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11.02.10, 08:03
I was surprised to read that in the USA, cats are more popular pets than dogs. The growth of cat ownership in the UK has also increased dramatically over the past ten years, to the point that ownership of cats and dogs is roughly equal. Yet cats typically receive half the veterinary care than do dogs.
This is changing in the USA with the growth of feline-only practices. More and more attention is being placed on maintaining the health of the feline population. The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) was formed to “improve the health and welfare of cats by supporting high standards of practice, continuing education, and scientific investigation.”
A new document has been developed by AAFP and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) to recommend Feline Life Stage Guidelines. These cover the life stages of a cat – kitten, junior, prime, mature, senior and geriatric. They then provide recommendations on care for each stage. These are an expansion on the “standards of care” contained in the compliance study done by AAHA in 2003 and updated in 2009. But they concentrate on felines.
They are intended to help veterinarians AND support staff, better educate clients on what is best for their cat’s health.
RxWorks’ Healthcare Manager already helps a practice monitor these standards of care and educate clients – as well as measure success and identify problem areas. We are very pleased that cats are now receiving the same attention as dogs, so more practices can use our tools to improve patient care and increase profitability.
An interesting fact from the UK study is that the percentage of cat owners with university degrees is higher than that for dog owners. I suppose that means cats need more intelligent companions than dogs!
AAHA Veterinary Guidelines
Click here to view the AAHA article on AAFP/AAHA Feline Life Stage Guidelines.
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