How Often Should Your Cat Visit The Vet?

A common question we receive from clients at the Animal Hospital at Bideawee is “How often should I be bringing my cat to see the Vet?”

A recent report was published called the Bayer Veterinary Care Usage study which highlighted what most practicing veterinarians are experiencing. Pet owners are making fewer trips to the vet, a decline that has been trending for the past 10 years. The report cites 6 major factors:

• The economic impact of the recession
• Cost of care
• Consumers substituting Internet research for office visits
• Perception among pet owners that regular medical check-ups are unnecessary
• Fragmentation of veterinary services; (going to a pet store for vaccinations and an emergency clinic when the pet gets sick)
• Feline resistance

Among the most surprising findings was that one-third of cats owned by study respondents have not seen a veterinarian in the last year. This in part is attributed to "feline resistance," a catch-all term defining the hiding, aggression, vocalization, and stressed/fearful behavior cats exhibit when crated and transported to unfamiliar surroundings. Unwilling to do battle with their pets, cat owners become more comfortable with longer time between exams. Couple this with the elevated cost of care and the economic downturn and decisions are being made to keep Fluffy at home unless she becomes sick. As a cat owner, I get this; my cat is not getting any patient of the year award. But this trend could throw away 3 or 4 of the nine lives your cat is supposed to have.

Now, I am old-school. An ounce of prevention is indeed worth a pound of cure. I am concerned that we are seeing fewer cats on a regular basis. Cats are master disguisers and it is sometimes hard to notice early warning signs or symptoms until a problem becomes an emergency. Routine vet visits are an integral part of your cat's health and early detection of any disease offers you more treatment options. Early intervention can also be cheaper.

On average, if your kitty is less than 6-7 years old she/he should visit the vet once a year for a routine examination. This examination should include a full physical, dental evaluation, parasite check, and any vaccinations that are due. Most vaccines are on a three year cycle. Cats over 7 years will benefit from twice yearly visits. One of these visits should include routine blood work and a urinalysis. Over 10 years and I would add a blood pressure evaluation and maybe screening x-rays.

The key here is to detect early disease prior to the onset of symptoms. Cats don't like to let you know they are sick, plus cats sleep all day, so it is hard to tell lethargy from cat-napping. Your veterinarian can utilize diagnostic testing and his/her powers of observation to identify subtle changes that can be clues that an underlying disease is brewing.

Cats are specifically prone to certain diseases as they age. Kidney failure and hyperthyroidism are quite common and if left undetected can have a negative impact on other organ systems. Both cause high blood pressure which can lead to retinal detachment and blindness. Early detection easily mitigates this side effect. In both diseases, even an astute owner may miss subtle changes in the cat's appetite and water consumption. Heart disease and cancer also plague our kitties. Both can elude detection until it's progressed. Dental and periodontal disease is another common occurrence at any age. Again, your veterinarian is a trained observer and is your cat's best chance at getting the most out of his/her nine lives.

Big red flags should go off if you notice a change in appetite or water consumption, changes in habit, behavior or disposition, excessive vocalization, weight fluctuations, urination frequency, breathing patterns or excessive vomiting or diarrhea.

It may be helpful to understand how cat's age compares to a human's age. A one year old cat equates with a 15 year old teenager. A two year old cat is a college graduate (24 years). From there, add 4-5 human years to each additional cat year. It is easy to see that things can change quickly for a cat as they age. Most of us don't go 4 years with out a routine physical exam so when you look at it from this viewpoint, yearly visits should make "purrfect" sense!

To schedule an appointment or for more information on the Animal Hospital at Bideawee, please call 866-262-8133.