What a variety in being a vet in Australia

Never a dull day in Port Macquarie working as a vet!

Despite all the rain over the past few days we have had some very intense cases.

First was a beautiful cat that was lovely in every aspect, except the disease she had. It affects us all here when we lose a young cat, that was "healthy" only a month before. Her parents don't know how to even start missing their precious girl. In reflection, what makes the loss of a young patient to a terminal and non-treatable disease so bad, is that they just haven't had a go at life yet. It makes it harder that she was a great at also. We had been seeing her since a kitten and fell ill over Christmas, and was euthanased today. 12 month old cat with a chest tumour, fell ill suddenly over Christmas, now gone.

Another case we have is of a narrowing of the bowel(stricture). Reasonably rare, and as bad as it sounds. This patient was bred in Sydney, and from "good stock". The comment I wanted to make about this case was that he also was diagnosed coincidently with corona -virus, quite common in pure bred catteries. there is NO cure, NO treatment, and death is inevitable to a certain proportion of infected cases. It is complex, and so I can't go into all the factors, but given his positive test, and our "relationship" with cats purchased in Sydney and then dying in Port from an incurable disease, makes me pretty sad. sad for the cats, and sad for the families to lose young family members to horrible FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). Now this patient, still in surgery, is going to be touch and go for a while with the bowel surgery, then has the odds of 1:10 of dying from Corona virus in the next few years. He will be intensive care over the next few weeks as we nurse him back to health from surgery.

So just today, 2 cases we have seen and been touched by. As vets in Port Macquarie, we see a range of good and bad diseases, people, patients and circumstances.

Thanks to all our patients for making our lives worthwhile.

Take home message from this blog post - enjoy every moment with your family, you never know when they are going to be taken from you.