Page 4 - Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2021

 

 

 

 

 

Page 4 - Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2021
P. 4

Pebbles                             Pebbles before





                  ack in September 2020,
          B       Pam took a chance on
                  a tiny kitten who stole
                  her heart from the
        minute they met. Pebbles
        weighed less than 500g and was
        suffering from seizures. A trip to
        their local vets didn’t uncover
        the cause of her tummy
        problems and she was admitted
        to intensive care overnight. Pam
        remembers, “At just 9 weeks old
        she seemed so weak and so                                                                  Pebbles now
        lifeless and we just didn’t think
        she’d make it through.”

        Luckily, Pebbles did last the night and she was        clinical progress and was bright, eating and
        referred to the  Small Animal Referrals             drinking within a very short time.
        Hospital that following day. After a CT, the team      “Anna and the team were just amazing. They
        diagnosed a rare congenital fistula between the        explained our options and what they thought was
        arterial and venous blood systems within her liver     our best chance of enjoying a long life with the
        that was also causing secondary multiple acquired      gorgeous kitten we had all fallen in love with. We
        liver shunts. This condition is very rare in dogs and   understood the risks, but we just felt she deserved
        cats and especially challenging to treat in a kitten   a chance at life. Without surgery Pebbles would
        as tiny as Pebbles as the anaesthesia and potential    continue to be unable to process the products of
        blood loss in surgery are all the more risky than      digestion properly through her liver and her liver
        with larger animals.
                                                               would be unable to cope with high pressures within
        Treatment started straight away with a series of       in, which would ultimately be fatal.
        medications to help her recover and to keep her
        stable until she could be assessed by the ’s Soft   “A few months on now and we just can’t believe
        Tissue Surgery Service. The team recommended           how well she is doing. The  team have made
        surgery as her best chance of life, knowing that       recommendations on the best long-term diet for
        medial management on its own would only lead to        her so that we can support her specific needs and
        deterioration and a much shorter lifespan.             she’s doing brilliantly. We will be forever grateful
                                                               to the  team who saved her life – without
        After surgery Pebbles recovered in the Intensive       them she just wouldn’t be here making our lives
        Care Unit for 36 hours. She made remarkable            so complete.”


    New cat ward!








        Thanks to your
        response to our
        appeal, our cat ward
        has had a fantastic
        facelift, complete
        with cat-friendly
        kennels.
        THANK YOU!



        4                                                                              Paws & Hooves Autumn 2021
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9