Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.
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| On YOur BesT BehaViOr S E E O U R N E W P R O D U C T S AT AV M A BOOTH 411 For more detailed information on urine marking, read Dr. ilana reisner's article, diagnosis and Management of feline urine Marking (March/ april 2012 issue of Today's Veterinary Practice), available at todaysveterinarypractice.com. • Prevention: Owners can help prevent urine marking by remembering Commandment 1: the home environment needs to provide plenty of space for all cats. • Management: If a cat begins to mark, there are a number of therapeutic options available, including anti-anxiety medications (eg, fluoxetine, clomipramine, buspirone), pheromones (Feliway) and, as a last resort, progestins. 10. conSider outSide SPaceS Because space is essential in a multicat household, it can be expanded to a safe area outside. A safe area is one that is fenced specially for cats, keeping them within the enclosure and other animals or threats out. • Fencing options include Purr…fect Fence (purrfectfence.com) and Cat Fence-In (catfencein.com). • These fencing systems are relatively easy to assemble, and can be conformed to existing fencing or built around an area of the owner's choosing. • Outdoor fencing is an especially good option if you are merging groups of cats, providing plenty of space for all cats. keyS to SucceSS client education Make sure to effectively communicate these commandments to owners with multiple cats as well as ensure they are implemented consistently in the households. Communication and follow-up are critical keys to success. veterinary intervention However, even when owners implement the recommendations discussed in this article, there will be situations when intercat discord develops or continues. Intervention by a behavior specialist (visit dacvb.org for a list of boarded veterinary behaviorists) should be pursued if: • There is significant injury to 1 or more cats in the household • One or more cats is hiding for long periods of time and evaluate entries/exits to rooms have owners evaluate their homes' layouts if they have more than 1 cat. if possible, there should be more than 1 entry/exit point to each area of the house in order to prevent a cat from trapping/ cornering another cat or preventing access to resources. (Continued on page 65) 70 Today's Veterinary Practice May/June 2013 The best solutions for your pet's anxieties. At Thunderworks, we are committed to fnding simple and safe solutions for your pet's anxiety. ThunderShirt, ThunderLeash, ThunderTreat and ThunderToy are the best solutions for pet anxiety caused by severe weather, travel, separation and much more. 866.892.2078 | ThunderShirt.com