Dental Prophylaxis

Lance tries some t/d after his prophy

Plaque builds up on teeth immediately after each meal. Eventually, with the help of bacteria naturally in the mouth, it calcifies into tartar, a hard substance which inflames the gums and can make the teeth fall out.
Your cat will need a dental prophy- a scale and polish - if we notice plaque and tartar building up at the annual check-up. It is common for cats to need a prophy every year - just like humans.
After a scale and polish we discuss how to prevent more plaque and tartar building up on the teeth.
Many cats like stir fry strips, which keep their chewing teeth nice and clean as they chew along the strips.
Cats who like their crunchies might prefer Hills t/d or Greenies. As their teeth break through the biscuit it cleans the food and plaque off.

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas to all our furry friends and their carers!

We look forward to seeing you again in 2014.

We are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. If you have an emergency on those days please phone the Animal Emergency Centre on 6280 6344.

Yoda liked our Christmas tree when he visited recently

Signs of dental pain

We take a dental Xray of some painful canine teeth

Cats are determined to hide any sign of pain or discomfort from us. The observant owner may notice one or more of the following if they are really on the ball:

• not grooming properly, leaving coat matted, loose or scurfy
• eating on one side of mouth or tilting the head to one side when chewing
• resenting stroking around the face/jaw
• not enjoying handling at all
• keen hunter not interested in hunting any more
• keen warrior not interested in fighting any more
• not wanting to play with tug toys
• throwing food to back of mouth to chew
• bringing unchewed, unlubricated food up within 10 minutes of a meal
• hesitating at food bowl even though clearly hungry
• not crunching kibble
• preferring moist to dry food when used to prefer dry to moist and vice versa
• bad breath
• eating only a little but going back to the bowl often
• drooling
• pawing mouth
• swollen face
• bleeding from mouth
• grinding teeth

Training your cat to tolerate the AeroKat...

The coughing cat

Nick enjoys some fresh air

Nick's carer wasn't sure if he had a hairball or was coughing until we saw him at the hospital. He crouched down with elbows out, hacked and hacked and then swallowed - he was definitely coughing.
To help you work out whether your cat is coughing have a look at this video. Some people mistake 'hairballs' or vomiting for coughing.
When we listened to Nick's chest he had a wheeze, which his owner had also noticed at night. His wheezing has been much worse this spring and summer.
We decided to Xray Nick and found that he had thickening of his bronchial walls, typical of chronic bronchitis or asthma.
Like humans, cats can have frightening episodes of not being able to breathe. They panic and can die if not treated with a bronchodilator like Ventolin immediately.
Nick is now on steroids and is training his owner to use an AeroKat inhaler.

Vaccinations and regular check ups

Bella has her annual check up

Because cats are so good at hiding illness and discomfort it is imperative that they have a check-up at least once a year. Cats older than 9 years of age may need a physical twice a year especially if we identify any problems.
During the examination we check their eyes, mouth, teeth, ears, heart, lungs, skin, joints and belly for any abnormalities. Many cats start having dental problems as early as 3 years old. Skin disease, allergies and gut upsets an happen at any age.
We discuss the optimal diet for your particular cat because every cat is an individual.
Behavioural problems like inappropriate urination, yowling or attacking often come up in discussion, too.
If your cat is likely to go into boarding or other stressful situations then we recommend an annual vaccination for enteritis (also known as panleukopenia or parvovirus) and the two flu viruses (calicivirus and herpesvirus). This vaccine is also known as the F3 or 3 in 1 vaccination.
Inside cats who don't go into boarding may need less frequent F3 vaccination.
Cats who go outdoors or who may escape home, particularly if they fight, require an FIV vaccination against feline AIDS every year. It is important that cats receive the FIV vaccine boosters exactly 12 months apart.
We also give or recommend the best worming and flea treatments for your cat during the annual visit.

Allergic dermatitis

Does your cat scratch or groom more than normal? or are patches of fur missing perhaps with areas of broken, red or raw skin?
If you answer yes to any of these questions your cat may have allergic dermatitis - the feline equivalent of human hayfever.
We will rule out flea allergy dermatitis - very common - and food allergy, which is less likely, before deciding that your cat has allergic dermatitis.
A treatment specific for allergic dermatitis in cats has just been released. Atopica is designed for cats so is easy to administer and in cat-size dosage bottles. It relieves the irritation, allows the skin to heal and the hair to grow back within 6 weeks.
Your cat will soon be back to her/his happy, beautiful self.