Coming home from the vet

Once upon a time I used to dread bringing one of my cats home from the vet hospital. Our return often provoked world war 3...
Usually the three of them adore each other, grooming and sleeping together most of the day.
If one had to go to hospital the other two cats would sniff the patient and then hiss and spit at her when we returned. I thought they were reacting to the smell of the hospital or of strange humans and animals. However a recent article says that it is the sudden return of a group member that puts them offside.
In the wild when a cat returns to the colony after a solo meal they hang round on the margins and almost sneak back in when no one is looking. No matter how many times in the day she returns, the group seems to debate whether to accept her back each time.
When I came home from the hospital with a patient, I would plonk her back in the middle of the group and let her out with a fanfare, hoping they would be nice to her if we pushed our way in.
Now I leave her outside and see what the other two are up to. If they are asleep on the bed I sneak the patient into the lounge room, let her out and quickly take the carrier away. If they are up and about I feed them in the laundry and while they are distracted I bring the patient in to the bedroom and let her decide on the best course of action.
Abrupt re-entries are not de rigueur in feline circles. They prefer the more subtle return.

Dr Kate comes back

Dr Kate desexes a dog at Utopia

I'm back from the Utopia group of Aboriginal settlements in Central Australia. In a hectic week we  desexed 184 dogs in a temporary vet hospital at the Arlparra basketball courts.
A remarkable collaboration between vets and nurses from Canberra, the Tennant Creek Shire council, AMRRIC (Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities) vets based in Darwin and the local Ampilatwatja health service aimed to improve animal health and welfare, and human health.
I saw cats in two houses but their owners declined to have them desexed. The cats didn't seem to roam far. I think the dogs and the extreme climatic conditions kept them close to camp!

The vets spent half their time in surgery and the other half out in the camps talking to the people about dog health and the benefits of desexing.
This is the turn off to Aniltji, a small settlement on the edge of Utopia. Very little else existed to point the way so we were very glad to see this tree after bumping along the sand and corrugated road.

Hairballs

Vomiting hairballs or fur balls is not normal - especially if they are coming up more than twice a month. New research reveals that chronic feline vomiters nearly always have an underlying gut problem.
Speaker at the Cat Medicine conference I attended in February, Texan cat vet Gary Norsworthy, finds changes in the intestine of chronically vomiting cats whenever he ultrasounds their stomachs and intestines.
He said that hairballs are a sign of a gut problem, not the problem itself. The vomiting is what we notice.
Most chronic vomiting is due to chronic inflammation, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). IBD must be controlled because it often morphs into lymphoma, a type of bowel cancer.
If the ultrasound shows that a chronic vomiter has changes in its intestine then a sample of the intestine is taken to see whether the change is due to IBD, lymphoma or other less common disease.
IBD is controlled with diet and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Feline Fashions

My niece put me onto this neat site. Love the costumes but my felines think their coats are fashion statements already!
CatAtelier

AMRRIC Trivia night blockbuster success

Thank you for all the wonderful people who supported the trivia night on Saturday night!

Our veterinary team  has covered the cost of March's expedition to the Aboriginal communities at Utopia in Central Australia and part of the cost of the planned trip in September.

We will provide health services to the animals of the communities and set up a desexing surgery on March's visit. 

The human health workers, who know the local people, help coordinate our service because they have seen a dramatic improvement in the health of the people, especially the children, after previous veterinary visits.

The national organisation AMRRIC (Animal Management in Rural and Remote Communities) trains veterinarians in cultural awareness, coordinates volunteers and provides resources on animal care to community schools.

Some of Saturday night's crowd

Quiz host Kate

More supporters

Tilly visits

We've had lots of kitten hugs in the last few months. Tilly, a British Shorthair, came in today for her flu and enteritis vaccination. The nurses all wanted a cuddle but Dr Lesa kept her close!

Holiday plans

If you are planning a big  holiday this year don't forget to think about pet care well ahead of time. Cats would prefer to stay in their own home and yard, of course. If you can arrange for a friend, relative or house-sitter to call in regularly or stay in the house they will be most grateful.

However many cats have to go on their own holiday to a boarding cattery. Outgoing cats spend happy holidays at boarding facilities and even look forward to their own break from home routines. Nervous kitties though need a little extra tender loving care. Ask the staff to spray some Feliway around the bed and room if they haven't already got a Feliway diffuser plugged in. 

Visit the cattery or kennels beforehand, inspect the accommodation and meet the staff. If you feel comfortable with their cat handling skills and can see they are cat lovers, then your cat will probably settle in after the first day or so.

All commercial boarding establishments are licensed by the local authority but standards vary. Seek out recommendations from friends, neighbours or your veterinary surgeon. Some people like to trial board their pets for a weekend or a few days to see how they settle if they are going away later for an extended period.

Check that your pets’ vaccination status is up-to-date well before the holiday. Cats must have enteritis (also known as parvovirus or panleukopenia), calicivirus and herpesvirus vaccinations within the previous 12 months.