An important part of caring for your indoor (or outdoor) cat is performing regular home health exams. These are not difficult to do and may help you to spot physiological changes you may otherwise have missed. These exams should be done during grooming sessions, and ideally started when your cat is young. (If you’ve acquired an older cat, please don’t skip the exam. It just may take a little time to accustom the cat to the handling.)
When beginning your exam, start by looking at your cat overall. Is her behavior normal? Is she standing and walking properly? Does the cat’s balance seem correct? Any noticeable changes should be immediately brought to the attention of your veterinarian.
For the physical exam, you may want to use food treats, and don’t forget the praise. Keep your cat calm throughout the exam. If at any time the cat begins to get agitated, it is best to stop and continue at another time when she is more relaxed. Negative associations will only make future exams more difficult, for you as well as the cat.
Start your exam with the cat’s eyes. They should be bright, clear and free of excessive discharge. A small amount of clear discharge may be normal, but thick, dark discharge may be the sign of a problem, such as a blocked tear duct or conjunctivitis, and should be brought to the attention of your veterinarian.
If your cat bumps into things or seems to have trouble deciphering distances, you will want your veterinarian to check her eyesight. When I acquired Teisha, I noticed her movements were slow and cautious. If an object was on the floor that had not been there previously, she would walk into or trip over it. Her pupils dilated normally, but a trip to the veterinarian indicated a retinal detachment that caused her blindness.
Check the lenses of your pet’s eyes. Do they seem normal? Cloudiness may be a sign of cataracts. Redness or discharge around the lids may mean conjunctivitis.
Next, look into the cat’s ears. They should be clean and pink, but not red or swollen. A foul odor is the sign of an ear infection. If the ears look dirty, or if the cat scratches at them continually, ear mites may be present.
Check in the cat’s mouth. Most cats resist this, and you will need to be easy and gentle. Place your hand over the cat’s head and, using your thumb and middle finger, press lightly on either side of the cat’s mouth until it is opened. The gums should be pink, not white, bluish or yellow.
Lifting one lip carefully, press on the gums. They should turn white
at your touch, then quickly return to their natural color. There should
be no foul odor from the mouth. This can mean an infection or even kidney or digestive problems. The teeth should be white, not yellow or brown.
Brushing your cat’s teeth using a pet toothpaste (ask your veterinarian) or a baking soda and water mixture is a good idea. Do not use any toothpaste made for humans, as they may make a cat ill.
It’s okay if your cat’s nose is dry, but there should be no excessive nasal discharge.
Now, feel your way down the cat’s body. Start at the neck and throat, feeling for any lumps or sore spots. Check for fat. If you can’t feel your pet’s ribs, it may be time for a diet. On the other hand, if the ribs are sticking out or are more prominent than normal, the cat is losing weight. This could be the indication of a serious health problem.
Next, gently pull up the skin on your cat’s neck. The skin should fall right back into place when released. If the skin remains, your pet may be dehydrated.
Looking through your cat’s coat, check for fleas or other parasites. Flea dirt resembles tiny specks of pepper and turns red when dampened.
Become familiar with your cat’s normal pulse rate. Check it for any changes whenever you do her health check. You can feel the pulse by gently pressing right behind the cat’s left front leg over the chest area. A normal heart rate should run between 110 to 240 beats per minute.
Respiration should be even and barely audible (unless, of course, the cat is purring). Open-mouth breathing, holding the head extended while breathing or excessive chest movement is abnormal and should be checked by a veterinarian.
Next, run your hand down the cat’s legs and paws, and feel for any abnormalities (such as swelling, pain, lumps or stiffness). Also, watch your cat when she walks. Being familiar with her normal gait will help you spot a problem, such as a limp, in advance.
Finally, look around your cat’s anal area for excessive redness or discharge. If she has tapeworms, they may be visible and resemble small bits of rice. However, it is still a good practice to have your cat’s stool checked for internal parasites whenever she visits the veterinarian.
Cats have anal sacs located on either side of the anus. Occasionally, anal sacs get impacted and may cause irritation. If your cat is scooting her hind end along the floor or licking excessively at her anal area, have a veterinarian check her for impaction.
The entire exam sounds like a lot of work, but once you and your cat become accustomed to the routine of a home health exam it should not take much time at all, and will benefit you both in the long run.
When beginning your exam, start by looking at your cat overall. Is her behavior normal? Is she standing and walking properly? Does the cat’s balance seem correct? Any noticeable changes should be immediately brought to the attention of your veterinarian.
For the physical exam, you may want to use food treats, and don’t forget the praise. Keep your cat calm throughout the exam. If at any time the cat begins to get agitated, it is best to stop and continue at another time when she is more relaxed. Negative associations will only make future exams more difficult, for you as well as the cat.
Start your exam with the cat’s eyes. They should be bright, clear and free of excessive discharge. A small amount of clear discharge may be normal, but thick, dark discharge may be the sign of a problem, such as a blocked tear duct or conjunctivitis, and should be brought to the attention of your veterinarian.
If your cat bumps into things or seems to have trouble deciphering distances, you will want your veterinarian to check her eyesight. When I acquired Teisha, I noticed her movements were slow and cautious. If an object was on the floor that had not been there previously, she would walk into or trip over it. Her pupils dilated normally, but a trip to the veterinarian indicated a retinal detachment that caused her blindness.
Check the lenses of your pet’s eyes. Do they seem normal? Cloudiness may be a sign of cataracts. Redness or discharge around the lids may mean conjunctivitis.
Next, look into the cat’s ears. They should be clean and pink, but not red or swollen. A foul odor is the sign of an ear infection. If the ears look dirty, or if the cat scratches at them continually, ear mites may be present.
Check in the cat’s mouth. Most cats resist this, and you will need to be easy and gentle. Place your hand over the cat’s head and, using your thumb and middle finger, press lightly on either side of the cat’s mouth until it is opened. The gums should be pink, not white, bluish or yellow.
Lifting one lip carefully, press on the gums. They should turn white
at your touch, then quickly return to their natural color. There should
be no foul odor from the mouth. This can mean an infection or even kidney or digestive problems. The teeth should be white, not yellow or brown.
Brushing your cat’s teeth using a pet toothpaste (ask your veterinarian) or a baking soda and water mixture is a good idea. Do not use any toothpaste made for humans, as they may make a cat ill.
It’s okay if your cat’s nose is dry, but there should be no excessive nasal discharge.
Now, feel your way down the cat’s body. Start at the neck and throat, feeling for any lumps or sore spots. Check for fat. If you can’t feel your pet’s ribs, it may be time for a diet. On the other hand, if the ribs are sticking out or are more prominent than normal, the cat is losing weight. This could be the indication of a serious health problem.
Next, gently pull up the skin on your cat’s neck. The skin should fall right back into place when released. If the skin remains, your pet may be dehydrated.
Looking through your cat’s coat, check for fleas or other parasites. Flea dirt resembles tiny specks of pepper and turns red when dampened.
Become familiar with your cat’s normal pulse rate. Check it for any changes whenever you do her health check. You can feel the pulse by gently pressing right behind the cat’s left front leg over the chest area. A normal heart rate should run between 110 to 240 beats per minute.
Respiration should be even and barely audible (unless, of course, the cat is purring). Open-mouth breathing, holding the head extended while breathing or excessive chest movement is abnormal and should be checked by a veterinarian.
Next, run your hand down the cat’s legs and paws, and feel for any abnormalities (such as swelling, pain, lumps or stiffness). Also, watch your cat when she walks. Being familiar with her normal gait will help you spot a problem, such as a limp, in advance.
Finally, look around your cat’s anal area for excessive redness or discharge. If she has tapeworms, they may be visible and resemble small bits of rice. However, it is still a good practice to have your cat’s stool checked for internal parasites whenever she visits the veterinarian.
Cats have anal sacs located on either side of the anus. Occasionally, anal sacs get impacted and may cause irritation. If your cat is scooting her hind end along the floor or licking excessively at her anal area, have a veterinarian check her for impaction.
The entire exam sounds like a lot of work, but once you and your cat become accustomed to the routine of a home health exam it should not take much time at all, and will benefit you both in the long run.
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