Can you sedate a cat for grooming

Giving your pet cat regular bath time helps prevent ticks and fleas and should there be a presence of these parasites it can be easily controlled with the help of regular baths as well as flea removers and sprays.

Regular nail trimming every 10 days or at least every two weeks is vital for cats because having overgrown nails causes discomfort and even health issues for the cat. Curved and overgrown can grow into the footpads and cause intense pain for your kitty and can also result in damage to household items and furniture.

Regular grooming time which includes bathing and brushing will also allow you to check for abnormal lumps and skin lesions on your pet cat. While grooming time can be a real struggle there are safe and effective ways to sedate your cat so that the process is done without unnecessary aggression, stress and anxiety. How to sedate a cat for grooming There are various ways to sedate a cat for grooming but extreme care and consultation with your vet is necessary if you opt for a method that requires medication.

Here are some common ways to sedate a cat for grooming: 1. Use of sedative medications. Just some of the popular over the counter sedatives are the following: Gabapentin — an anti-convulsant to treat chronic pain as well as anxiety in cats. Chlorpheniramine — an antihistamine used for allergies and sedative for cats and other animals Benzodiazepine — a common sedative to treat anxiety, however, it has side effects like disorientation and sleeplessness.

Acepromazine — a tranquilizer used as a sedative for cats and other animals. Use non-medication sedation methods Aside from over the counter sedatives, there are also natural alternatives you may use to sedate your cat : Trough the use of CBD oil. General anesthesia may be used but only in extreme cases. According to Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine , Inhalation, or gas, anesthesia is one of the most effective and safest methods to keep cats under general anesthesia for surgery and other long and involved work.

They are usually maintained with a tube in their trachea to monitor respiration and to administer the gas. Often cats are eased or induced into general anesthesia with an injectable drug and maintained on gas. This provides an excellent blend of pain-control, anesthesia, and smooth recovery.

Oral sedation with medication is the means of administering a tablet or a liquid to a cat to either calm her or remove anxiety. Acepromazine is strictly a tranquilizer and is one of the most common oral sedatives given to cats, dogs, and horses.

Unfortunately, it has no analgesic properties but remains safe for occasional use if correctly dosed. According to DVM , Benzodiazepines are in a class widely used to alleviate anxiety. They can be used to help imminent anxiety or can be instrumental in anxiety disorders. Diazepam, Xanax and Lorazepam are used with success as a nontoxic sedative for cats.

You must take extreme caution with dosing. Benadryl and Chlorpheniramine have broad use in cats for sedation and relief of anxiety during travel and grooming.

Injectable sedatives may provide rapid tranquilizing effects but are more difficult to monitor safely at home. Some medications are better administered by an intravenous route, and you definitely need a trained professional for that.

Some drugs given directly into the bloodstream have a much more dramatic effect than if they were injected under the skin or even given orally. According to PetMD , Homeopathic treatments come in the form of pheromones or oral herbs. According to AgelessPaws , Oral herbs may be useful alone or combine with pheromones. Many of them are like pheromones in that they calm and relax more than they actually sedate. A few examples are valerian, skullcap, chamomile, and passionflower.

Physical restraint techniques in some cases can sedate cats, but may not be sufficiently long enough for grooming and may impede access to certain areas of the animals. Thunder shirts are clearly not appropriate for most types of grooming, but acupressure points may be. Always consult with a veterinarian to determine good medication options for you and your cat and for dosing instructions. Cats are highly sensitive to drugs and cannot be dosed like small dogs.

Make sure to have your feline companion thoroughly examined by a licensed veterinarian. Sedation and anesthesia affect a variety of organs like the kidneys, liver, and heart. It is very important to make sure these systems are working correctly before stressing them with any form of sedation. Have everything you need for grooming organized ahead of time. You want to accomplish the task at hand as quickly and efficiently as possible.

General anesthesia should be as short as reasonably possible. Duration of sedation is not always predictable, so finishing rapidly helps ensure no more medication will be required for the session. As portrayed in this YouTube video, a trial run of any medication is often a good idea. You can also obtain tips for giving oral medications to your cat. Be sure to allow enough time before the procedure for any medication to take effect.

Oral drugs especially will take a while to reach appropriate levels of activity in the bloodstream. Your cat should be calm before you administer medication.

He can have an unpredicted response to tranquilizers if administered in a heightened state of excitement. Acepromazine and some opioids, for example, can cause the opposite effect to what you want. Keep in mind that just because a cat has been previously sedated for grooming does not mean she will always require a tranquilizer to be bathed or clipped. Sedation should never be taken lightly. Vomiting is a common side effect with anesthetic administration.

These sometimes contain pheromones or herbs, both designed to help reduce anxiety and stress. Homeopathic anxiety supplement. These use trace amounts of pure, all-natural ingredients to help reduce anxiety. Sedative Medication 2.

Non-Medicated Options 3. General Anesthesia. Emma Stenhouse. Related posts. The category. How Often Should a Cat Poop? Everything You Need to Know! Every living being poops, including cats, so pooping should not be a taboo subject. Owners need to know how often…. There is something so disheartening about two best pals turning into enemies. If your cats have always gotten along but….