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We were very lucky here at NOVA Cat Clinic to have a 4th year Virginia Tech Veterinary student work with us. He was kind enough to write his experience here and we thought we should share. We look forward to having Hung Vu join the veterinary profession in May of 2017.
It’s fifteen minutes past your appointment and you rush into the lobby to check in Midnight. You’re usually prompt, but it took thirty minutes to chase Midnight down and force him into the carrier. Greeting you on the other side of the entrance doorway is a 70-pound Golden Retriever pulling on her owner’s leash. A yellow wet floor sign is propped up two feet from the receptionist’s desk. Barking resonates from the kennel area, through the exam rooms, and into the front lobby. A veterinary assistant brings you into an exam room and places your carrier on a cold, stainless steel table. You take a peek. Midnight’s dilated black pupils conceal his gorgeous green eyes. This situation has become too commonplace, but I have learned that the overall experience can be a lot more pleasant for the cat and owner.
A feline-only practice like NOVA Cat Clinic understands the patients, clients, and medicine on a different level.
Most noticeable to clients is the atmosphere. There is noticeably less noise without dogs. The textures are more welcoming–every cat gets a towel under them during exams so that they have some cushioning and warmth. Exam rooms offer hiding boxes for more insecure cats. The staff is also trained in feline body language and low stress feline handling. This means minimal restraint, cradling, and towel wrapping before resorting to scruffing or sedation.
The immediate benefits are obvious to clients: there is a lot less shedding at the vet’s office, their cats do not resent their carriers, nor do they hide when they get back home from the vet’s office. More importantly, less stress on the cat means that the veterinarian can perform a more thorough physical exam, is able to draw blood or urine for analysis, and is able to administer medications.
Many in the veterinary profession find feline medicine particularly challenging, partly because cats are better at hiding their illnesses than their canine counterparts. This is also because education and training are disproportionately focused on dogs over cats. However, those practicing only on cats gain more experience and are more motivated to broaden their understanding of feline medicine. In the same way that cardiologists are experts with the heart, feline doctors and technicians are experts with cats.
Veterinary medicine expands on a daily basis. There will always be new scientific studies, new medications, new diagnostic tests, and better approaches to age-old problems. The professionals at places like NOVA Cat Clinic are not only up to speed with these changes, but they are often times the pioneers.
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