Physical Exam / Wellness
Assessing your cat’s health begins here
Home / Services
Illness exam
At MCC we take the whole cat into consideration when attempting to diagnose the symptom(s) you, the guardian and companion, have a concern about.
We start with your concerns and observations as we ask you questions. Patient history is also important. And we take seriously the role of nutrition in the health of your cat. Knowing what food, treats, water, and amounts are important information for us know.
The Physical Exam actually starts while your cat is still in the carrier. We are looking at the body posture- is your cat nervous? (fight, flight or freeze?), does your cat show pain? Are the eyes dilated? and other clues that will help us know how best to handle your cat in the most stress free way possible.
The physical exam starts with the face and ends with the rear and the feet.
We are able to do most bloodwork in-house and highly recommend this as part of any illness exam. Blood pressure, urinalysis, radiology and limited ultrasound are all available at exam time.
We are in partnership with a traveling Sonographer and can set up an appointment time to have that service performed in clinic so your cat does not have to travel to a different location.
If needed, there are many board certified Veterinary Specialist in the Birmingham area whom we can set up a referral if your cat needs more in depth diagnostic or treatments than a general practice such as MCC can provide. And Auburn, Georgia, and Mississippi State Vet Schools are all about the same distance in travel from the Birmingham area.
Illness exams may take an hour or more, depending on the diagnostic tests, discussion of results, treatments needed, and medications needed to go home. Please make plans accordingly or make plans to do a “drop off” and we can get in touch as we access the diagnosis and treatment plan.
Feline Environmental Enrichment
“And with a look in his eye, as he gazed to the sky, “Now how to amuse them today?”” (A.A.Milne, Now We Are Six)
Obesity in cats has many causes.
The main one would be boredom and an all you can eat diet.
Studies on free ranging cats have found that, yes, they do spend most of the day resting or sleeping, but a good portion of their awake time is exploring their territory, hunting for their food, playing with their food, and then a relatively small amount of time actually eating their food.
How can you help your cat explore, hunt, play??
There are many examples found on-line addressing these topics. So, explore options and ideas. See how you can arrange your human environment to give your feline the best environment for the both all members of the household.
Preventative Medicine and Wellness Exams
Did you know that cats lack the number of neurons that we humans have? Dogs have twice the number of neurons that cats have! That said, our feline friends may not show a pain or illness until the condition is at an advanced stage. It’s not that pathology is going on (for example, a dental issue)
Hence, the need for an annual physical exam annually for cats over 1-8 years old and and twice yearly for cats over 10. Cats between 8-10 may need to seen twice yearly depending on health status. The really geriatric cats, >15 years should be seen 3-4 times a year, again, depending on health status.
At each exam, we will ask you, the guardian/companion of this feline, various questions relating to any concerns you have, eating habits, litter box habits, social structure, and what you are currently feeding your cat. And whether your cat is indoor, outdoor, how many other cats/dogs/ persons/ other creatures in the house.
We do recommend a baseline bloodwork analysis for all healthy cats before they are 5 years old. Knowing the Retrovirus (FeLV/FIV) status of your cat is important information, also.
We ask that you bring a fresh fecal sample with you at the time of the exam.
There is a good article about “Getting Your Cat to the Veterinarian” at https://catfriendly.com/cat-to-vet.com
If your cat is extremely uncomfortable with a trip to the vets, please let us know and we can prescribe a medication for him/her to be given at home a couple of hours prior to the appointment to help stop some of the windup effect.
We at Metro Cat Clinic have been certified by the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) as Fear Free Clinic and Dr. Montgomery is certified as Fear Free Veterinarian.
This does not guarantee that your cat will be totally relaxed, but we will make every effort to help make the visit with us as low stress as possible.
Vaccination, the type, the frequency, are all dependent on your cat’s life style and age and are individually tailored according the recommendations of the AAFP
We do advocate for a general deworming each year since even our indoor kitties can be mighty hunters and keep the bug and / or small rodent indoor population under control.
Routine flea prevention is important, even for indoor cats (yes, we routinely find fleas on indoor only cats. and it is part of each exam to run a flea comb through the fur looking for evidence of such creatures). For outdoor cats and even those that go out on a porch, deck, or supervised outdoor time to also be on heartworm prevention since Mosquitoes, which transmit Heartworms, are potentially in those areas. This is a year round necessity here in the Birmingham, AL area
We also think a small microchip implanted under the skin is a smart way to make sure your cat is always able to be identified. Even indoor cats have been known to get outside, either accidentally, on purpose or due to a natural disaster. It is a simple procedure and not that expensive.
MCC has taken the steps to be certified by the AAFP as a Feline Friendly Clinic. We have trained in many ways to handle your cat in a calm and safe manner. We make every effort to keep your cat as comfortable and secure as we can. Sometimes this will require some sort of sedation- oftentimes we can recommend a product for you to give a home prior to leaving for the appointment. That will help prevent some of the “wind up” nervousness. Fight, Flight or Freeze- These are the ways your cat can show its discomfort.
Call us if you have any other questions about how to help us all keep your cat at Fear Free as possible.
Kitten Exam
Who doesn’t love to see a kitten come in for an exam!!!!????
We will ooh and aah and have trouble moving the appointment as we watch you kitten playing in the exam room. The innocence of youth!
Kitten vaccinations are based on the age of your kitten at presentation and any previous vaccines. We follow the guidelines of the AAFP.
We recommend all kittens be tested for the Retro Viruses (FeLV/FIV).
When bringing your kitten to the clinic, please bring a fresh fecal sample (in a ziplock bag.)
We highly recommend your kitten/cat be microchipped. This is a simple procedure and most kittens do not react to it any more than they do a regular vaccination injection.
We also have a deworming protocol we follow, again based on age and based on the results of the fecal analysis.
At the kitten exam we will discuss diet, feline enrichment, grooming, appropriate scratching and nail care (MCC does not perform elective declawing surgery) Read a great hand out at https://catfriendly.com/scratching
If you are a first time cat owner, we also have a great handbook with all sorts of interesting Cat/Kitten information and can help steer you to other web site articles and YouTube videos.
Parasite Control
Birmingham, Alabama, while not Tropical, we do have internal and external parasites to contend with!
Mosquitos, which can pop up on a warm Christmas day, are the spreaders of Heartworms. In cats, this is a lung issue more than heart issues. It is also not treatable and can cause sudden death (anaphylactic reaction). This is a preventable disease with proper use of heartworm prevention. Luckily, this can be done at the same time as controlling that other horrible insect….
The Flea! We have a great couple of handouts on the Flea Life Cycle. And the many problems this pest can cause your cat, and you! luckily, there are many effective flea preventative regiments. (please be aware of the many OTC flea medications- many do NOT work, and many can be harmful to your cat)
Other parasite issues: ear mites, mange, and intestinal.
Most of the Flea/Heartworm preventive medications also help prevent, even get rid of, these pests.
We ask you bring a fresh fecal sample to each visit, especially if you have a GI concern.
Nutrition
We love to discuss the nutritional needs of cats! Originally a dessert animal and an obligate carnivore, their dietary needs are unique. And the genetic make up of cats has hardly changed from that of the first known domesticated at from 10.000 years ago. And since most cats are solitary hunters as well as feeders, we can help you devise a feeding structure that will help mimic how they would eat while understanding the restraints of being indoors.
We also take into account the health status and needs of your cat.
We can help you devise a weight loss or weight gain program as needed.
Just ask us!
Get $15 off for the First Time Examination!
This offer only applies if you submit the New Client / New Patient Form.