August 2009

In this issue:

Welcome to Dr Erin Bell

Amy & Richard on Holidays

Staff News

Compounding Medications

Cat Fights

Cats don't like change without their consent.
- Roger A. Caras

Cat whispers is a special e-mewsletter for our valued clients. Each edition we bring you up to date on what's happening at the hospital as well as interesting information and facts on pets and pet healthcare.
Visit our website at www.catdoctor.com.au

Welcome to Dr Erin Bell

Dr Erin Bell
BVSc (Hons), BSc(Vet)(Hons),
MACVSc (Small Animal Medicine)

Erin joined the practice in April this year, and is settling in well. She graduated from the University of Sydney in 2005 and spent three years working in a busy small animal practice in Sydney before moving to Melbourne, where she decided she wanted to work in a cat only clinic.

While at university she spent a year researching the disease feline infectious peritonitis, and has published several articles in feline medicine journals on this topic.

Erin currently has 3 cats at home: Maggie the Maine Coon, Sally a very adventurous moggy and Matilda who is a big scaredy cat. She also looks after a guide dog in training (the cats make sure to keep him in line).

Richard & Amy on Holidays

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Richard & Amy will be on a much deserved holiday to Spain from the 12th to 28th of September – and yes, some of this is WORK related!

Erin will be consulting for this period – so you and your cat are in superbly capable hands. Richard will be away from the week prior to attend a conference in Porto.

Staff News

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Richard is excited to be going to Portugal in September, where he will be presenting a paper on the use of METACAM in the treatment of arthritis at the ECVIM (European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine) annual conference. This is one of the largest veterinary conferences in the world. Arthritis is a very common problem in senior cats, but until recently, there were no registered medications to treat cats for this. There are no long term studies regarding the use of Metacam in cats, so this study at the Cat Clinic will hopefully benefit many cats around the world who suffer from chronic pain. Closer to home, Richard has given a number of talks this year to Victorian veterinarians on senior health care, particularly involving arthritis. He is also serving his third year as the President of the Melbourne branch of the Australian Veterinary Association..

Amy has authored a journal article on a specific type of cancer, small cell intestinal lymphoma, which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery later this year. She is currently working on a further two papers: one on a group of cats with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and toxoplasmosis, and another on the topic of calcinosis cutis, a very rare complication of kidney failure in cats. This will complete her requirements in order to sit her Specialist exam next year. Amy too has been kept busy giving regular lectures in her areas of feline health. She was also recently an examiner for membership exams for the Australian college exams in Feline Medicine.

Erin passed her membership board examinations in Small Animal Medicine in July. She is currently writing a paper on Trichomonas infections, a recently identified cause of diarrhoea in cats in Australia. In fact, the Cat Clinic was the first to identify and report this organism in Australia and Richard co-authored a paper to this extent.

Faye announced her engagement to her long time partner Tim, whilst they were on holidays in Fiji earlier this year. Their wedding is planned for later this year, so Faye has plenty to keep herself busy.

Lara has almost completed her Certificate IV in veterinary nursing, having just one subject left to complete.

Lara and her husband Greg are expecting their first child (other than Vincent – their fur child) in January.

Georgia has just completed her Certificate II in veterinary nursing. She is also one-third of the way through her Certificate IV, currently studying anaesthesia and radiology.

Louise is halfway through her Certificate IV in veterinary nursing, and enjoying her current subject: emergency and first aid veterinary nursing.

Chinta adopted a gorgeous little Burmese girl called Eva that is totally ruling her life and home now.

Compounding Medications

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Phoebe is a 14 year old domestic medium hair with a few problems common in cats her age – she has hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland) and kidney disease, which has caused high blood pressure and a tendency for her to become constipated.

Phoebe was prescribed 3 different medications to help manage her conditions, but unfortunately was not a willing participant! Trying to give her 3 different tablets twice a day was proving to be very stressful for everyone involved.

Fortunately there are options for cats such as Phoebe who are difficult to give tablets to. We can use a compounding pharmacist to formulate the required medications in a form that is easier to administer, such as a flavoured paste (popular flavours include anchovy and chicken), or a gel that is absorbed through the skin. Using a compounding pharmacist also means that we can get an accurate, “cat-sized” dose (many medications are originally designed for dogs or even humans), and give the dose in a very small volume (usually 0.1ml) for easier administration. For cats that are on multiple medications, it can be possible to have different drugs compounded together so that only one capsule or paste needs to be given.

For Phoebe we had her hyperthyroidism tablet changed into a transdermal gel that is placed on her ear and absorbed through the skin; and her blood pressure and constipation medications were compounded together into a single chicken-flavoured paste that she takes on her food. Both Phoebe and her owner are much happier now there are no more tablets!

If your cat takes medication and you would like to discuss alternative forms that are available please make an appointment with one of our vets. Our compounding pharmacist can make up just about any medication in any form, flavour and presentation.

If your cat is currently receiving a compounded medication and you need a repeat please phone the clinic – orders are placed every Monday are usually take 48hrs to arrive.

Cat fights

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Outdoor cats are exposed to other cats in the neighbourhood, which means they may be at risk of getting into a cat fight. Any kind of animal bite can be nasty, but bite wounds from cats tend to be among the worst.

All animals (including us) carry a cocktail of bacteria in our mouths. However, cat teeth are so fine and sharp that when they bite through skin they leave a tiny puncture hole. The skin and muscle then close over this hole, which leaves the bacteria under the skin free to multiply in a warm, moist environment free of exposure to air. It’s like having an injection of nasty bacteria. The result is inflammation of surrounding tissue (cellulitis), which can progress to an abscess (essentially, a pus-filled lump).

Signs to look out for after a cat fight include: puncture wounds in the skin (may not be visible beneath fur); painful lumps; pus discharging from wounds; general painfulness e.g. dislike of being picked up; limping; lethargy; and decreased appetite. Abscesses can occur anywhere on the body, but commonly occur on the face, limbs and around the base of the tail. Sometimes abscesses are subtle and hard to find.

The earlier you treat your cat for a fight wound, the better the outcome.

If fresh wounds are seen they can be cleaned with saline or dilute iodine; if antibiotics are started at this time the cat has a good chance of recovering without any further problems. However, if an abscess has formed we usually need to lance the abscess under anaesthesia, remove any dead tissue and clean the area thoroughly. If we don’t lance or drain the abscess, the antibiotics can’t penetrate the wall of pus to attack the bacteria, so the infection will remain.

The other consideration for cats that get into fights is that biting is the major way that feline AIDS (caused by feline immunodeficiency virus, or FIV) is spread. This is not the same as human AIDS and you can’t catch it from your cat, but it can predispose cats to certain problems and reduce their lifespan. There is currently no cure for feline AIDS.

There is an FIV vaccine available in Australia to prevent feline AIDS, however its use is not straightforward and it is not a routine vaccination that we give to all cats. Cats at most risk of exposure to feline AIDS – those cats that get into fights – are most likely to benefit from vaccination. The vaccination course requires a blood test first (to ensure the cat does not already have FIV), and if negative involves three vaccinations in the initial course and then yearly booster vaccinations.

The risk of cat fights can be reduced by keeping cats inside, particularly at night, and by having cats desexed. If you would like more information about whether FIV vaccination is appropriate for your cat please call the clinic to make an appointment.

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