Looking after a pet is any owners priority. When it comes to cats there are various problems to look out for. We treat many breeds of cats in our practices and some breeds are prone to certain problems but many are general health issues.
Vaccinations
As with humans vaccinations can help protect your cat from various infections and diseases. Vaccinations can also stop your cat passing on these diseases to other local animals. We don’t offer vaccines in our practice but we’re happy to book a consultation to help you decide on vaccinations.
FIV (Feline immunodeficiency virus) There is currently no vaccine for this in the UK but many of the infections cats suffer with are a result of FIV. It can be treated and managed with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine.
The most common general health problems in cats are as follows: dental, digestive problems, skin problems, trauma and parasitic burden. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese herbs are of great used against many of those complaints either in isolation or alongside conventional veterinary medicine. We see a myriad of problems each week and often treat using holistic methods only. When a cat is obviously unwell with such symptoms as inappetence, lethargy or obvious skin problems it is often easy to spot. Many other problems can be detected by the attentive owner before they become too severe. The easiest way to find these problems is via regular handling and grooming, where dental problems, abscesses, minor injuries, poor body condition (both weight loss and weight gain), external parasites, skin coat problems and minor injuries can be picked up. Through holistic practice our vets will discuss various factors with you including diet, daily routine, immediate environment, general behaviour, and obviously any medical history. A treatment plan will be devised to treat the root of the problem, not just the immediate symptoms. We treat many oncology patients and whilst sadly we cannot offer any miracle cures we do have treatments available to us that can and do help lessen the severity of symptoms. We manage pain and allow a better quality of life for pets which as a veterinary surgeon is the essence of our work. Subsequently the cats often have more energy, better appetite and a happy attitude.
Does acupuncture for cats really work?
Veterinary acupuncture can treat on whole host of health problems in cats. Depending on the complaint it can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with conventional veterinary medicine. Acupuncture uses particular points in the cats body where very fine needles are inserted for a length of time decided by the Vet administering the treatment. Most tolerate the treatment well and many owners are surprised when their usually highly strung pets are completely relaxed by the end of the treatment. By law only trained veterinary surgeons with appropriate further training allowed to administer acupuncture. Julia has undergone extensive further training since qualifying as a vet allowing her to offer extremely high standards of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Cats that have been the stressed with pain are often observed to be more comfortable following acupuncture treatment- many cats sleep and relax after and during the treatment. We often expect to see a difference in behaviour depending on the symptoms, for example better appetite improvement in lameness or improved movement, less nervous, improvement in skin and coat condition, change in blood results for renal problems. It is important to remember that acupuncture is not a one off Magic treatment. It may have been practiced and working for thousands of years and although improvements are often seen after the first treatment, the effects are usually cumulative and will often be in conjunction with traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine.
Now that you’re more aware of the most common issues that affect our beloved cat, we at Chirovet Wales hope this will help you identify any issues, and be able to ensure a clean bill of health and longevity of your time with your cat. We wish you happy and healthy cat, and we’ll always be here for any questions, queries or problems you may have!