Interview with Feline Specialist, Dr Keshe Chow

Dr Keshe Chow is a well recognised feline specialist from Melbourne. After graduating from the University of Melbourne, Keshe spent her time working in veterinary clinics both in Australia and the UK. After completing post graduate specialisations in the areas of feline medicine with a special interest in hyperthyroidism Keshe co-founded the Melbourne Cat Vets clinic and in 2017 she achieved Fellowship status through the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists.

What are some of the most important health, nutritional and behavioural needs of a kitten that all general practitioners should be sharing with their clients?

The main issues that crop up that should be discussed with kitten owners include: preventative health (vaccines, anti-parasite care), behaviour (environmental enrichment, active feeding, play routines, socialisation etc), and when they are a little bit older (6 – 12 months), starting a conversation about weight management and dental care.

What are some key client education points that vets can share with pet owners of kittens to help prevent serious disease later on in life?

Discussion about diet/weight management – i.e. optimal diets, active feeding methods (using food puzzles and treat balls for feeding rather than bowls), amounts and types of food, and exercise. 
- Discussion about preventative care.
- Starting dental care early through specialised diets, teeth brushing etc.

What are the top 5 conditions (cats or kittens) you see in practice?

- Dental disease
- Intestinal disease (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease)
- Overweight/obesity
- Behaviour problems
- Urinary problems

Are there any emerging health problems facing kittens/cats at the moment?

During the pandemic we noticed an increase in the number of stress-related conditions such as urinary issues and recrudescence of feline herpesvirus.

There is also a higher incidence (still not common, but higher than before) of metabolic problems associated with owners feeding their cats raw diets without the knowledge to make it balanced.

What types of conditions have a better prognosis when referred early? What tips should general veterinary practitioners give their clients to help detect these early?

Most things have a better prognosis when referred early to be honest!

We have seen the COVID restrictions affect the socialisation period of many puppies. Do you feel COVID has or could impact the development of kittens? What are your recommendations on this?

Not really in terms of kitten socialisation – the socialisation window in kittens is very short (2 weeks to around 7 weeks old), which is usually before the owners acquire their kittens. However, as mentioned above, COVID stress definitely impacted cats and manifested as stress-related conditions (or behavioural conditions).

Are there any emerging behavioural issues you are seeing in cats at the moment that general veterinarians should be aware of?

I think a lot of behavioural problems have been around always, but lately we are starting to recognise them as being stress behaviours and trying to curtail them. As a profession we are moving toward trying to cater to cats’ physiological and behaviour needs better than we did in the past – things like fulfilling their hunting instincts (through play and active feeding), their need for vertical space (providing high vantage points/climbing frames etc), better knowledge and advice about inter-cat relations, better knowledge about cats’ needs with regards to toileting, feeding, drinking habits etc.

Can you share any other updates in feline medicine?

The latest update is that there is now a potential treatment option for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) which was previously an invariably fatal disease.

Also – as mentioned above – we are focusing much more on behavioural needs of cats and their mental health, especially for indoor-only cats.