Monday, July 26, 2010

See Clipnosis (Booth 3700) in Orlando at NAVC 2011

Make sure you visit Clipnosis (Booth 3700) at the 2011 NAVC in Orlando, FL. and learn more about this exciting product! We'll be located in the Orlando World Center Marriott right by the front door, so please make sure you visit us.

Dates of the show are Sunday, January 16 through Wednesday, January 19, 2011.

Now Shipping to Canada and Mexico!

Clipnosis is now available to veterinarians and technicians in Canada and Mexico. Please note, however, that at this time the owner's manual and DVD are only available in English, and we only offer customer service in English.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Are All Cats Influenced by Clipnosis?

In developing Clipnosis, researchers found that, as with scruffing, not all cats were susceptible to the effects of Clipnosis, and the effectiveness can vary among cats.

According to research done on the subject, about 70% of cats are affected by scruffing and / or Clipnosis. Tarttelin (1991) reported that 67% of cats responded to clipping, and Gagnon (2006) found that 69% of cats responded scruffing (using two fingers instead of clips). Our own research included a survey sent to veterinarian and vet techs who used Clipnosis, and we found that 66% of cats exhibited calmer behavior after application of the clips, and 79% of vets and techs rated Clipnosis as being “very effective” or “somewhat effective.”

During clinical research, it was found that scruffing provided a reasonable prediction of whether or not cats would respond positively to Clipnosis. If a cat responds to scruffing, the odds are very good that it will also respond to Clipnosis.

In addition, the effectiveness of Clipnosis can vary from cat to cat. We have seen examples of cats falling over and appearing catatonic after application of Clipnosis, but this reaction is not typical. Most cats do exhibit calmer behavior
after application, however. Cats also tend to become more tolerant and accepting of the clips after repeated experience with them. It’s also very important to reiterate that calm, quiet cats respond much better to Clipnosis than do agitated cats. In the clinic, application of Clipnosis should be done before attempting any procedures, and not as a last resort. Arouse cats are less likely to respond positively to Clipnosis.

The bottom line is, Clipnosis is effective with most cats, so results may vary depending on the cat and the environment in which Clipnosis is applied.

Source: Pinch-induced behavioral inhibition (‘clipnosis’) in domestic cats, Megan E Pozza BS, Judi L Stella BS, Anne-Claire Chappuis-Gagnon DVM, Susan O Wagner DVM, MS, DACVIM, CA Tony Buffington DVM, PhD, DACVN
Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery
Volume 10, Issue 1, February 2008, Pages 82-87

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

The Feline Healthcare Gap

Cats are America’s most popular companion, with an astounding 93.6 million cats living in the US households. Yet cats are much less likely to enjoy regular veterinary care. Unfortunately, only about 45% of cats go to the veterinarian for routine exams, and 20% are taken only when they are sick.* This leaves millions of cats untreated for illness, pain and discomfort. One of the most common reasons cat owners cite for not taking their cat to the vet is the stress it causes both cat and owner.

Aren't those statistics sad? We think they are. But, we also think that Clipnosis has the potential to increase the overall health of cats by easing the stress cats feel when they have to visit the veterinarian. By using Clipnosis in your clinic, and showing clients how to properly use it, together we can minimize the anxiety associated with vet visits and help increase cat visits to your clinic.

Give Clipnosis a try! We offer a special Trial Pack, which contains two large clips and two small clips. Clipnosis affects cats in different ways, so try it on multiple cats. We'll be posting soon about how the effectivemess of Clipnosis varies among cats.

* APPA 2009 - 2010 National Pet Owners Survey

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Clipnosis and Kittens

We've been asked "Is Clipnosis safe for kittens" many times since its introduction, and the answer is an emphatic YES! In fact, there are several reasons why using Clipnosis on kittens makes perfect sense.

First, remember that Clipnosis simulates the same response in kittens as when their mother picks them up by their scruff. They go limp, blocking the "fight or flight" instinct, which allows the mother cat to move and carry their kittens at will. Kittens instinctively react to Clipnosis.

Second, cats become more relaxed and tolerant to being clipped with repeated experience. Using Clipnosis on kittens, and continuing its use as they age, will allow them to get used to the effect and even welcome it!

Jaycee the kitten readily accepted Clipnosis and became very still while it was applied. With Clipnosis applied, a veterinarian or vet tech would have been able to have both hands free to groom her, clip her nails, or even give her a vaccination.

We believe Clipnosis can radically change the way vets and tech (and groomers) handle cats, and can dramatically reduce the stress both cats and owners feel when taking them to routine vet appointments.