February 2010 Archives

A List of common potentially poisonous household and garden substances -as supplied by the VPIS (Veterinary Poisons Information Service).  The Dogs Trust leaflet can be downloaded here.Anticoagulant rodenticidesdifenacoum bromadiolone brodadiolone coumatetralylIbuprofenNurofenAdvilMetaldehydeSlug bait Human oral contraceptives (very low toxicity) Chocolate / theobromine Diclofenac sodium (a similar drug to Ibuprofen) SalbutamolVentalin inhalersAlphachloralose rodenticides Paraquat Wallpaper paste (very low toxicity) Borax / Boric acid ant killer gels BonemealGlyphosate based herbicides Aspirin Cannabis BatteriesBendiocarbpowder ant killersWhite spirit / barbecue lighter fluid Antifreeze Loperamideanti-diarrhoea drugsBleach

Cats are usually very sensible creatures when it comes to eating things which are not good for them. So why do vets have to deal with cats which have ingested something harmful?A LARGE PART of the answer lies in the fact that cats like to keep themselves scrupulously clean and will groom off anything on their coats or paws which shouldn't be there. Hence they can swallow things like antifreeze or decorating products, which they have walked through or brushed

The way we vaccinate cats has changed.  A decade ago vets would vaccinate against all the important diseases every year regardless of the cats lifestyle, age or risk of infection.  This has no doubt saved many a cats life but this blanket vaccination policy also resulted in many cats having vaccinations that may have not be needed.   In July 2009 a panel of specialists in feline medicine and vaccination published a series of recommendations for vaccination in cats.  The European