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 MEET
SOME OF OUR PATIENTS: “Rosie"
Rosie first came to the clinic in 2005 with a history of elevated
liver enzymes. The liver's role is to deal with nutrients and
detoxify potentially harmful substances. Rosie's owner is housebound
and Rosie is a very important part of her life. She hoped that
we might be able to help Rosie's liver and therefore keep Rosie
in good health.
Rosie, being a cat, is refined, well-mannered and "selective"
about what she eats. Not like the "lesser" species, dogs, who
will eat anything! Unfortunately, being a cat has been a bit
of a difficulty when trying to help Rosie.
Liver problems can be responsive to dietary alterations but
she's been quite stubborn about anything we've tried. The first
couple of meals are fine but she changes her mind shortly afterwards!
 There
have been a number of new products on the market designed especially
to help an ailing liver function better. The products have been
marketed at dogs and cats with the idea that they are palatable
to both species. Well, Rosie would like to disagree! Her owner
has taken the time to try the products, with no success. Pill,
powder or granules, Rosie has turned her nose up at them all
In fact, Rosie's nose is so sensitive that even
a few granules in her food causes her to turn her nose up and
walk away. Makes one wonders what sort of food the manufacturers
were putting the products in when feeding them to the study
cats - caviar, perhaps?
The problem of products being called "palatable" for cats when
many cats would disagree is something that the Feline
Advisory Bureau (FAB) has decided to do something about.
FAB has created the "Easy to Give" award to products that are
made to make treating or medicating a cat easier. Cats are quickly
becoming the UK's top pet, as lifestyles make owning a dog less
popular. It is really in the best interests of the product manufacturers
to try to ensure that their products are as palatable and easy
to use when given to cats as they are to dogs. And Rosie would
certainly agree.
In the meantime, Rosie is being as stubborn about her health
as she is about her food and medication and is holding her own
very nicely. We'll continue to keep our eyes open for new products
that might help her.
ABOVE: Rosie expressing her opinion on the products
she's tried.
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