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AAFP is making new recommendations regarding veterinary health care for cats.
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) together with the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has recently issued "Feline Life Stages Guidelines". These recommendations "address healthcare recommendations specific to the lifestage of the feline patient, and emphasize educating clients about behavior and environmental issues that promote a healthy life style."
Reasons for the new feline health care guidelines
The AAFP published these guidelines due to concerns relating to "alarming statistics reported in the 2007 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) US Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook" which showed that even though cats outnumber dogs kept as pets, cats receive significantly less veterinary care than dogs. Reasons for this discrepancy ranged from cat owners being unaware that their cats needed veterinary care and/or being unable to determine when their cat is ill to the difficulties inherent in transporting a cat to the veterinary office.
Recommendations included in veterinary health care guidelines for cats
The new AAFP "Feline Life Stages Guidelines" contain recommendations for veterinary care based on the life stage of the cat. Life stages considered include:
- kittens - birth to 6 months
- junior - 7 months to 2 years
- prime - 3 to 6 years
- mature - 7 to 10 years
- senior - 11 to 14 years
- geriatric - 15 years and older
Specific recommendations for these age groups include:
- frequency of wellness examinations
- nutrition and weight management counseling
- behavior and environmental counseling
- parasite control
- vaccinations
- dental care
These topics will be covered individually in greater length in upcoming columns. Stay tuned or subscribe to email alerts and be notified when a new article is published.
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The copyright of the article Health care for cats: New recommendations for feline veterinary care is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish Health care for cats: New recommendations for feline veterinary care in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Photo credit: Stephi 2006/Flickr.com
Comments
The cost of veterinary care for pets is as out of control as human health care. Within the last few years, the prices of office calls, medications, etc., have skyrocketed. When my diabetic cat was hospitalized for a problem just a few years ago, the vet said that I could save money by bringing in my cats insulin and hypodermic needles instead of using theirs. At that time it probably cost me about $.50 per injection (he needed 2 per day). The vet charged me $3.50 per injection just to administer the insulin. It would have been cheaper for me to drive there and do it myself. Another vet I recently went to charged me $400 to clean another cat's teeth and pull out an absessed tooth.....he wasn't going there for a root canal or a crown!! If a pet needs surgery, double, or even triple the price quoted because what they are not telling you are all the other costs involved...medications, administering medicines, medical supplies, disposal of medical supplies, and on and on... It's a racket!!
I think it pays to have health insurance for your pets to help deflect some of the costs.
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