Page 4 - Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2021

Pebbles Pebbles before

ack in September 2020,
B Pam took a chance on
a tiny kitten who stole
her heart from the
minute they met. Pebbles
weighed less than 500g and was
suffering from seizures. A trip to
their local vets didn’t uncover
the cause of her tummy
problems and she was admitted
to intensive care overnight. Pam
remembers, “At just 9 weeks old
she seemed so weak and so Pebbles now
lifeless and we just didn’t think
she’d make it through.”

Luckily, Pebbles did last the night and she was clinical progress and was bright, eating and
referred to the RVC Small Animal Referrals drinking within a very short time.
Hospital that following day. After a CT, the team “Anna and the team were just amazing. They
diagnosed a rare congenital fistula between the explained our options and what they thought was
arterial and venous blood systems within her liver our best chance of enjoying a long life with the
that was also causing secondary multiple acquired gorgeous kitten we had all fallen in love with. We
liver shunts. This condition is very rare in dogs and understood the risks, but we just felt she deserved
cats and especially challenging to treat in a kitten a chance at life. Without surgery Pebbles would
as tiny as Pebbles as the anaesthesia and potential continue to be unable to process the products of
blood loss in surgery are all the more risky than digestion properly through her liver and her liver
with larger animals.
would be unable to cope with high pressures within
Treatment started straight away with a series of in, which would ultimately be fatal.
medications to help her recover and to keep her
stable until she could be assessed by the RVC’s Soft “A few months on now and we just can’t believe
Tissue Surgery Service. The team recommended how well she is doing. The RVC team have made
surgery as her best chance of life, knowing that recommendations on the best long-term diet for
medial management on its own would only lead to her so that we can support her specific needs and
deterioration and a much shorter lifespan. she’s doing brilliantly. We will be forever grateful
to the RVC team who saved her life – without
After surgery Pebbles recovered in the Intensive them she just wouldn’t be here making our lives
Care Unit for 36 hours. She made remarkable so complete.”

New cat ward!

Thanks to your
response to our
appeal, our cat ward
has had a fantastic
facelift, complete
with cat-friendly
kennels.
THANK YOU!

4 Paws & Hooves Autumn 2021