Cat News and Events

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photograph of Tabby Cat CAT CLINIC NEWS AND EVENTS:

April 2012	A recent paper has been published which identifies a previously unknown disease in cats. Twenty-one cats presented with a history of slowly progressive neurological signs characterised by a stiff extended tail, behavioural changes, and a distinctive gait which has led to the colloquial description of affected individuals as "robotic cats". Of particular relevance to us at The Cat Clinic is the fact that it has been found only in Scotland: affected cats all had outdoor access and lived in the same geographical rural area in north-east Scotland. Older cats tend to be affected and the disease tends to progress over many months. Extensive investigation has not yet established the cause of the problem but suspicions include an as yet unidentified infection or environmental factor. One of our clients told us about the Eressos for Animals rescue organisation in Greece which is developing an arrangement with British vet students and new graduates to carry out neutering operations on the local population of stray animals. The initial arrangement has been with students at Bristol University but we've passed on the link to our local veterinary teaching hospital at the Dick Vet. Simon received an interesting phone call from a television company. ITV is extremely keen in developing a documentary idea which involves putting a tiny camera on cats to see what mischief they get up to when we are not around. They ideally want to look at cats in one area so they can build up a real understanding of the cats, their world and how they interact with each other. We would love to put forward Snowy, our retired practice cat, for this project but a day in the life of this nineteen year old pretty much involves 24 hours on his duvet interspersed by brief visits to foodbowls, litter trays and warm laps. Maybe not the stuff of a fascinating documentary! If you or your cat-owning friends are interested in finding out what your cat does when you're not looking, please visit our webpage for more details. Many of you may have seen articles in the newspapers recently about the PDSA Pet Fit Club and its annual competition to find its most successful pet slimmer. Research has found that 12 million UK pets are being fed too many fatty treats, including takeaways, cheese, crisps and cakes. Over a third of all dogs and a quarter of cats are overweight. Overweight pets are at risk of serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, and have a lower life expectancy than healthy pets. If you need any help or advice about preventing your cat becoming overweight or about losing weight, please get in touch with us.
March 2012	Congratulations to Martha, one of our vets, who has successfully completed a distance education program in Feline Medicine run by the Centre for Veterinary Education at the University of Sydney in collaboration with the International Society of Feline Medicine. As cats become increasingly popular, the veterinary profession is being provided with an increasing number of further education opportunities. Martha's next big event is attending an international conference in feline medicine in Budapest later this year. We always look forward to any news, information, tips and advice obtained from such events which we can use in The Cat Clinic to enhance the care of our patients. An overactive thyroid gland is one of the most common hormone problems in older cats. The thyroid gland sits in the neck area and is responsible for the production the thyroid hormone which helps control metabolism. To date we have treated an overactive thyroids in cats through pills, surgery or, in specialist centres, an injection of radioactive material. Hills Pet Nutrition are just about to release a new food which is aimed to help cats with overactive thyroid glands. The food is extremely low in iodine which is an essential component of the thyroid hormone. The theory is that insufficient iodine will mean a lowered production of the thyroid hormone. We'll be very interested to see how effective this is. Here's hoping the company have got the palatability spot on!
February 2012	Medicine manufacturers are aware of the need for their products to be "cat-friendly". There's no point in having a wonder drug if its administration involves a flurry of fur, teeth and claws and a month-long sulk (pet or owner..). We had a recent visit from the manufacturers of EaseFlex, a chew which contains natural products designed to help stiff joints and maintain mobility. We're always a bit sceptical when we hear a claim of excellent palatability but we have the ultimate testing machine:Snowy (who some of our longstanding clients will remember as one of the practice cats) is in retirement at Simon's home. He's now a cranky 19 year old arthritic cat and his attitude to alleged product palatability is often at odds with manufacturer's opinions. Eyebrows were raised when the first Easflex chew was sniffed at and suddenly grabbed. Eyebrows shot up even further when he yowled for another one. And it's carried on like that. We've now had successful daily administration for over a month so it's a definite hit. A visitor to the house also commented on the fact that Snowy looked a bit more spritely than he has done of late so we reckon those creaky old joints are seeing the benefit. Please get in touch with us if you want more information about Easeflex. We were flattered and delighted to find out the The Cat Clinic has been nominated for the Pet Plan Practice of the Year award. Simon and Aileen, as practice owners, are aware that this wouldn't be possible without all the hard work, effort and support from our great team at The Cat Clinic.
January 2012	Congratulations to Jenny, one of our vets, and her husband Fraser, on the birth of their son, Daniel, a brother for Matthew. In the same way that the film camera has been pushed out by the digital camera, the traditional x-ray plate is making way for the digital x-ray. We've been trialling a new system which allows us to view our x-ray images on a very high resolution computer screen. Images are obtained in a fraction of the time of traditional x-rays. The computer image can be manipulated and enhanced in a number of ways that are impossible with traditional x-ray. We've been so impressed with the trial that we have decided to invest in digital x-rays to allow us to provide a superior imaging service for our patients. As a city centre practice we never anticipated the need for a vehicle which could cope with a foot of snow but the severe weather of the past two winters suggested otherwise. Most of our staff were able to make it into the clinic on foot but we were aware that many of our clients with sick cats were effectively stranded - a very difficult situation all round. Our practice van has now been replaced with a robust four wheel drive which should be able to take on the worst of anything the Scottish weather can throw at us. Patient care is always best to take place at the clinic where we have the full range of facilities and staff support but we're now ready should there be a repeat of last year's snow to be able to reach any stranded clients and patients.
December 2011	Our out of hours care is provided by the Edinburgh Vets Now emergency service. In a recent awards ceremony for Make A Difference, the Edinburgh staff were voted Team of the Year. Not only that but their head vet, Scott Kilpatrick, was named Star Senior Vet of the Year. Fantastic to know that the clinic and our clients are supported by award winning staff out of hours.
November 2011	Stephanie Watson, one of our Veterinary Nurses, returns to her family in Australia and plans a year out touring the world. Maria Bang joins us as Stephanie's replacement. Maria is a veterinary nursing graduate of Napier University.
September 2011	We were shocked and delighted to hear that Anne Duckworth has given birth to a baby girl, Ellie Beth! Congratulations to Anne and her fiance Kevin. Anne plans to bring Ellie to see us later this year and will no doubt show her off to all those friends she made through The Cat Clinic.
January 2011	We are able to carry out many laboratory tests on site but some tests require a sample to be sent away to an external laboratory and it may be several hours or even days before we receive the results. We've invested in another piece of laboratory equipment which helps us look at the levels of electrolytes (or salts) and gases in the bloodstream. This facility now expands the range of tests we can carry out in the clinic and provide owners with results withing minutes of taking a blood sample.
December 2010	After 15 years working at The Cat Clinic, Anne Duckworth leaves us having got engaged to a Shropshire sheep farmer. We wish Anne and Kevin all the best for the future. Dianne Smillie joins us as our Veterinary Receptionist.
June 2010	Jenny, one of our vets, returns to the clinic after a year's maternity leave following the birth of her first child, Matthew. Martha Murphy, a veterinary graduate of The University of Edinburgh joins the team, bringing us to a grand total of three veterinary surgeons.