Cats are the Orphan Species when it comes to care, diagnostics and treatment for many reasons. Even though there are more pet cats in the world than dogs, dogs get more veterinary care. Why is this?
One of the Greatest Myths out there even among seasoned cat owners is that as long as cats are indoors, loved and well fed, cats don’t get sick as often as dogs. Wrong! Entirely false!
Cats, even in the best home, have inherited genetics from years of breeding that predispose them to genetic diseases that are pre-programmed to appear suddenly. It’s just a matter of time. It’s nothing an owner is doing wrong, but cat genetic diseases such as heart, kidney and intestinal/pancreas problems appear silently and suddenly.
Many times, the cat’s illness has already reached a crisis stage while the owner has been waiting for symptoms to appear before bringing them in to the veterinarian for an annual wellness check. Sometimes pet parents don’t realize that by their family veterinarian simply listening to their cat’s heart and skillfully feeling its kidneys and intestines annually can save their pet’s life.
The sooner these problems are diagnosed by a good veterinarian, the easier to proactively treat the disease ensuring a much longer and better quality of life for the cat. Cats are the world’s best silent sufferers.
The Belle Mead Animal Hospital is a cat-friendly practice. Please feel free to call our office if you have further questions about your cat’s health and well-being or wish to schedule an appointment.
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Joe Martins, DVM, Belle Mead Animal Hospital
Joe Martins, DVM, Belle Mead Animal Hospital