simple steps such as diet change, a flavored medication, or a supplement.
  • Initiating therapy in early stages saves you money. For example:
  • Dental procedure that only requires cleaning of tartar is approximately $300.
  • Dental procedure that requires cleaning plus extraction of teeth from advanced periodontal disease averages around $800.
  • Or even better—a good dental homecare regimen can negate the need for a dental procedure altogether!
  • Early detection also extends the lifespan of your cat.
  • They experience better quality of life when they are not suffering silently.

Routine Care Needed

  • Physical exam every 6 months
  • Fecal exam or de-worming at least once a year.
  • This keeps your cat healthy.
  • This keeps your family safe. Intestinal parasites such as roundworms can easily be transmitted from a cat to a person.
  • Monthly application of effective flea and tick control year-round.
  • Not only are these parasites annoying, they carry potentially fatal diseases.
  • Monthly application of heartworm prevention year-round.
  • There is no treatment for heartworms in cats.
  • Regular dental home care.
  • Periodontal disease is painful and spreads infection throughout their body.
  • Wellness blood work to establish baseline values and enable early detection of disease.
  • Appropriate vaccines for your cat’s lifestyle.
  • Our vaccines for cats are “non-adjuvanted” for increased safety for your pet. Numerous veterinary groups and Internal Medicine Veterinarians agree these are less likely to cause a variety of adverse side effects, some of which can be very serious. To learn more, we recommend this article from Veterinary Partner.

Indoor Only Cats

It’s a myth that indoor-only cats don’t need the same routine veterinary care. For example:

  • Studies have shown that 25% of cats diagnosed with roundworms or heartworms were indoor only cats.
  • People track fleas home to their pets from infested areas that they have visited.
  • Dental disease strikes all cats regardless of lifestyle. In fact, over 80% of cats over 3 years old have dental disease.

What does Four Paws do to put my cat at ease during his visit?

  • Separate waiting area for cats.
  • Stress-relieving pheromones in the exam room.
  • Positive rewards such as treats during vaccine administration means many cats are not aware that the shot was given at all!
  • Use of towels for restraint rather than scruffing whenever possible.
  • Performing as much of exam as possible in a more comfortable location such as the bottom of their carrier.
  • Allowing your cat time to adjust to its surroundings.
  • Blood collection techniques that minimize stress.
  • “Hiding spots” provided for all hospitalized patients make cats feel more secure.
  • Separate room for boarding cats away from the sights, smells, and sounds of dogs.

What can I do to make the visit less stressful?

  • Use of pheromones such as Feliway 30 minutes prior to the trip will help calm your cat. We have single-use wipes to apply inside your carrier prior to your visit.
  • Leave your cat’s carrier out all the time, and make it a comfortable place to take naps or eat treats.
  • Always use some kind of an enclosed container such as a carrier when transporting in the car. Many cats prefer to have the carrier be covered with a towel.
  • Take short car trips with your cat on other occasions so they become used to the car ride itself.