What is considered preventative care for my cat?
Preventative care is essentially addressing a problem before it begins. It involves ensuring that your cat has had a thorough physical exam and is in good health. The goal is to catch any potential issues before they develop into serious problems.
How can preventative care extend the life and improve the health of my cat?
This is a great question. A prime example is renal disease in cats, which is common in older cats. Preventative care involves routine blood work to detect the disease in its early stages. Early detection allows for lifestyle adjustments, such as dietary changes and more frequent blood monitoring, which can slow the disease's progress and help your cat live a longer life.
What types of preventative care do you recommend for cats?
I recommend an annual physical exam for cats under the age of eight and biannual exams for those over eight. Regular dental cleanings, as advised by your veterinarian, are also crucial. Dental health is part of preventative care; maintaining it can benefit your cat's heart and kidneys.
What are some possible conditions that can be avoided with cat preventative care?
Routine blood work can help detect conditions such as urinary tract infections and crystals in the urine, which the owner might not notice. Detecting these conditions early allows for treatment that can improve the cat's comfort and health.
Why is it important to avoid self-diagnosing my cat?
It's important to avoid self-diagnosing to prevent unnecessary anxiety. While it's great that owners want to research and be informed, online information can sometimes be alarming. For example, if your cat vomits a hairball, you might mistakenly think it's something as severe as GI cancer, whereas it could be something minor.
What are the risks of failing to provide preventative care for my cat?
A good example is dental disease. If a cat never receives dental care and has bad breath, that indicates bacteria in the mouth, which can enter the bloodstream and affect the heart and kidneys. Without routine dental care, cats can also lose teeth or experience painful conditions like resorptive lesions, where the body starts eroding the tooth root, causing significant discomfort that may lead to a loss of appetite.
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