conscious living, health and happiness for cats and their humans
For the first time in a decade, American Association of Feline Practitioners and the American Animal Hospital Association have updated their Feline Life Stage Guidelines, a 23-page document designed to combine feline-friendly care approaches with a lifelong healthcare plan to improve every cat’s health and well being at any age.Continue Reading
August 22 has been designated as National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day, and while it may not be your cat’s favorite “holiday,” it’s an important day designed to raise awareness about the importance of regular veterinary check ups for cats.
83% of cats are taken to the vet during the first year after they’re adopted, yet over half of them never return for subsequent wellness visit. Given that cats age more rapidly than humans and are masters at masking illness, these statistics are worrisome. Continue Reading
America’s cats are not getting the healthcare they deserve. 83% of cats are taken to the vet during the first year after they’re adopted, yet over half of them don’t return for subsequent wellness visit. Given that cats age more rapidly than humans and are masters at masking illness, these statistics are disturbing. National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day, which takes place on August 22, is designed to improve awareness about the importance of regular, routine check ups.Continue Reading
I am honored to announce that I have been asked to serve as a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners‘ Cat Friendly Practice Advisory Council.
The Cat Friendly Practice program provides an opportunity for veterinary practices to elevate care for cats and reduce the stress associated with the visit. Continue Reading
America’s cats are facing a healthcare crisis. The findings of a feline health study conducted by Bayer Health Care found that 52% of America’s 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care. There are many reasons, first among them the perception that cats are self-sufficient. And while cats may be more independent than dogs, they’re also masters at hiding signs of illness, which is why regular veterinary exams are so important. The second problem is that taking a cat to the vet is stressful for most cats and their guardians.Continue Reading
Dr. Gary D. Norsworthy earned his DVM degree in 1972 from Texas A&M University and has been practicing veterinary medicine for over 40 years. Dr. Norsworthy began writing professionally in 1975 and has published over 50 articles in various veterinary journals. He is an accomplished lecturer for veterinary associations around the world. He is the owner of the Alamo Feline Health Center in San Antonio, TX and loves to go to work every day.
I had a chance to ask Dr. Norsworthy a few questions after the recent annual meeting of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.Continue Reading
America’s cats are facing a healthcare crisis. The findings of a feline health study conducted by Bayer Health Care found that 52% of America’s 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care. 83% of cats are seen by a vet during the first year after they’re adopted, but less than half of them ever return. These statistics are alarming, especially in light of the fact that cats are masters at masking any signs of illness. By the time a cat shows symptoms, a disease may already be in the advanced stages, which often makes treatment less effective and more costly.
Two of my favorite cat people are joining forces to help raise awareness about this growing concern. Continue Reading
The findings of a feline health study conducted by Bayer Health Care revealed that 52% of America’s 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care. I would bet that the actual number is probably much higher, since this study only captured data from cat guardians who do seek some veterinary care, not those who never take their cat to the vet. And while some of this may be due to cat guardians not understanding how vitally important regular veterinary care is for your cat’s health, it may also be due to the fact that most cats hate going to the veterinary clinic.
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has been educating veterinarians and veterinary staff on how to make practices more cat-friendlyContinue Reading
America’s cats are facing a healthcare crisis. The findings of a feline health study conducted by Bayer Health Care found that 52% of America’s 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care. The actual number is probably much higher, since this study only captured data from cat guardians who do seek some veterinary care, not those who never take their cat to the vet. The study also showed that cat guardians are not willing to spend as much money on healthcare for their feline charges as dog guardians. Ironically, while spending on veterinary care is declining, spending on pet products is increasing steadily each year.Continue Reading
The American Association of Feline Practitioners updated its vaccination guidelines, previously issued in 2006. Previous guidelines divided vaccines into core and non-core vaccines and recommended that vaccination protocols should be tailored to the individual cat’s health and lifestyle. The guidelines also addressed concerns about injection site sarcomas caused by vaccines.
I was happy to see that the new guidelines are even more conservative. They help veterinarians select appropriate vaccination schedules for their feline patients based on risk assessment. The recommendations rely on published data as much as possible, as well as on the consensus of a multidisciplinary panel of experts in immunology, infectious disease, internal medicine and clinical practice.Continue Reading
Going to the vet’s could soon become a little less stressful for cats. The American Association of Feline Practitioners unveiled its “Cat Friendly Practice” initiative last week at the North American Veterinary Conference in Florida.
According to Veterinary Practice News, the initiative provides strategies to help practices become more accommodating to the needs of cats and certifies practices as “Cat Friendly Practices.” The AAFP launched the program in response to declining clinic visits by cat owners and intends to help clinics increase veterinary visits for felines and boost the level of healthcare cats receive.
Studies show the number of feline veterinary visits is declining steadily each year. For example, a recent industry survey revealed that compared with dogs, almost three times as many cats hadn’t received veterinary care in the past year.Continue Reading