Blog News

We are delighted to welcome Dr Georgia Knudsen to the Canberra Cat Vet team.Georgia has a special interest - and empathy - with cats. She shares her house with two kittens she raised as orphans and a rather aloof matron. Pics of them to come....

Paracetamol, packaged under the trade names of Panadol, Panadeine, Dymadon, Panamax, and many others, is highly toxic to cats. Never administer paracetamol or any other pain-killer to your cat without direct advice from your vet. Cats metabolise paracetamol differently to dogs and humans. The cat's liver breaks paracetamol down to a toxic chemical which damages the liver and reduces the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body. The signs of paracetamol toxicity in cats include brownish gums, difficult breathing and a fast heart rate. Many become very flat and develop swelling of the paws and face. Without treatment they vomit and pass dark brown urine, and their skin may change colour to yellow(jaundice). Cats dosed with paracetamol die if they are not taken to the vet and treated within an hour or so. Aspirin is equally dangerous but more subtle in its effects. Aspirin damages cats’ kidneys and irritates their stomachs. Very few pain medications are safe for cats. Only give medications prescribed by your vet for your particular puss.

Sixteen year old Harry is having trouble jumping up on the table this winter. He circles it quite a few times before making the leap. His family also noticed that he is sleeping a lot more this winter and is reluctant to move when he first wakes up. Cats don't usually limp unless their arthritis is severe. Their elbows, knees and backs are the most common sites for arthritis. Harry's older brother Cino hesitates to jump down off the bed. He has also been toileting around the litter box instead of in it lately. His elbows were thickened and painful when he came to visit last week and Dr Kate found that his lower back was acutely painful. Harry's knees were his problem. We've found a litter box with lower sides for Cino and have put a footrest near Harry's favourite perch to make access easier. Both Harry and Cino are trialing some arthritis meds and fish oil. Already their family has noticed that they are more mobile and interested in cuddles and household doings.