The "state of the art" in medicine and surgery is always advancing, and there are some truly miraculous therapies for people and animals on the horizon. When you read articles about miracle drugs and new discoveries, though, you may wonder whether there is anything that can help patients right here and now. The good news is that we can make millions of cats' lives better in many ways with some recent advances, even though an all-powerful cure for cancer still remains elusive.
One of the most basic problems for large populations of cats around the world is parasites. External parasites like ticks and fleas make cats uncomfortable and also carry diseases that can be detrimental to cats and the people around them. Internal parasites, which may be worms that live in the intestines or the bloodstream, or single-celled organisms that invade many different organs of the body, can also cause weight loss or even fatal infections. Effective parasite preventatives and treatments, therefore, can provide enormous improvements in the quality of life for millions of cats. Many people don't realize that the days of flea powders, shampoos, and toxic collars are behind us, at least for those of us lucky enough to live in developed countries.
There are many safe and effective monthly preventatives available, in both topical (on the skin) and oral forms, that can be very effective at preventing flea infestations and killing ticks. Some products also prevent or kill certain internal parasites at the same time. New products are entering the market frequently, so you should speak to your vet about the best choice for your pet, as well as ways to watch out for imposters--older, less safe products masquerading in the same dosing forms as more modern choices. Likewise, for internal parasites, we have a number of effective treatments for worms, some of which are topical or injectable if you have trouble giving oral medications to your pet. Medications which can be given topically or by injection can be very helpful for feral cats as well, as they can be given while the cat is anesthetized for neutering and vaccines.
Another area where progress has helped improve the lives of many cats is in the area of pain medication. Recognition of the importance of pain control in animals has greatly increased over the past 20 years and has been the focus of intense research. During and after surgery, or following an injury, combinations of various types of pain medications can greatly help to make a patient more comfortable and speed recovery. These may include opioids, NSAIDs, and complementary therapies including cold laser, massage, acupuncture, and physical therapy. Even feral cats undergoing neutering in trap-neuter-return (TNR) clinics often receive one or more doses of injectable pain relief to make their experience as humane as possible.
Recently, a long-acting formulation of a popular opioid has come on the market, which allows 24-hour pain medication for cats without the need for repeated dosing. NSAIDs specifically approved for cats are also new within the past few years. For longer-term painful conditions, such as arthritis, NSAIDs can also be very helpful for maintaining comfort and mobility in older cats. These drugs must be used with extreme caution to prevent serious side effects, but guidelines for safe use have been established within the past 5 years and the benefit to quality of life in elderly cats has been wonderful.
Finally, much progress has been made recently in establishing guidelines for handling cats to minimize their stress as much as possible. This doesn't sound like a breakthrough that makes headlines and heroically saves lives, but the benefit to the quality of life of cats can be extreme. Organizations like the CATalyst Council in the US and similar organizations overseas have released guidelines and educational materials designed to educate veterinarians and the general public about low-stress ways to acclimate cats to travel in carriers, ways to make veterinary clinics more feline-friendly, and ways to handle cats in veterinary clinics in a non-adversarial manner.
Minimizing stress can save lives by allowing veterinarians to more easily and accurately diagnose and treat cats, by preventing stress-induced complications of illnesses in the hospital, and by simply making owners more likely to bring their cats in for routine and illness-related care. Veterinarians can't help cats that don't visit the hospital and wellness visits save lives by preventing serious illness and diagnosing problems before they become too severe to treat. Anything we as veterinarians and responsible pet owners can do to encourage regular veterinary care, and to help cats be cooperative with their medical care, has the potential to save more lives than any "miracle drug!"
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