Surgery
Our
modern surgical suite is specifically designed for our feline
patients and provides a safe and sterile environment. All of
our surgical patients receive intravenous fluids during their
procedures and the doctor and assistant are with the cat at
all times monitoring their respiratory rate, heart rate and
blood pressure. We use a very gentle and safe anaesthetics for
cats which allows for a quick and uneventful recovery.
If your cat has a scheduled procedure involving a general anaesthetic
you will be asked to "fast" your cat beginning 12
hours before the procedure is to take place. This requires you
to take away your cat's food the evening before, leaving his/her
water dish. A drop-off appointment will be made between 7am
and 9am to allow the doctor to perform a pre-anaesthetic exam
and admit your cat into our hospital. At this time your cat
will be given a pre-anaesthetic medication which will relax
him/her and provide any pain medication that he/she will need.
Our technician will then place an intravenous catheter for the
administration of anaesthetic induction and fluid therapy. When
we have completed your cat's procedure our veterinary technician
will telephone you to give you a progress report on his/her
recovery and book a discharge appointment.
Dental Prophylaxis
The two most common dental ailments found in cats include Periodontal disease and Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORL). More than 80% of cats over the age of four are afflicted with periodontal disease. With this disease, layers of plaque accumulate and then harden on the tooth surface. Bacterial toxins and enzymes from the plaque cause the gums to become inflamed. If left untreated the gums worsen and begin to detach from the tooth surface creating periodontal 
pockets. As these pockets deepen, tartar forms along the root of the tooth causing the tooth to loosen. Tooth extraction is the only reasonable treatment option for teeth in this condition. Feline odontoclastic resorptive lesion (FORL) is a relatively common dental disease, affecting an estimated 50% of cats. FORL are extremely painful and cause loss of tooth function. During oral examination, FORL are evident by a cavity like hole on the neck of the tooth. The lesions are often covered with locally inflamed gingiva. FORL may also affect the root first, particularly on canine teeth. In this case the roots become very brittle and the crown of the tooth can easily break off. FORL cause irreparable damage to the tooth, therefore, the only treatment option is extraction.
Poor oral health can lead to other health problems. Bacteria in the mouth can enter the bloodstream and travel to other organs, such as the heart, kidneys, and lungs. Once lodged in these organs the bacteria can multiply and cause serious infections. Since serious bacterial infections pose potentially life threatening conditions our doctors recommend starting all cats on antibiotics three days prior to any professional dental work.
A professional dental cleaning involves removing the tartar from your cat's teeth above and below the gum line using an ultrasonic scaler, probing all the teeth for periodontal pockets and FLOR, polishing the teeth and lastly finishing with a chlorhexidine rinse. During this time your cat is placed under a general anesthetic. As with all anesthetic procedures your cat will be placed on intravenous fluids as well as heart, blood pressure and respiration monitors. Your cat will be wrapped in warm towels and will be lying on a warm oat bag to ensure their comfort during the procedure. If an extraction is necessary the doctor will prescribe pain control medication and will re-examine your cat's mouth, free of charge, three days after the procedure to ensure the extraction site is healing well.
Dental x-rays are very helpful to truly find out what is going on in a cat's mouth. Nearly half of all dental x-rays performed will reveal important information that would otherwise be missed by visual examination alone. We are equipped with a modern veterinary dental x-ray and developer and recommend taking x-rays during every annual dental cleaning.
Behaviour
Consultation
There is nothing worse than loving your kitty and at the same
time having trouble cohabiting with her/him. Our doctors attend
feline continuing education courses throughout the year which
keep them up-to-date with the latest findings in feline behaviour.
We know that behaviour problems can be very frustrating and
can upset the entire household. At All About Cats we offer you
a Behavioural Consultation which involves you completing a detailed
questionnaire before an involved sit-down discussion with our
doctors. We are here to help you solve these problems so that
you and your cat(s) can live together in harmony.
