SimplyCats Vet Clinic Blog

Here at SimplyCats we would like to encourage new kitten owners to give their furry friends the best start in life. As a result we have two new kitten packages on offer here at the surgery.

The first package is “Kitten Indoor Package” at £65.00

This package is recommended for kittens who will remain as indoor cats. This consists of:
* Vaccination course – flu and enteritis
* Microchip
* Worming tablet
* Flea treatment

 

 

The second package is “Kitten Outdoor Adventurer Package” at £78.00

This package is recommended for kittens who will explore the outdoors. This consists of:
* Vaccination course – flu, enteritis and leukaemia
* Microchip
* Worming tablet
* Flea treatment

 

Both kitten packages have the benefits of :

* 4 weeks free insurance with Petplan
* Full clinical examination and health check
* Weight check
* Advice on neutering and more
* Information pack to take home
* Photo taken for our ‘Young Ones’ monthly competition to be in with a chance of winning a £10 voucher to spend on any product or service here at the surgery

Don’t forget…we are still continuing our half price kitten vaccination course offer

Telephone the surgery on 0191 385 9696 to arrange your appointment and quote ‘kitten indoor’ or ‘kitten outdoor’ package offer. See you soon !

Travelling   Pets…..

Do you take your pet abroad?   Are you bringing back more than you think?

Top tips to protect your pet and family at home…and away

Management of parasites is an important consideration for all responsible pet owners. If you travel with your pet outside the UK then you could be exposing your pet and yourself to some parasites that we don’t currently have in the UK.
In particular, Echinococcus multilocularis, the Dangerous Tapeworm, is found across much of central Europe including Eastern France, Switzerland and Germany.
Ticks are a problem across many parts of the continent, especially because of the infections and diseases which they can transmit, and the same is the case for mosquitoes and sandflies, predominantly from France southwards and in the Mediterranean, respectively.
Protection involves more than the mandatory tick and tapeworm treatment so we strongly recommend that you ask your vet about how best to protect your pet whilst you are away.

Top tips to protect your pet and family……

at home…

* Wash your hands after stroking your pet, and after any exposure to soil (gardening), sandpits, raw meat or litter trays
* Clean out litter trays daily
* Don’t allow infants to eat dirt or food that has fallen on the floor or the ground
* Dispose of animal faeces safely and considerately
* Cover sandpits and play areas
* Take your pet to the vet and discuss your pet’s lifestyle to ensure adequate protection all year round, especially if travelling abroad with your pet

…and away

As well as following the general advice on keeping your pet and family safe at home, you should also consult your vet and prepare your pet’s treatment and prevention plan, which should be based on the ESCCAP Guidelines.
Items to discuss include:
* Where and when you are planning to travel
* Whether your pet has to travel with you
* How long you will be away for
* How you plan to manage your pet – for example will it be kept indoors, be able to roam freely, will it be outdoors at dusk and at night?
* Ensuring that you comply with the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS)

 What you need to know if your pet is having surgery……. 

Frequently asked questions:
 
 WHY SHOULD MY PET BE TESTED ON THE SAME DAY AS THE SURGERY?

- If your pet is having dental work or surgery, it is important to run same-day blood work prior to anaesthesia primarily to ensure your pet can properly process and eliminate the drugs given to induce and maintain anaesthesia. It is especially recommended in animals over the age of 7 years, as they are more likely to have problems.

- Pre-anaesthetic testing helps us understand whether your pet’s vital organs are functioning properly and alerts us to potential underlying diseases, which can help us create an individualized anaesthetic plan for your pet and avoid potential complications during surgery.
- Regardless of why your pet is being anaesthetised, pre-anaesthetic testing establishes a baseline for their individual health, which is helpful for future reference.

WHAT INFORMATION WILL THE RESULTS OF MY PET’S BLOOD WORK SHOW?
 
- The blood sample is collected from a vein in the foreleg or neck and is used to check your pet’s blood cells (haematology part ), liver and kidneys as well as for diabetes (biochemistry part).

- Haematology is the check on the blood cells. Anaemia is where the red blood cells are low and this could be a worry if the operation is likely to cause a lot of blood loss. If the red blood cell level is high this is most likely a sign of dehydration so your pet is likely to need to go on a drip. A high white blood cell count is usually a sign of infection so your pet may be put on antibiotics.

- As anaesthetic drugs are mainly removed from your pet’s body by the liver and kidneys it is important to know how they are functioning.

- The liver is checked by measuring two enzymes in the blood, which are normally at very low levels. Any damage to the liver cells causes a release of these enzymes into the blood and can indicate an underlying problem that will need investigating.

- Urea and creatinine are removed from the blood by the kidneys so if the kidneys are not working properly levels rise.

- It is important to also check a urine sample to see how concentrated it is when looking at kidney function.

- Glucose is measured to ensure your pet is not diabetic (a urine sample will be required to interpret the result) and to make sure they have enough energy for the duration of the operation.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREPARE MY PET FOR SURGERY?
 
- Make sure your pet has not eaten anything (fasted) at least 12 hours before surgery. Fasted samples ensure more accurate testing and interpretation of results.

- Bring any medication your pet is taking and consider taking along a favorite toy. The comforts of home can be a great help to your pet during recovery

- Ask questions if you don’t understand what is being done or why. Surgery can be complicated, so it is important to know all you can about your pet’s health.

We would like to wish all our customers and web followers a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year !

Don’t forget that we still have raffle tickets available here at the practice at £1.00 per strip – all proceeds going to our local branch of Cats Protection. Lots of great prizes to be won, including electric guitar and amp, large cat scratching post, signed Sunderland football, chocolates and many more!

We teamed up with our sister company, SimplyHorses for a Christmas night out. Everyone enjoyed their meal at Melanzana Durham and a few drinks afterwards.
Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Our kitten lineup is as cute as ever! These three all started their vaccination course within the month of July and one lucky kitten will win a £10.00 voucher to spend on any product or service here at SimplyCats. Book your cutie in for August and be in with a chance of winning!

The Young ones competition is held every month here at SimplyCats. Every kitten who comes into the surgery to start its course of vaccinations has their photo taken and is entered into the draw to win a voucher for £10.00 to spend on any product or service here at SimplyCats. The entrants so far are pictured above.

Caroline has been out with her camera again! Wasington Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust provided some beautiful subjects in bird and flower form. Enjoy!

Dubby has been naughty again….Caroline’s son had his 9th birthday tea. Luckily only family members were present to see him jump on the table via the chair and steal a ham sandwich and take it to his lair underneath the chair. He would not part with it and hid further under the table as Caroline tried to reach him. He is pictured above re-emerging from underneath the table as he licks his lips after finishing his tasty snack !!! We’ll hold off for a weigh in at the moment as he finished off with part of a slice of battenburg cake stolen about 20 minutes later

Katie can sometimes be really mean to Dubby and Maisey. This time it was Dubby’s turn to be blocked out of the sun’s rays streaming in through the window. Dubby nudged her gently with his head to try to share the sunny patch, but she stood up, hissed and swiped her paw over his head!
From previous experience, dubby decided to cut his losses and go for the shadier position instead, while Katie made herself as long as possible to keep him right at the edge!

From 4th April 2011 we are introducing free geriatric nurse clinics here at SimplyCats for our feline clients aged 7 or over.
This will include a weight check and complete a ‘well cat’ questionnaire which will help to highlight any areas of concern.
We will also perform a free urinalysis and give advice on correct diet for the mature cat.
To book your appointment please call the surgery 0191 385 9696.

We named this little cat “O’Mally” when he was brought in as a stray by a member of the public from the Penshaw area. Approximately 3 years old and according to the member of the public who brought him to us, he had been living rough for quite some time

His tail had an open fracture on arrival at the surgery which was causing him a considerable amount of pain and distress. This wound had originally alerted the member of the public that something was wrong with him. After phoning the RSPCA, he was instructed by them to bring the cat to us here at SimplyCats Vet Clinic for initial treatment.

However, after examination by Sarah, our vet, the tail had to be partially amputated to limit the risk of infection, leaving a cute stump of about 4 inches. She also castrated him whilst under anaesthetic, and he is now looking for a new home.

Unfortunately the local branch of RSPCA’s rehoming centre was full, and unable to take him from us, leaving the majority of our vet’s work in this case to be a goodwill gesture….

On a brighter note we have now managed to secure him a place in a foster home until he finishes his recuperation, organised through Cats Protection Gateshead Branch

All the local rescues, including Cats Protection are full of cats like O’Mally needing a second chance. If you feel you would be able to offer a loving home to a cat in need, please contact the surgery on 0191 385 9696 and we will give you the relevant rescue contact details for your area

One of our clients had a cat called Iffy due to give birth at any time. Watching her closely for signs of labour, her owner phoned us to say she had started with her labour.
After some hours had passed, poor Iffy had given birth to two kittens but was growing steadily tired.
Iffy’s owner brought her down to SimplyCats to see if there were any other kittens still inside. After an examination and ultrasound it was determined that there was at least one other kitten left still to be born.
As Iffy was so tired and had not progressed within a certain timescale, it was decided that she should undergo a caesarean section.
The kitten was born, very weak and cold – and unlikely to survive due to being in distress whilst inside Iffy.
Iffy was, however, an excellent mother who recovered quickly and was able to feed successfully all three kittens. At her post operative check we took some photographs – the kittens are SO CUTE!

As you can see from the picture, Caroline’s fat cat – Dubby had a great Christmas dinner. After a couple of glasses of wine and his willpower dulled, Caroline’s husband fell victim to the ‘feed me’ face and threw down a yorkshire pudding onto the floor. Dubby immediately leapt onto the pudding, steadying it with his paw.

He actually looked rather funny as he tore off strips, much like a lion on the savannah eating its kill !

To follow he ate a sprout in one lick….needless to say Caroline had a few sharp words to say to her husband as she looked in the litter tray later on…..ewww

The moral of the story is “if your cat is on a special diet, don’t feed him extras, such as yorkshire pudding and sprouts as

a) he will put on weight and
b) you would not like to see / smell the litter tray afterwards, and
c) cats are not meant to eat human food”

We had an unusual customer the other day in the back yard at SimplyCats – a very hypothermic snow cat. It remains in quite a critical, frozen state, but will hopefully make a full melted recovery if we ever get a thaw!!