Tips for handling a feline orthopedic examination

While at the Fetch conference in Long Beach, California, Michael Jaffe, DVM, MS, CCRP, DACVS, sat down with dvm360 for an interview to share his best practices for feline orthopedic exams and how they can differ from canine patients.

The following is a partial transcript of the video.

Michael Jaffe, DVM, MS, CCRP, DACVS: So for feline orthopedic exams—I always say that when we're doing an orthopedic exam on dogs, we pretty much are in control of when the exam is over. But when we're doing our orthopedic exam on cats, it's really the cat who is in charge of this situation, and they determine when the exam is over. So when we're doing our orthopedic exam on cats, we really need to be very efficient with what we're doing, but also not do anything to scare or hurt the kitty. Because once they've decided that your time is up, doing your exam, your time is up.