Hairballs?

Hairballs are overrated as a problem in cats.  A true hairball is hair wrapped in saliva and requires no treatment.  Hairballs almost never cause illness in pet cats. 

On the other hand we should see your cat if she vomits frequently - whatever the vomitus is! If she is turning her nose up at her dinner or hiding then we should see her as soon as possible. Normal cats eat several times a day so even a single day of poor appetite is significant.

If she vomits a lot but doesn’t feel poorly she may still have a problem. Some cats are very sensitive to specific proteins like chicken, beef or lamb. A change to a diet free of the common proteins that cause hypersensitivity or to one that is specially treated to reduce reactions often helps these cats.

Often the only sign of inflammatory bowel disease or cancers of the bowel is frequent vomiting. Eventually affected cats lose weight or stop eating, but this is when the disease is well advanced. If a cat does not respond within a few weeks to a change of diet as mentioned above then we investigate more closely.  

Animal herbalist

Cats who prefer herbal treatments or have chronic problems will be pleased to hear that animal herbalist Nicki Froescheis has moved to Canberra. Nicki has European postgraduate training in herbal treatment for pets.
Nicki says that herbal treatment is useful for chronic diseases such as arthritis, bladder inflammation, palliative treatment for cancers, immune disorders, dementia and skin diseases as well as many other problems. Herbs are not much help in life threatening conditions or problems which come on suddenly.
Nicki assesses each individual patient and tailors the herb formula accordingly. Appointments can be made with Nicki on 0404 127 973 and she will arrange to meet you at Hall Vet Surgery.

Douse that fire! - Burning mouth in Burmese

Bonno, a big Burmese boy, burst into the surgery this morning shaking blood all over his carrier. He had pawed and scratched at his tongue so much that he had cut it. His frantic carer told us that this was not the first time she’d seen him licking, chewing and rubbing at his face, but it was the first time he’d drawn blood.

We had a close look at his mouth after we’d sedated him and found that he had erosions in two of his molars (also known as FORLS). We extracted both teeth and scaled and polished the remaining ones.

Because Bonno is Burmese and has had previous episodes of distress we were very suspicious that he has a facial pain syndrome known as feline orofacial pain syndrome or trigeminal neuralgia. In people it is known as burning mouth syndrome and I think this is how it must feel to affected cats, too.

The trigeminal nerve transmits touch and pain from the face and mouth to the brain. In affected cats the trigeminal nerve doesn’t process the sensory input properly. The cats have episodes of distress and seem to recover only to relapse whenever there is a trigger.

 Triggers include dental disease especially FORLS, mouth ulcers, and dental treatment especially extractions.  Stress (as defined by the cat!) is also a common trigger.

We have started Bonno on pain relief after his extractions and an anti-epileptic drug to control the neuralgia. Nobody wants to see him in such a distressed and distressing state again.

And the workers...

Hall Vet staff worked hard to make it such a great night.


Nurses Eliza, Amanda and Penny kept the treats coming. Thankyou to Penny for her fabulous catering.



Dr Alex, Susanne and Debbie greeted everyone and gave out all these gifts as we left

The big night

Sue Ellis telling us about a new diet for sore joints

We learn some surprising things about cat behaviour from Brooke

Supper!



Dr Kate discussing how to recognise illness and pain in cats and the importance of regular checkups 



Stop Press!

What a wonderful night we all had at the Hall Vet Cat Night! Thank you to the crowd who came for making it such an exciting time. Congratulations to everyone who won prizes and I hope your cats enjoy their gifts.
Pictures of the night will go up tomorrow.

Hall Vet staff after supper tonight

Kitties on speed - hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is a common disorder of older cats. Owners complain that their cats have gone crazy climbing curtains and rooting in rubbish bins. An overactive thyroid gland produces and secretes too much thyroid hormone putting pressure on all body organs. Any sex or breed of cat can be affected.

What are the signs of hyperthyroidism?

Any of the following:

1.             Weight loss

2.             Increased appetite

3.            Hyperactivity and restlessness

4.             Increased heart rate, associated with irregularities in rhythm, murmurs and high blood pressure

5.             Increased frequency of defecation with occasional accidents inside

6.             Increased thirst and urination

7.             Occasional vomiting

8.             Panting

9.             Matted, greasy and unkempt coat

10.           Enlarged thyroid glands

If we suspect that your cat has hyperthyroidism we send blood for measurement of the thyroid hormone, T4. We also check for secondary liver, heart or kidney problems.

How do we treat hyperthyroidism?

1.      Anti-thyroid drug therapy

Anti-thyroid drugs interfere with the production and secretion of thyroid hormone. They control rather than cure the hyperthyroidism.

Carbimazole (brand name Neo Mercazole) tablets are given twice daily. We see mild and often transient side effects in a few cats including poor appetite, vomiting and lethargy. Rarely we see more serious side effects including a fall in the white blood cell count, clotting problems, or liver disorders. If we find any serious side effects after 2 weeks of medication we switch to another treatment.

Many owners prefer methimazole as a gel applied to the inside of the ear or made up into a palatable liquid.

2.      Radioactive iodine therapy

If kidney problems are not uncovered by anti-thyroid therapy then we suggest radioactive iodine, a more permanent cure for hyperthyroidism. Radioactive iodine destroys the affected thyroid tissue and leaves adjacent normal tissue, including the parathyroid glands, untouched.

We refer you to a special facility at Canberra Veterinary Hospital for radioactive iodine therapy. Treated cats are kept in hospital for a week after the treatment until they are no longer a radiation risk to people.

Radioactive iodine treatment has no serious side-effects. Depending on the age of the cat at diagnosis the cost of treatment is similar to long term anti-thyroid drugs or surgery.

Radioactive iodine is the only effective treatment for thyroid adenocarcinoma, the cancer that causes 1 to 2% of feline hyperthyroid cases.

3.      Surgical thyroidectomy

Removal of the thyroid glands provides an immediate cure but has some nasty potential side effects so we don’t often recommend it.