Illness and injury

If your pet has been stung by a bee or insect, please follow the instructions below.

• Carefully remove the sting and bathe the area with cool water
• Restrict exercise to help decrease blood supply to the area and therefore pain and swelling
• Observe your pet carefully
• You may notice slight changes such as puffiness in the face, lips and eyes as well as "lumpy" looking skin in the bite area

More and more dogs and cats are living well into their senior years and just like elderly humans, pets can suffer from a kind of dementia called cognitive dysfunction syndrome, or CDS. CDS is a syndrome associated with brain aging. It leads to changes in a pet's responsiveness, learning, memory and can cause anxiety with age.

Anal Sacs (or Anal Glands) are two small glands located just inside your pet’s anus (bottom), at the 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock positions. Each of these glands has a tiny duct or tube, which has an opening into the rectum. The secretion that comes from these glands is very smelly, often brown in colour and is about the consistency of water or oil. Anal Glands serve no real purpose in domestic pets, just like your appendix, however in past times they were used primarily for territorial marking, as a defence mechanism (i.e. like a skunk) or as a form of communication.

Feline Bronchial Disease is also known as feline asthma, allergic airway disease, chronic bronchitis, allergic bronchitis or feline chronic small airway disease. These terms all describe a condition where the airways in the lung tissue become inflamed. This may cause the airways to constrict, reducing airflow which causes a classic "asthma" attack in some cats. In other cats the airways become thickened and secrete large amounts of mucus which also restricts the movement of air in and out of the lungs.

An aural (ear) haematoma is a collection of blood similar to a large blood blister which results from a rupture of a blood vessel in the ear. The collection of blood usually occurs between the skin and cartilage on the inner side of the ear.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

This is the most common blood test performed on pets and people. A CBC gives information on hydration status, anaemia, infection, the blood's clotting ability, and the ability of the immune system to respond. This test is essential for pets with fevers, vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness, pale gums, or loss of appetite. If your pet needs surgery, a CBC can detect some bleeding disorders or other unseen abnormalities.

Cancer is a disorder of cell growth (uncontrolled cell division) that results in an abnormal mass of tissue (tumor) without a purpose. The growth exceeds that of normal tissue, is un-coordinated and persists after the cause has gone. There are many different types of cancers.

Cat flu is a common and highly contagious disease in unvaccinated cats of all ages. It tends to be particularly severe in kittens.

The two viruses associated with cat flu are Feline Herpes Virus (FHV-1) and Feline Calici Virus (FCV). Unlike most bacterial infections, viruses are very difficult to treat and specific anti-viral treatments are generally not available. A virus is more likely to remain within the system for long periods of time, although symptoms of the infection may not always be apparent. It is therefore unfortunate that a ‘flu' infected cat is likely to retain the virus in its system for life.

Diabetes Mellitus is a medical condition where there is an excessive amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. This is caused by a deficiency of the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas. Insulin helps the body to use glucose as an energy source. Diabetes Mellitus is an uncommon disease in cats. When it is seen, it is seen more frequently in overweight, middle aged to older cats, and more commonly in males than females.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is a disease that results in inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) and/or the urethra (urethritis). The condition may result in partial or complete obstruction of the urinary tract. Urinary obstructions are life threatening and require immediate treatment. The condition is usually due to the presence of small crystals in the urine.