Читать книгу Pet-Specific Care for the Veterinary Team - Группа авторов - Страница 73

Cats are unique pets because they are both predators and prey, hunters and hunted. When pet parents and healthcare providers understand that concept, everything else becomes obvious. Cats prefer familiar places, people, and patterns, and when faced with anything unfamiliar, they become fearful and may exhibit heightened arousal. To avoid (potential) conflict, their instinct is to flee (flight) and when they have no means of escape, as in a closed exam room, this heightened arousal may manifest as fear aggression. Unfortunately, this normal behavior has caused many cats to be labeled as “AGGRESSIVE” – which is frequently captured on the medical record in upper case letters and even numbers of exclamation points. Approaching cats with quiet observation, nonthreatening postures, and expressions (get low, turn and look sideways) and slow movements is less likely to cause additional arousal. Largely due to the lack of habituation to travel and carriers, most cats are far less accepting of transport and travel than dogs. As such, they are frequently aroused before they come in our doors. What would it look like if we could have a warm, quiet and calm exam room ready for a cat so they could bypass the reception area that has the sounds, sights, and scents of their most common and feared predators – unfamiliar dogs and people?

Preventive care for all ages includes health and lifestyle‐appropriate vaccines, nutrition, parasiticides, and especially regularly scheduled wellness visits, annually at a minimum and semi annual or quarterly examinations are in the “well” cat's best interest, including juveniles and young adults with weight gain or red gums. Addressing changes early in the process to prevent future problems like obesity, diabetes mellitus, and oral disease is paramount to pet‐specific and client‐centered care (see 4.7 Embracing Early Detection). If verbiage used in veterinary practices includes some version of “She only has a tiny bit of tartar so she might need a dental next year,” there is an immediate opportunity to ask your co‐workers why, and as a team explore how that cat, their owners and even the veterinary practice could be better helped with earlier care (see 4.9 Periodontal Disease). A single, simple circumstance such as that could provide the pivot point for all team members including owners and managers, veterinarians and veterinary nurses, assistants and caregivers to be aligned and on board with pet‐specific care.