Geriatric Wellness
The well being of our older kitties is always imperative at Guildcrest Cat Hospital. We work with you to ensure that the older kitty lives a long, healthy and quality life. We recommend regular blood and urine rechecks, every 6 months. Please keeping in mind that as they age the level of exercise diminishes greatly so we encourage you to engage them in regular exercise to ensure mobility and prevent arthritic severity. Diet plays a vital role with all kitties and the geriatric kitty is no exception. The older kitty may start to become persnickety with their preference of food and it is now, more than ever, that a healthy diet is important, we will assist in finding a diet your cat will enjoy and benefit from.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are a necessary protocol to ensure a healthy cat. Each year at their annual examination the Doctors will discuss with you which vaccinations are required for that year. Most cats will only require two vaccines, one being the FVRCP (upper respiratory), which is given every 3 years. The second vaccine which is due yearly is the Rabies. If your cat roams in the great outdoors he/she will receive a third vaccination which is Leukemia. Having your kitty up to date with these vaccinations will help to ensure a long healthy life.
Preventive Medicine
Keeping your kitties healthy and safe is the best way to ensure a happy kitty. Our Doctors and staff are always available for you to discuss any or all of the following issues:
- Having regular annual exams and keeping up to date with vaccinations
- Having your kitty dewormed
- Applying Revolution or Advantage during flea season or more regular should your feline like to prance around in the wild.
- Have your kitty spayed or neutered
- Have teeth checked regularly during exam or when issues of the mouth are concerned
- Having regular blood work and urine done
- Providing a healthy diet
- Have cold water readily available
- Keep litter box clean to avoid accidents
- Keeping kitties claws trimmed, both front and back
- Engage your kitty in regular exercise
Weight Management
As difficult as this may seem, it is extremely important for your cat to maintain a healthy weight. We can work with you to help your overweight or underweight kitty achieve his or her ideal mass. We will asses your cat and structure a program designed specifically for him/her. We do recommend that you bring kitty in once a month for a free weight check for two reasons: one to monitor his/her weight loss or gain and to ensure the weight loss is not too extreme. Once the ideal weight is achieved we will again establish a program to help your kitty preserve his/her new figure.
Nutritional Counseling
There are so many types and brands of food on the market today that it can be quite overwhelming when choosing the right food for your Kitty. That is where your Veterinarian plays an essential role in assisting you to select a suitably balanced diet. Starting a preventive program right from the kitten stage will ensure your cat lives a long healthy life. A good quality kitten food provides all the necessary nutrients and calories kittens require to grow into a healthy teenager. When your kitty is approaching his/her first year it is recommended that you begin switching the food. Now is the time to start him/her on a preventive diet. Again a good quality food will provide the proper nutrients and ingredients to help in the prevention of urinary problems and crystals. A well balanced food will also help with the risk of heart and joint disease. As your cat grows into the geriatric era again it is time to switch foods. It is important to stay with a preventive diet and ensure the food has potassium to help reduce potassium deficiencies. A more mature diet will have less sodium and phosphorus levels which is suitable for cats with kidney or early heart issues.
Boarding
Holidays, why not give your cat a special treat and book him/her into our Cat Nap Inn! We offer ample room for your cat to stretch and romp around. We have a large spacious window room which provides sunshine and bird watching opportunities. We have two rooms which are used for our boarding felines. Each room is equipped with toys, beds and cat trees to encourage cats to climb and hunt. Food, water and litter are provided unless your kitty is on a special diet which we do not carry, and then we ask you provide your own food. Don’t forget to bring along any medication that your kitty is on and we will ensure he/she is given the right dosage everyday. While you are away basking in the warmth of your tropical getaway rest easy that your cat is being pampered with love, pets and kisses by one of our caring staff.
Grooming
Cats are always cleaning and grooming but once in awhile they need a hand from a human. You can book an appointment to have a pawdicure, brushing or go for the “lion” tamer look. Your kitty will spend part of the day with us if you book the lion shave or a full brush out, nail trims will be done while you wait in one of our comfy chairs out front. If your kitty is more lion than lamb a little sedation might be needed to soothe him/or her. Your approval will be required prior to the grooming.
Surgery
Spay
Once your female cat is 5 months of age it is time to have her spayed. Blood work is performed within 2 weeks prior to the surgery to ensure there are no underlying issues that could present a problem during the surgery. The day of the surgery your cat is admitted into the hospital and she is placed on IV fluids. The fluids are necessary to ensure the kidneys continue to function properly and the IV provides easy access to a vein for medication. Your cat will be put under full anesthetic and the surgery will take approximately 45 minutes. Pain medication is given prior to her being waked up to help alleviate any discomfort. Your cat is under the constant supervision of our Technician until she is fully awake and comfortable in her cage. She will remain in the hospital ward for the day where she will continue to be monitored. When the anesthetic has worn off and your cat is fully awake, she will be offered food and water and her IV will be removed. At this point she will be resting comfortably and waiting eagerly for her parents to come and take her home.
Neuter
Neuters are performed on male kittens once they reach 5 months of age. Blood work is performed within 2 week prior to the surgery to ensure there are no underlying issues that could present a problem during the surgery. The day of the surgery your cat is admitted into the hospital and he is placed on IV fluids. The fluids are necessary to ensure the kidneys continue to function properly and the IV provides easy access to a vein for medication. Your cat will be put under full anesthetic and the surgery will take approximately 15 minutes. Pain medication is given prior to him being waked up to help alleviate any discomfort. Your cat is under constant supervision of our Technician until he is fully awake and comfortable in his cage. He will remain in the hospital ward for the day where he will continue to be monitored. When the anesthetic has worn off and your cat is fully awake, he will be offered food and water and his IV will be removed. At this point he will be resting comfortably and waiting eagerly for his parents to come and take him home.
Declaw
Cats have a need to scratch items in order to keep their nails sharpened and to shed old nails. It is recommended that you have a scratching post available for them to reduce the possibilities of them scratching your furniture. Although as hard as you might try, sometimes it is difficult to stop them and declawing them might be the better option for you. Having them declawed at the same time as their neuter or spay is the most effecient route to go. Your cat will only have to undergo anesthetic one time and it is more cost affective. Your cat will be given pain medication prior, during, and after the declaw, nerve blocks will also be injected in each paw just prior to the surgery. Your cat will stay with us for two days during which time will receive pain medication. Alleviating any pain is our main focus to ensure your cat has a safe and speedy recovery.
Exploratory Surgery
There are different types of exploratory surgeries that some cats will have to go through. Cats are curious animals and tend to chew on items that we would rather they not. Unfortunately, this chewing can lead to swallowing items that do not want to pass through their systems naturally. They will become sick and perhaps start vomiting quite a bit, some cats may become lethargic, while others might experience constipation. Once it has been determined that your cat has swallowed some foreign object it will be necessary to operate on him/her to remove this object. Unless this is an immediate emergency will would like your cat to be fasted for 12 hours prior to the surgery. The doctor would then operate and remove any and all foreign bodies from your cat. He/she will stay with us overnight to be monitored to ensure a smooth recovery.
There are other reasons where exploratory surgery might be necessary and aid our Doctors in treating your cat. Cats with a repeated history of chronic vomiting, constipation, severe abdominal pain, just to name a few, where blood work, urine or x-rays cannot determine the cause would benefit from exploratory surgery. The Doctor would operate and explore the inside of the abdomen in order to see if there are any tumors, lesions or abnormalities. Depending on their findings, it might be necessary to send out biopsies to assist and confirm their diagnosis. Your cat will stay with us overnight and will receive pain medication ensure he/she is kept comfortable and free of any pain.
Dental
Just like humans cats need to have their teeth checked on a regular basis. The first step would be an examination by one of our Doctors during their annual exam. The Doctor will check all the teeth to determine the amount of tartar, gingivitis or if there are any teeth which will need to be extracted. This is not as easy as it sounds and unfortunately during the cleaning process extractions might be necessary that were not detected during the exam.
Your cat will be put under full anesthetic and placed on IV fluids. The doctor will then do a complete examination of the mouth to determine which, if any teeth will need to be extracted. If there are extractions your cat will receive nerve blocks to help alleviate any pain. The technician will then scale and polish the teeth, after which the Doctor will extract the necessary teeth. During the waking up process your cat will be given two types of pain medications to ensure his/her mouth is not sore due to the extractions. Upon release you will be given full instructions on how to brush you cat teeth to help maintain their nice white smile. Our staff will show you the correct technique for brushing your cat’s teeth, along with recommending a healthy dental diet.
To get a better understanding of the dental proceedure please click HERE to go to Jasper's Dental Adventure!
X-Rays
Should your cat require X-rays we have the necessary equipment at the hospital to accommodate you. The x-ray process is the same as it is for humans, the only difference is our technicians hold your cat in place in order to get a still shot. Sometimes this can prove to be a little difficult as your cat may be too stressed or nervous.. If this is the case our Doctors will discuss with you the options where a mild sedative would be beneficial. This would ensure your cat remains still and a clean x-ray can be developed. Your cat will stay with us for a short period of time to be monitored after his/her sedation.
Ultrasound
Ultrasounds are performed by a specialist here in the hospital. The procedure is similar to that of x-rays, although for the ultra sound your cat will need to be shaved. It is extremely important that your cat remains still for the ultra sound so a mild sedative might be more needed for this procedure than with a regular x-ray. Once the ultra sound specialist has completed his scan he/she will pass along the report to our Doctors, who then will contact you. Your cat should then be ready to go home unless a sedative was needed, then he/she will stay with us for a short period of time to be monitored.
Pain Management Control
Just like humans cats suffer from all the same aches and pains, only cats hide their pain and suffering 100 times more than humans. They develop arthritis, joint pains and pain caused from injuries. Once the Doctor has examined your cat and made a diagnosis he/she can be put on medication to help relieve the pain. Pain medication comes in different forms, tablets, capsules, transdermal gel, liquid or injectable, the Doctor will work with you to determine which one is best for your cat.
Diabetic Management
Our Doctors and staff will work with you to ensure your diabetic feline lives a healthy life. We will explain to you what diabetes is, how it affects your cat and what is required by you. We will teach you how to do blood glucose testing, how to read your blood glucose meter, how much insulin to give and how to administer it to your cat. This can be very overwhelming at first and perhaps a little frightening, but we are here for you and will continue to help you as much as needed. It could possibly take up to 3 months to get your cat stabilized on the proper amount of insulin. During this time it can be frustrating but it is important to be patient and remember your cat needs you. The Doctor will also suggest a new diet for your cat, one specifically formulated for diabetic cats. It is quite palatable and cats seem to enjoy it, so switching your cat over shouldn’t be too stressful. |
