Well, we went to the vet over the weekend, Violet on Saturday, Cajun on Sunday. Overall both trips went well.

Violet at the vet

Violet was wonderful in the car, as usual, but was a little stressed out in the waiting room. She doesn’t mind other cats but she hates dogs – really hates them, and the waiting room was just packed with dogs, including one that was parked right next to the door when we walked in. I’ve never seen the place so busy before. It was difficult to find a quiet spot to sit, so there was no exploring, but she did sit quietly in my lap while we waited. There was a bit of puffing but strong reactions otherwise.

The stress from the dog-filled waiting room carried over to the exam room and she was none to pleased to have the vet poking around her bum. We had a few hisses but other than that she was very good. Good news is that her bottom is fine – her anal glands look clear and didn’t need expressing, which is just as well. I’m sure that would not have improved Violet’s mood.It was an expensive trip to find out that she’s perfectly fine, but well worth it. I got a very informative lesson from the vet about anal glands, which I didn’t know too much about (they’re not something I’ve ever had to deal with before.)

As soon as we got back out to the car she settled right down. Nothing like familiar territory to relax a cat. We went grocery shopping on the way home (well I did – Violet napped in the car while I was in the store) and then came home.

Cajun at the vet

Cajun was also very good in the car. She rested quietly in her carrier the whole trip.

Fortunately, the waiting room was a lot quieter on Sunday. She did some investigating our corner of the room and sat on the window sill, watching the parking lot.

She’s lost a few ounces since her last visit, so I’ll be upping her food intake a bit. She’s still feeling pretty muscular around her back, which is good, but she could use a little more fat on her. She loves her food and eats as much as Violet and Clover, who are about three pounds heavier than her. Asked about the possibility of hyperthyroidism, but the vet didn’t think it was likely, as her heart beat is good and she’s very young.

Her ear is also looking great too – she had a chronic ear infection for about nine months which persisted despite repeated treatment. We finally got rid of it with an aggressive run of oral antibiotics and ear drops, and it doesn’t look like it’s coming back (knock on wood.)

She still has mild conjunctivitis in her one eye (which was the reason for the visit.) We’ve tried BNP and tetracycline, and now we’re on a week of erythromycin which will hopefully clear it up. Just in case, we’re also doing a virus panel, since the conjunctivitis has been stubborn.

I’m very fortunate that Cajun is a very cooperative cat. She’s gotten more feisty as her health has improved, but she still lets me tend to her her without any trouble. Since I’ve brought her home she’s had her teeth brushed regularly, been on daily pills for a month, been on ear drops for over a month, and eye ointment for weeks. She’s also pretty good about brushing and claw clipping (except for one paw, which I suspect was injured at some point.)

Anyway, we got our meds and directions to call in a week, then came home. Cajun hung out under the back seat on the ride home but came out easily. We’ve just started the new eye meds so it’s a little early to see results, but I’ll keep you updated.

Planning for next time

I think next time I’ll try and avoid scheduling appointments on Saturday, though weekend appointments are better for me, as I don’t have to miss work for them. I think though, it’d be better to miss a half hour of work and avoid the super crowded waiting room. Too many dogs made Violet’s visit more stressful than it needed to be. Hopefully there won’t be a need for any more vet visits for a while though – other than Cajun’s eye, everyone seems to be in good health.

I have to take two cats to the vet this weekend – Cajun for her runny eye and Violet because I suspect her anal sacs need expressing. I’m not worried though – going to the vet is not a stressful event in our house. I don’t have to deal with cats that run and hide when we need to leave, cry in the car or huddle terrified in the carrier in the waiting room. There’s no fight to leave the house, car rides are calm and our small section of the waiting room gets courageously explored.

I suppose the fact that my cats come from a shelter environment, with the regular stream of strange people and animals, provides a small advantage. But I’ve also spent time getting them adapted to leaving the house and being in the car, under less urgent circumstances than a vet visit.

I take my girls on regular, short car rides – usually when I’m going to pick someone up, make a very short stop or go for a drive in the country. This gets them accustomed to the car with  rides that don’t end at the vet or any other place scary or unpleasant. It helps that Violet is a natural car cat – she has always love going for car rides. Clover and Cajun were less enthusiastic about car rides at first, but once I got the right style of carrier they adapted quickly. Rather than using a closed carrier, which results in a lot of crying and distress (and in one case, a bloodied nose from trying to push through the mesh sides) I bought an open dog tote. It lets them look out without obstruction and the padded, opaque sides create a nice, safe little cave.

In the warmer months, we do harness and leash training in the backyard or by the lake to get them adapted to the leash, being in unfamiliar places and around strange people and animals.

When it’s time to go to the vet I just get kitty harnessed up, clip on the leash and put her into the open carrier. She sits quietly during the ride, doesn’t freak out in the waiting room, and is well behaved for the vet. By doing regular, low stress preparation, our vet visits are uneventful, instead of the nightmare it is for so many cat owners. Stress-free vet visits are well worth the bit of extra training effort (and we reap the benefits when we travel or introduce other new situations, too.)

What are your experiences taking your cats to the vet? Have you done anything to make things more pleasant and less stressful?

Vet photo by Brit.

The Pet Connection Blog’s Dr. Marty Becker is promoting Bayer’s “Help Your Pet, Get to the Vet” campaign. Visit the site to download a $20 voucher that can be used toward any preventative visit (vaccination, deworming, dental, wellness exam etc) to any vet.

http://www.gettothevet.com/

This offer is available to Americans from Feb 16 – 28, 2009 and there are limited vouchers available so get yours today.

I keep hearing about people getting their cats declawed or cat owners casually talking about their plans to have their cat declawed. While the idea of declawing a cat causes me great outrage, what upsets me even more is that these cat owners are almost invariably ignorant of what the procedure actually involves – they think declawing is okay because they don’t know any better.

While the general public may be excused for not knowing what declawing is (really, could anything sound more innocuous than “declaw”?) I consider it inexcusable that anyone who has had a cat declawed or is planning to have their cat declawed does not fully understand what the procedure is and the potential negative side effects.

Some questions for the vets

So, veterinarians, why are you declawing cats without having a serious discussion with your clients before hand?

Why are you performing an elective procedure, that is so painful and cruel that almost every country in Europe has forbidden it, without making sure the owners of these cats can make an educated decision?

Why are you not ensuring that cat owners have tried and exhausted all other options for modifying undesirable scratching behaviour before consenting to declaw surgery?

I’m sure some vets find declawing to be a lucrative business – perhaps money is a motivating factor?

I’m sure others are concerned about alientating people by questioning a client’s request for declaw surgery or trying to open up a discussion about it. I also think that that is absurd. I often hear of vets being very vocal in their disapproval of other choices made by pet owners and yet their practices aren’t going out of business for lack of clients.

And ultimately, as the veterinary professional it is your responsibility to make recommendations that are in the best interests of the animal and to help pet owners make informed decisions. It is your responsibility to act ethically.

Some questions for cat owners who have declawed/are considering declaw

And cat owners – why are you not educating yourself about a major surgical procedure?

Why would you consider a major elective procedure without knowing anything about it and without asking your vet a single question about what will be done or what might happen afterward?

Have you made a genuine attempt to address scratching behaviour before considering declawing, or did you jump to declawing as a “easy” solution?

As a cat owner it is your responsibility to make good, informed decisions for your cat. You are all they have and their life and wellbeing is in your hands. Requesting a procedure that is painful, cruel, irreversible and often results in other behavioural issues is not responsible pet ownership.

As a cat owner you also must be willing to accept and manage natural cat behaviours. This doesn’t mean letting your cat destroy everything in your home or injure your family – it means taking the time and effort to train your cat, to channel natural behaviour so that it is not destructive and to understand & work with your cat’s fundamental nature to create a situation where you can both live happily.

Mutilating your cat to save your couch is just bad pet ownership. Doing it out of ignorance is tragic.

Don’t let ignorance hurt cats

Ultimately, ignorance is inexcusable and the damage done to cats out of ignorance is permanent. Almost every single person I’ve talked to who has been educated about what declawing is has expressed their shock and revulsion at the realities of the procedure. Vets – take the time to educate your clients and help them make responsible choices. Cat owners – take the time to educate yourself and do what is right for you and your cat.

Watch for upcoming articles with more on declawing – what it is, why it’s harmful, why cats need their claws, declaw alternatives and fixing undesirable behaviour without harming your cat.

Declawing resources:

• http://www.declawing.com/
• http://www.de-clawing.com/