These days, the family pet is the family friend. Owners want their pets to have long and healthy lives and they want to prevent illness in their pets. Today, clients are better informed about their own health and they seek quality health care for their pets too.

A well-trained and well-cared-for cat adds something good to life. Medical evidence has shown that cats can be good for our physical and mental health. They provide companionship and bring out caring qualities in people. Cats are good teachers, especially for children. They encourage creative play and the development of compassion, responsibility and respect for life.

WHY IS PREVENTIVE HEALTH
CARE IMPORTANT?

Preventive health care, or Wellness Programmes, can increase the quality and length of your cat's life. Your cat will gain greater vitality, a better appearance, and have fewer health problems. Preventive health care is a wise investment as it is substantially less costly than treating an illness. Your cat is much more likely to be a valued friend if you plan ahead in order to avoid behavioural and health problems before they occur.

WHAT IS PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE?

Preventive health care is the use of current scientific knowledge and medical tools in order to avoid problems before they occur. As a general rule, health problems are much easier to prevent than they are to solve. We at Killarney Cat Hospital strongly believe in this. That is why we have implemented Wellness Programmes for preserving the health of your cat. They include the concept of "risk factor management". This means that these factors of illness will be identified and managed, or permanently corrected, in the still healthy cat, thereby reducing the likelihood that costly diagnostics or treatment will be needed.

TYPES OF WELLNESS PROGRAMMES

Annual Well-Pet Physical Exams - We need to realize that our companions age much faster than we do. That is why regular annual health exams are very important to your cat. Problems can be identified during the exam, even in apparently healthy animals. Early detection of disease or behavioural problems ensures prompt action, which may solve the problem before serious consequences occur.

Vaccination programmes - Cats are at risk of a multitude of infectious diseases. An unvaccinated cat may become severely ill from one or more of these diseases and risk long-term illness, lameness, blindness or even death. In addition, an unvaccinated, diseased cat can infect all other unvaccinated cats with which it comes into contact. That is why it is so important for cats to be vaccinated. We will suggest a vaccination programme best suited to your cat.

Spay/Neuter Programme - Surgical neutering (removal of the ovaries/uterus or testes) helps prevent uterine disease, breast cancer, the birth of unwanted kittens and the development of undesirable behaviour.

Dental Health Programmes - Will inform pet owners about their pet's dental problems, how they can be rectified, and how they can be prevented through careful home management.

Nutritional Counseling, Obesity Management and Weight control Programme - Dietary management (controlling what and how much you feed your cat) helps prevent under nourished kittens, poor growth, decreased resistance to infection, obesity, malnutrition, metabolic diseases and organ dysfunction, including bladder problems known as Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). The world of cat food can be very confusing. We are able to assist you by advising which diet suits your cat the best, whether it is a wellness, therapeutic or a weight reduction diet.

Kitten Health Care - Will inform owners about all aspects of home care of their kitten, including the importance of correct nutrition, dental prophylaxis, grooming, disease and parasite control, neutering and behaviour management.

Senior Health Care - Will inform owners of older pets (over 8-9 years) about the control and management of age-related disorders, such as organ failure, dental disease, and joint and skeletal problems, through correct nutrition, dental care, exercise and screening for early detection of disease.

Behaviour Management - Will inform owners about the benefits of owning a well behaved pet, and supply expert advice regarding management of behavioural problems.

Internal/External Parasite Control - External and internal parasites still pose a big problem in our pets. Some of these parasites can cause health hazards to people, especially small children, who are in close physical contact with their animal companions. We will advise how and when to deworm your cat.

Loss Prevention Programme - To lose your beloved pet can a traumatic experience. It can happen anytime and anywhere. To avoid this nightmare, we will help you safe-proof your home and show you the necessary steps needed to permanently identify your pet.

Comfort/Pain Control/Suffering Prevention Programme- Our job as veterinarians is to prevent pain and suffering. Pain in cats in general is very difficult to assess. We at Killarney Cat Hospital are very concerned about comfort of our patients during any medical or surgical procedures. We always look for signs when acute or chronic pain can be present. As veterinary health care professionals, we are trained and have responsibility to treat pain. We are familiar with subtle signs signaling early onset of mild to moderate pain. Part of Wellness Programmes is our COMFORT, PAIN MANAGEMENT AND SUFFERING PREVENTION PROGRAMME (CPSP). Every pet admitted for medical or surgical procedure will offered an effective pain control medication. Please ask for the CPSP package.