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Poor Little pigeon with injury to foot
Category: general | Submitted: 29 January 2012 09:14PM | viewed 5083 times
Q Kate asks:
I found a pigeon in our car park that is unable to fly. I left him for a day to see if he could get himself up to safety but unfortunately he couldn't and was wandering around cars. His wings look ok, He does have some blood under his wing but the wound looks superficial, I have been using antiseptic on that. His real problem is his left leg. The toes are all curled up and very floppy. The back toe is under the front three. I have balled up some gauze & put it between the toes & taped his leg to stabilise it & incourage his toes to heal correctly - as advised by pigeon rescue. He is unable to fly & I am unsure if it is because he cannot spread his weight evenly due to the foot or if something else is goin on. I have seearched online for rescue centres & avian vets but unfortunately the nearest one is two hours away. should I contact the RSPB or take him to a vet. He is drinking & eating (wild bird seed & water) and otherwise is very strong & in immaculate condition. I have had him for three days & really would like to give him the best chance of going back to the wild. I have hand reared pigeons before so I don not mind keeping him for longer if necessary, If he will never fly I can keep him but would obviously prefer him to be free once again. Any advice but be very much appreciated. Kind regards Kate in Norfolk
Q Our vet says: It sounds like this pigeon has an injury which really would make him too vulnerable to predators in the wild. If he cannot fly and has a leg injury he will need to be kept in captivity while he recovers. He could have some nerve damage, so perhaps the wound, although it seems superficial, is the clue to deeper injury. Releasing pigeons back into the wild after they are rehabilitated is contraversial since they are sadly considered to be pests. Consider taking this bird to your local vets to be assessed or to the animal sanctuary you mention where they will usually have access to veterinary care.

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Chronic renal failure and hyperthyroidism in cats
Category: general | Submitted: 24-Nov-11 01:31PM | viewed 8645 times
Q Louise asks:
I recently contacted you with regards to my 14 year old cat Treacle who was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in July. He had started to drink more water whilst being treated with felimazole. The vet did some bloodtests and it appears that he is in the early stages of crf, phosphate and creatinine normal but high urea. He advised that we feed him a renal diet and lowered his felimazole from 10mg a day to 7.5mg. Things were going great for about 10 days but now he won't eat the renal food. He is eating his old food but he seems lethargic in himself, retiring to bed after eating. The vet was concerned that his potassium levels could be high and that we should moniter him for a few days and bring him back if things don't improve. He said he thought lowering the thyroid tablet should have improved things. I am concerned about leaving him over the weekend in case things get worse. Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. Thankyou
Q Our vet says: If you are concerned about Treacle you should contact your vet again and request an earlier appointment. I am sure they will be as keen as you are to keep Treacle as well as possible.

Renal failure can be a problem in cats with hyperthyroidism and it can be tricky to get the balance of treating the hyperthyroidism and supporting the kidneys right for each individual. Every cat is slightly different so you will need to work closely with your vet to achieve the best balance for Treacle. Do not hesitate to contact your vet sooner rather than later if you are at all worried about any change in condition or problems of any type.

The renal diet should help as will ensuring Treacle drinks plenty of water. Many cats appreciate a drinking fountain since they seem to like drinking from running water.

I hope all goes well.
rabbit with GI Stasis
Category: general | Submitted: 09-Oct-11 03:49PM | viewed 11477 times
Q Natasha asks:
My beloved pet rabbit passed away 3 days ago and i feel completely responsible. She had stopped eating and i took her to the vets where she was treated for G I Stasis, she showed all the symptoms except having a soaking wet bum from urinating. She had had Gi stasis a number of times in the past so i knew what i was looking for and rushed her immediately to the vets. she was treated and sent home with critical care food, the next morning she was no better so i took her back to the vets, and they admitted her to give her food every two hours . although she wouldnt eat or drink herself, she took enough food and water all day and was told she was improving. An hour later we had a phone call saying she had passed away. They were very shocked she was up one minute and gone the next. The only explanation we have been given is that it could be heart failure or a blood clot. Im sure it wasnt the eating as she was really hungry and wanted to eat when we gave her the critical care food, and also ate kale by herself
Q Our vet says: I am so sorry to hear about your rabbit. It must have been a real shock to you.
Sadly rabbits can decline in health quite quickly. They can appear to be healthy until things get to a stage where they cannot cope any longer and signs of illness start to appear. This is probably because in the wild any sign of weakness would be attractive to hunters- therefore they "hide" their illnesses from even the most dedicated owners (and vets).
Gut stasis (known as ileus) is common in rabbits and is often fatal. It can also develop as a result of underlying disease or through other events such as surgery. It sounds as if both you and your vet did everything you could have done in the circumstances to save her.
Heart failure or a blood clot can both cause death rapidly and there is often nothing which can be done once these events have happened.
Please do not feel bad about what happened to your rabbit. You sound like a lovely caring owner who took your pet to good vets as soon as you knew there was a problem. It seems to me that you and your vets did everything that was possible.
Possible wet tail?
Category: general | Submitted: 23-Dec-10 05:52AM | viewed 27380 times
Q Lisa asks:
My hamster who is normally really active (still is in a way) over the past 2 nights has been sleeping more which I put down to the cold weather we have been having, so I put a blanket over his cage to keep him warm plus extra bedding for his wee house, however last night I noticed the wet tail & urine smell, is this wet tail? He still runs about the cage, comes to see me extra & appears to be eating! Not sure what's wrong with him? He is a 15 month old Syrian hamster called Walter
Q Our vet says: This does sound as if it could possiby be wet tail. I would advise that you take your hamster to your local vet today. Hamsters do tend to become very ill quite quickly, so do not delay in getting help for him. While you are in the process of organising an appointment with your vet try to keep him warm and comfortable with plenty of bedding.
Cat with middle ear infection
Category: general | Submitted: 20-Nov-10 01:51PM | viewed 28993 times
Q Laura asks:
My 4 year old Maine Coon has had recurring outer ear infections. She had her first 2 years ago, was treated and seemed fine. She had another in March this year. This again was treated but erupted again in September. My vet was concerned at the recurring bouts so wanted to investigate. She had a general anaesthetic and xrays and swabs taken. The excess wax was flushed out, and a week later her ears remain clean. She has no polyps, but the vet says the xrays show a chronic middle ear infection which may have been rumbling on since the very first infection. The swabs and cultures (taken from the outer ear and throat) all came back negative - she was tested for fungal infection as well as calicirhinovirus (she has noisy breathing sometimes but the vet thinks it’s genetic) and chlamydia. I'm taking her in next Tuesday to be anaesthetised again. They want to incise the eardrum so the cultures can be tested - obviously they have to to know what they're dealing with. But the most recent vet I've seen (never the same one, sadly) wants to actually treat the middle ear infection by flushing the area with antibiotics rather than giving them orally, saying that this may need to be done repeatedly. I'm alarmed as it’s going to involve a general anaesthetic every time not to mention resulting scar tissue and damage to her hearing. She has also mentioned to me an operation I may wish to consider, involving drilling through the bone so the fluid can drain away? Is this where they basically build a new ear and close off the old one? I’d be loathed to put my cat through that. Isn’t it using a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Since her ears have been flushed, she’s stopped the headshaking and scratching. There is no head tilt no balance problems. She has a good appetite, plays and buzzes as normal – absolutely no external signs she’s in pain or unhappy. Of course, if she has been suffering these problems for some time, it may be that she is used to the pain (horrible thought) but the only time I’ve seen her in any discomfort is when the outer infection has flared up and the wax is irritating her. I’ve had many middle and outer ear infections and know how horrible they are, so obviously I want to get this sorted. I have, however, only received oral medication for this myself – is there absolutely no way this can work on a cat? I just don’t want to put her through anything so drastic unless it absolutely can not be avoided.
Q Our vet says: I am sorry to hear about your cat's ear infections.

You mention that you always see a different vet, so the first thing I would suggest is that you try to see the same vet at each visit. Simply ask the receptionist if this can be arranged when you book the appointments. In this way you will be able to build trust and a good rapport with your chosen veterinary surgeon.

It is impossible to tell you what is the correct choice of treatment for your cat as I am unable to examine her. However it should be possible to discuss all the issues you have written to me about with your vet and ask them to allay your concerns.

If left untreated the chronic middle ear infection might continue to be present, but perhaps without clear outward signs of a problem.

Chronic but "quiet" infections inevitably put stress on the immune system which cannot be good for your cat long term.
I personally believe that the risks of general anaesthesia (even if necessary frequently) are less than the potential problems and probably pain caused by a chronic infection anywhere in the body.

If there are chronic changes to the tissues associated with the infection it may be a concern that the antibiotics may not penetrate to where they are needed if given orally, so this could be the reason for the treatment plan you have described.

It can be extremely difficult to detect signs of pain in cats- they hide it very well. I explain this to my own clients by asking them to consider if their boss would know they had a headache at work if you did not tell them? Pain can be intermittent or low level and "hidden"so often behaviour can seem quite normal most of the time.

I would ask your chosen vet for a few minutes of their time to go through all your concerns- the care of your cat is a partnership between you and them and a good partnership needs communication on both sides. I am sure your vet will discuss these concerns with you if they are told how worried you are.

I hope it all goes well for you and your cat.
Hic cups?
Category: general | Submitted: 29-Oct-10 04:21PM | viewed 27987 times
Q David asks about Sirius (hamster) :
Hello, I bought a Syrian hamster almost a week ago, he is about 10 weeks old. When he woke up this afternoon he began hiccuping quite a lot. He seemed okay in himself, he went down and began nibbling on a treat from his food bowl but still continued to hiccup. He went into his ball but still continued to hiccup whilst running around. I out him back in the cage and he went back to bed, he has been sleeping for about twenty minutes now and no signs of any hiccups since he has been asleep. He is drinking normally I believe, although I think he gas diarrhea as there is a liquid substance in one of the tubes that is too discolored to be urine. He has eaten his normal food this week along with some broccoli, carrot and celery. His bedding is made of shredded paper with a few wood shavings on the floor. There is nothing physically wrong from what I can see. Thanks .
Q Our vet says: Hiccups in animals are usually harmless. However, the diarrhoea is a more worrying sign. Since hamsters can suffer from wet tail which can be serious you should consult your local vet. One of the main problems for such small creatures with diarrhoea is fluid loss and this can quickly become quite serious. It is a good sign that your hamster is still active and eating but a veterinary check up would be wise.

Article links (based on content matching) which might be relevant:

Wet Tail in Hamsters

Dental problems in the hamster

Kidney problems in hamsters.

Salmonellosis in the hamster.

Pneumonia in the Hamster.

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Your Questions Answered

Poor Little pigeon with injury to foot

Kate asks: I found a pigeon in our car park that is unable to fly. I left him for a day to ... view

Chronic renal failure and hyperthyroidism in cats

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Excessive drinking whilst on felimazole

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rabbit with GI Stasis

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Cat keeps shaking his head & tongue around

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Possible wet tail?

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