Inappetens hos katt ? omvårdnadsbehandlingar med fokus på beröring
Particular to the cat among our pets is its´ unique nutritional needs and metabolism. The cat cannot produce some nutrients by themselves and must get them through their diet. This means that the cat quickly can suffer from various diseases unless the nutritional needs are covered. In those cases where man is completely in control of the cat?s diet, the right knowledge is crucial for the cat?s wellbeing. Inappetence means that the cat has lost his appetite and does not eat voluntarily. This is a common reason why cats are admitted for care at animal hospitals. The aim with this report is to gain a better understanding of inappetence in cats, its consequences and the nursing treatments that are available. Focus will be on human touch and the factors that influence why it could work as a nursing treatment. A literature study and interviews with veterinary nurses is the method of which the conclusions of this paper has been based upon.
The literature study has shown that the reason why the cat suffer from inappetence can be another disease but also that it was given the wrong diet. No matter the reason behind it, an inadequate intake of nutrition can quickly lead to a degraded health. This means that it is essential for the veterinary nurse to carefully observe the cats intake of food and to have a plan for different types of nursing treatments and evaulate every treatment and its progress. According to both literature and the veterinary nurses, there are several nursing treatments that are being used based on practical experience. Examples are different types of food, places and routins for feeding. No studies have been found on the significance and options of nursing treatments for cats with inappetence. To ensure the patient´s safety, more studies are required on the effects and when to apply which treatment. Human touch is a nursing treatment that is being used and its beneficial health effects have been documented in human care and in some cases on other animals. Presumably, similar effects can be seen in cats. It showed in the interviews that human touch seemed to work better on social cats. According to different studies, for exampel the cats background and genes can influence the cats sociability. Since the cats degree of sociability seemed to be an important factor to how well human touch worked as a nursing treatment, it is crucial that the veterinary nurse gather as much information about the cat as possible prior to treatment.