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If you’ve ever been told that your kitty needs to be sedated for his exam, please don’t worry and don’t be embarrassed! Many of our patients come in once or twice per year and are never examined without sedation. Whether your cat is anxious, afraid, or has had a previous bad experience at the vet, there are several reasons why a sedated exam may be best for them.
1. You get what you pay for: a full exam
When you bring your cat to us, we want your cat to receive a full physical exam…not just a quick glance into his mouth while he’s hissing or a rabies vaccine given while we hold her down. A full physical exam should include a thorough assessment of your cat’s eyes, ears, teeth, coat, and abdominal palpation. Sometimes, this just isn’t possible without sedation.
2. It’s safer for our team…and for you
While our team is trained to gently but securely restrain cats for exams, procedures, nail trims, and obtaining blood and urine samples, a cat who is trying to escape can be dangerous to all of us. He may bite or scratch the staff or even you. While your cat may see you as her best friend at home, the stress and fear of a vet visit may cause her to lash out at you. We want to keep all of us as safe as possible.
3. Most importantly, it’s safer for your cat!
Some cats who are scared at the vet clinic just curl into a ball and wait for us to quickly finish the exam and any necessary tests or vaccines. Our very anxious cats, though, are under extreme stress while trying to hide, escape, or stay in their carriers. This stress can cause dangerous elevations in heart rate and blood pressure. Cats can injure themselves trying to stay in or get back into their carriers. Some cats have even tried to climb the walls! When your cat is terrified, sedation will be safer than restraint.
Our team is trained to watch for signs of anxiety, and this isn’t always growling and hissing. Dilated pupils, flattened ears, panting, and certain movements and behaviors can give us clues that a cat is stressed. Depending on your cat’s level of anxiety, we may recommend a mild sedative that you can give at home prior to the appointment (this often works well for very timid cats), or we may need to use injectable sedation for extremely anxious cats. Please let us know if you have any concerns about the recommended sedation for your cat.
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