Monday, August 31, 2009

Do You Know the 6 Basic Needs of Your Cat?

Keeping Your Cat Happy and Healthy Indoors

We'll give you a hint with one...if you don't want your lovable furr-baby destroying your drapes or couch cushions you should provide one of these!?


Click here to make sure you've got your 'A-game' on and are providing your feline companion with everything he or she might need.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Do You Know What Your Cat's Saying?

At the Scottsdale Cat Clinic we are always on the lookout for fun and informative stories or articles. We recently found a story talking about the cat's purr, meow and other tones they can emit. We thought you'd enjoy learning a little more about what your feline friend is trying to tell you!

Cats are crafty creatures—especially when it comes to food. They’ve developed a tone to communicate with people by taking advantage of our instincts to care for offspring. The tone mimics the sound frequency of a crying baby. Are you nodding your head in agreement?

Turn up the volume on your computer and click here to listen to more about the Cat's Purr.

Monday, August 17, 2009

National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day!


National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day is technically August 22nd but here at the Scottsdale Cat Clinic we are celebrating on August 24th!

Do you consider a semi-annual check-up important for your cat? We do and now there is a national day devoted just to your cat to promote much needed regular check-ups for your furry companion.

*Every kitty who comes in for an exam on August 24th will receive a goodie bag filled with fun toys and food. The kitties care taker will also be entered into a raffle for additional great prizes.*

Remember, cats age much more quickly than humans and changes in their health can occur in a very short period of time often going undetected. Although your cat may appear perfectly healthy they are very good at hiding symptoms and your veterinarian can typically pick up on them early. Catching illnesses early is important to prolonging your cats life. Don't wait any longer and call us today to schedule your cat's physical exam (480) 970-1175.

Be healthy, be happy.

Dr. Judy Karnia, Scott, Ciela, Valerie, Katrina, Tracy, Bryan and Margie

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Do You Have Questions About Your Cat's Health? Check Out PetDocsOnCall and MedHelp


Two new pet community forums are now available for pet owners seeking good quality advice from knowledgeable professionals!

PetDocsOnCall and MedHelp allow pet owners to ask questions of veterinarians and select animal professionals. These two websites are becoming increasingly popular in these tough economic times. MedHelp has been online since 1996 and is the largest medical community forum online. Their pet section is about 2 years old. PetDocsOnCall began in March of 2009.

PetDocOnCall and MedHelp want to help you fully understand the medical and behavioral aspects of your pet's life. If you are looking for help with a sick cat, info on pet symptoms, or want to ask a vet a question, then this is the right place.

Pet owners should look to the true pet professionals for accurate and trustwo
rthy information. These two sites have actual veterinarians available to answer questions for a small fee.

Our own, Dr. Judy Karnia, at the Scottsdale Cat Clinic is currently one of the member veterinarians of PDOC and MedHelp. She began volunteering her expertise with them in their early stages and responds to feline relate
d questions. The two sites have the largest gathering of veterinarians available on the internet and all of the DVMs are volunteers and members of the esteemed Veterinary News Network. (www.MyVNN.com) PetDocsOnCall has more than 80 veterinarians currently on staff. Of those, about 30 also help at MedHelp.org.

Both websites offer a place where you can receive medical advice, share stories, photos, and even videos about your favorite pets. At the same time, you will learn so much - from others and from the medical staff. You can meet new friends, show off your dog's new tricks, or find interesting fun facts about all sorts of animals.

Check out PetDocsOnCall.com and MedHelp.org today and maybe you'll hear back from our Dr. Karnia!






Thursday, August 6, 2009

STOP THE MADNESS!! Stress and Behavior Problems in Cats

Being an exclusively feline veterinary practice we often see cats who are exhibiting some type of behavioral problems. Once a medical issue is ruled out it's time to take a look at what is going on at home. Most cat owners don't realize the everyday stresses that are put on their kitties. From irregular feeding times to lack of mental stimulation, stress on felines can be damaging. Whether the stressor is emotional or not, it will trigger chemical changes within your cat and your cat will begin to experience a variety of physiological events. Long-term exposure to fearful or adverse events can cause neuro-chemical changes.

By understanding what stress is for a cat, we as cat owners can prevent these situations from occurring. Your first step should be to evaluate your cat's behavior and environment to see if that can be a cause of their stress. Now, a complete absence of stress is impossible to obtain and some level of stress is necessary to develop pliant neuroendocrine and behavior responses. However, we do want to minimize stress that can be harmful.

Some examples of harmful stress are unfamiliar handling, changes in social (home) environment such as a baby, new animal, a different work schedule of the owners and loud unfamiliar noises. During the development time frame of 3 to 9 weeks owners need to be preparing their kitten for a life without fears. Owner should be exposing their cat to a variety of stimuli. Novel noises, places and people are just a few examples of stimuli. Even though the process will take some time, owners can prevent stress, fear and anxiety by gradually introducing their cat to new situations.

Many behaviors that cat owners see are due to a lack of mental and physical stimulation or situations that are associated with fear and anxiety. Common indicators of stress, anxiety and fear include: decreased or increased grooming, litter box changes, hiding more often, changes in appetite and decreased play. If a cat is very stressed, owners may observe him crouching, having pupil dilation and /or panting. The easiest way to avoid this is to anticipate and prevent stressful situations when possible. The key for owners is to meet the cat's emotional needs socially and mentally by promoting proper toys, giving praise and providing human and other feline interaction.

For more information on cat care visit our website or call us at 480-970-1175.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Our Surgical Monitoring Standards

The Scottsdale Cat Clinic understands that dropping your fur baby off for Surgery can be very traumatic. You often have many questions concerning the anesthesia of your cat during a surgical procedure. We would like to put some of your concerns at ease by going over our strict monitoring procedures with you.

During a surgical procedure, one technician is dedicated to monitoring the anesthesia of the patient. We use a Cardell Monitor which measures blood pressure, EKG and respirations. It also measures the amount of oxygen in your cat's blood with a pulse oximeter. We also use a device called a Doppler that is placed over a vein and allows us to hear the heart beat.

One of the reasons we monitor the blood pressure is to make sure the cat is not in any distress. If the cat's blood pressure remains too low, the kidneys could be harmed. A normal blood pressure for a feline should be between 110/160 for systolic (pumping in) and between 55/100 for diastolic (pumping out). The EKG monitors the beats of your cat's heart while under anesthesia. A normal heart rate should range between 120 and 200 beats per minute depending upon their stage of anesthesia. The respiratory portion monitors the amount of breaths your cat is taking. The normal respiration range for cats is between 10-40 breaths per minute. Lastly, the pulse oximeter measures the amount of oxygen that is circulating through the cat's blood. The normal oxygen saturation range should be between 90 and 100%. We will also use a device called an esophageal stethoscope, which is a tube that is placed into the cat's throat. It is attached to a cardiac stethoscope enabling the technicians to monitor the heartbeats and breaths your cat takes.

At the Scottsdale Cat Clinic, we want each and every client to feel comfortable that their cat is receiving the best in medical care. We go the extra mile to ensure the safety and happiness of your feline family.

If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to call, we're more than happy to speak with you, Scottsdale Cat Clinic.