In some instances, we may recommend hospitalization for your cat. Our hospital is equipped with a number of monitoring equipment & services. The following is a short list of services and equipment that may be recommended:

  • IV (intravenous) fluids – Having direct access to a vein allows continuous fluid supportive care. An IV catheter also allows our doctors to administer many medications (i.e. antibiotics, pain medications) directly into the vein.
  • Radiographs (x-rays)
  • Blood pressure measurements
  • Pulse oximetry – Determines blood oxygen levels
  • Glucometer – Determines blood glucose (sugar) levels
  • Abdominal Ultrasound — Sonogram of the internal abdominal organs
  • Echocardiogram — Sonogram of the internal structure of the heart

Since your cat is away from home, we strive to provide your cat with a comfortable environment during their stay with us. Each of our patients is given a comfortable bed to relax in a calm, quiet environment. You are encouraged to bring your cat’s favorite toy, dish, or blanket to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Our doctors will contact you daily about the status of your cat.

RADIOGRAPHS (X-RAYS)

Radiographs (x-rays) allow our doctors to view internal structures of your cat and are an important component of a diagnostic work-up. Often times, we like to couple a comprehensive blood panel with some images (x-rays) to fully evaluate a body system that is in question. Our doctors will discuss each radiograph (x-ray) with you and point out the normal anatomy and any abnormalities that are present. A description of the most common radiographs (x-rays) is given below. Other views may be taken such as limbs, head and neck.

  • Abdominal radiographs (x-rays) aid our doctors in evaluating your cat’s internal organs (i.e. liver, digestive tract (stomach, intestine, colon), kidneys, spleen, bladder). With this radiograph (x-ray), each organ is evaluated for size, shape, location, relationships to other organs, and the presence of any abnormalities or disease.
  • Thoracic (chest) radiographs (x-rays) aid our doctors in evaluating your cat’s heart and lungs.  With this radiograph (x-rays), the heart, lungs, vessels, ribs, and spine are evaluated for size, shape, location, relationships to other organs, and the presence of any abnormalities or disease.

ULTRASOUND

If your cat should need an ultrasound study, we have a brand new state-of-the-art ultrasound unit at our hospital.  This non-invasive diagnostic tool allows our doctors to image your cat’s internal organs to give us specific and detailed information on an internal organ. Often times, radiographs (x-rays) and ultrasound are taken together to obtain a complete picture of your cat. Radiographs (x-rays) allow our doctors to view all of the internal organs together in one picture. An ultrasound allows our doctors to specifically focus on one organ at a time and obtain very detailed information on that organ. Organs that are evaluated include the liver, gall bladder, digestive tract (stomach, intestines, colon), spleen, pancreas, adrenal glands, lymph nodes and urinary bladder. Together with a comprehensive blood panel, a great deal of information is obtained to formulate a more specific and appropriate medical plan for your cat.

We also offer focused cardiac ultrasound for cats at For Cats Only. This is an echocardiogram that focuses on determining if myocardial disease (disease of the heart muscle) is present. This is the most commonly seen cardiac disease in cats. If you have reason to believe your cat may have heart disease, we can absolutely help you to determine if this is the case and develop a treatment plan to keep your cat as healthy as possible.