Install
Vets & Vet Care terms
Going to the vet: clinics, costs, insurance, and keeping cats from the vet's door to old age.
Adult catA fully grown cat, roughly from two to six years old, in its prime and needing steady care, exercise and a weight-controlled diet.AnesthesiaThe medically controlled loss of consciousness and pain sensation that lets a vet perform surgery, dental work or imaging safely.Blood panelA set of blood tests that counts cells and measures chemicals to show how a cat's organs are working.BrachycephalicHaving a short, broad skull and flattened face, as in Persians and Exotic Shorthairs, which often brings breathing, eye and dental problems.Carnassial teethThe large cheek teeth, a cat's upper fourth premolar and lower first molar, that slide past each other like scissors to slice meat.Core vaccinesThe vaccines vets recommend for every cat, as opposed to non-core vaccines chosen according to a cat's lifestyle and risk.CryptorchidA male cat with one or both testicles that have not moved down into the scrotum, staying in the groin or abdomen.DeclawingA surgery that amputates the last bone of each toe, not just the claw, and is banned or discouraged in many places.DewclawThe small thumb-like claw higher up on the inner side of each front leg that does not touch the ground.EuthanasiaA veterinarian's painless medical procedure to end an animal's life peacefully when suffering cannot be relieved.FVRCP vaccineThe combination cat vaccine that protects against feline herpesvirus, calicivirus and panleukopenia.Hospice careCare for a cat with an incurable illness that focuses on comfort, pain relief and quality of life rather than cure.Limited-ingredient dietA food built around few ingredients, often a single protein, used in a vet-guided trial to find out whether a cat has a food allergy.Mature catA cat of about seven to ten years old, equivalent to a person in their mid-forties to fifties, when screening for age-related disease begins.MicrochipA rice-grain-sized implant under a cat's skin that carries a number a scanner can read, linking the cat to its owner's details in a registry.OvergroomingLicking, chewing or pulling at fur so much that it causes thin or bald patches, with causes ranging from skin disease to stress.Periodontal diseaseInfection and inflammation of the gums and tissues that hold the teeth, the most common dental problem in cats.Prescription dietA food made to help manage a medical condition such as kidney disease or urinary crystals, fed only on a vet's advice.Resting energy requirementThe calories a resting cat uses each day, a baseline vets multiply by a factor to work out how much food an individual cat needs.ScruffThe loose skin at the back of a cat's neck, which a mother cat grips to carry kittens but which adult cats should not be lifted or held by.Third eyelidA thin fold of tissue at the inner corner of a cat's eye that sweeps across the surface to protect and moisten it.UrinalysisA set of tests on a cat's urine that reveals kidney function, infection, crystals, diabetes and more.Wellness examA routine vet visit for a healthy-looking cat to check its body, update vaccines and parasite control, and catch problems early.Body condition scoreA hands-on rating of how lean or fat a cat is, on a scale such as 1 to 9, used by vets because weight alone can mislead.Cat bite abscessA pocket of pus under the skin that forms after a bite or scratch from another cat, common in outdoor, unneutered males.Cat carrierA secure, ventilated box or bag for moving a cat safely to the vet, on a trip or in an emergency.DehydrationA shortage of body water that can accompany vomiting, diarrhea, kidney disease and many other illnesses in cats.Feline acneA skin condition that shows as blackheads and sometimes sores on a cat's chin and lower lip.Feline asthmaA long-term inflammation of a cat's small airways that causes coughing, wheezing and sometimes sudden breathing difficulty.HairballA wet clump of swallowed fur that a cat brings up, normal now and then but worth a vet visit if frequent.SeizuresSudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can cause collapse, twitching, drooling and loss of awareness.Vaccine titerA blood test that measures antibodies to a germ, sometimes used to judge whether a cat is protected after vaccination.Mammary cancerCancer of a female cat's milk glands, usually malignant, and far less likely in cats spayed when young.NeuterThe surgery that removes a male cat's testicles so he cannot father kittens, with fewer urges to roam, fight and spray.PyometraA life-threatening infection of the uterus that affects unspayed female cats, usually within weeks after a heat.SpayThe surgery that removes a female cat's ovaries, and usually the uterus, so she can no longer become pregnant or go into heat.