Cat fights

Cats typically have a hate-hate relationship with any strange cat in their presence, yard, or environment. When new cats meet, they fluff up, spit, hiss - more like scream! - and the fur soon goes flying. While the brawl may only last a few seconds, that’s enough time for a few diseases to jump bodies. 

Feline leukemia (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus or cat AIDS (FIV), infectious peritonitis (FIP), or nasty bacterial infections are transmitted from cat to cat in saliva.

Outside cats, particularly unneutered males, love to fight. Most times they will end up with a nasty abscess.

What exactly is an abscess? It’s basically a pocket of pus under the skin. It makes a cat very ill because of the bacteria and toxins it releases into the bloodstream. He is feverish, goes off his food, hides and sleeps a lot.

Treatment for abscesses involves a general anesthesia, clipping and cleaning the skin, lancing the abscess and flushing all the pus out, placing a drain to allow any remaining pus, antibiotics and pain relief. Some cats are so sick they need hospitalisation and intravenous fluids for a night or two.

How do we avoid all this??

Desex your cat if he is still entire. Keep him indoors, particularly in the evenings and at night when the brawling usually happens.

Keep other cats off your property. A dog on patrol will soon despatch an intruder. Otherwise keep an eye out for a few evenings and frighten strays off with a loud noise. 

Catch the infection as soon as possible. If your cat has been in a fight bring him immediately for an antibiotic shot and stop the abscess from forming.

Vaccinate your cat against FIV, Feline AIDS. There are three shots in the initial course. A booster at the annual checkup and vaccine review prevents the virus gaining a toe hold.

Dr Kate volunteers in Northern Territory community

After the rains near the Alice in 2010

This isn't very catty news - but as animal lovers I know you will be excited to hear that Dr Kate is off to desex, deworm and treat camp dogs in Utopia's Indigenous communities near Alice Springs in March 2012.

She is going as a volunteer with AMRRIC(Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities) in a team of Canberra veterinarians.

She needs materials, equipment and drugs to desex, deworm and treat at least 120 dogs in a very intense week. So if you see cup cakes, calendars or raffle tickets for sale when you visit Hall Vet Surgery please give generously!

Snake season

Jonah reports that snakes are out and about again. He found one on Saturday night. His carers thought he wasn't himself on Sunday but when they came home on Monday and found him not able to stand they were sure he wasn't well.  His breathing was a bit laboured and his eyes were huge.
When we saw him he complained of his plight in a rather plaintive voice. His legs were very weak and he could hardly hold his head up.
This "floppy doll" weakness in a young cat at this time of year rang alarm bells for us.
Adventurous cats and snakes rousing from their winter snooze on a hot weekend are a recipe for disaster! Snakes are especially full of venom at the beginning of the season.
Jonah had some brown snake antivenom and has been on a drip to keep him hydrated. Cats paralysed by snake venom soon become dehydrated because they cannot eat or drink. Jonah has responded well and hopes to go home today!

Lily poisoning

All species of lilies are toxic to cats. Indoor cats with little choice in plant munching material are most at risk as they will try any cut flower that comes into the house. 

Any part of the plant - flowers, leaves or stems - is dangerous. Even lily pollen licked off the coat destroys cats’ kidney tubules. 

Lilies proven to poison cats include: Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum), Tiger Lily ( Lilium tigrinum), Day Lily (Lilium hemerocallus), Asian lily (Lily asiatic spp.) and Rubrum Lily (Lilium rubrum). 

If you see your cat with lily on her coat, in her mouth or in her vomit don’t wait for signs of poisoning. The sooner we get it out of her system and start treatment to protect the kidneys the greater her chance of survival.

Affected cats vomit and are depressed within hours of ingesting lily. Some then seem to recover before starting to show signs of severe kidney failure a day or so later. Others continue vomiting, go off their food and get more and more depressed.

If emptying the stomach and medications to prevent absorption of the toxin are effective, the chance of recovery is excellent.

If your cat absorbs enough toxin to cause damage to her kidneys then her outlook is very poor. It is essential to seek emergency care immediately after ingestion of the lily plant.

Easy worming

Worming your cat has never been easier!  Many of you have tried the new spot on wormer, Profender, and been thrilled at how easy it is to apply and how little notice your cats take of it.  Anything to keep those sensitive felines happy!

For anxious cats - Feliway

Great cat enclosures

Many of us keep our cats indoors these days - for their health and to protect the lizards and birds in our streets. Today we found this terrific web-site on cat enclosures. There must be a protoype here that my cats would like!