19 Ryde Road, Pymble, NSW 2073
Bugs’ Wild Adventure
By John Morgan | Dated October 9, 2021 | 0 Comments
Bugs was adopted by his owners as a kitten and settled right in. He was named after Bugs Bunny because he was born without a tail. Unfortunately, when he was […]
Peri’s Broken Heart Breaks All Our Hearts.
By Helen Burns | Dated October 25, 2019
It’s true that all of us get attached to our patients, and frequently we can’t help but get emotional. Last month, however there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Little Peri, the gorgeous Persian cat, who packed a whole lot of love into her tiny 3 kilogram body passed away.
Peri regularly stayed with us while her owner travelled for work, and through her constant purring and love of a cuddle, she won her way into the heart of everyone here. Not to mention our families who would come to visit her if they found out she was at the vet.
If cats could talk, I’m sure that every cat would tell you that a cat is definitely not like a little dog. Cats do many illnesses differently to dogs, and heart disease is certainly no exception. Peri had a heart disease called HCM, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In this disease, the muscular wall of the heart thickens, which reduces the volume of the heart chambers. In order to pump sufficient blood around the body, the heart needs to beat more quickly, and becomes less efficient at its job. This can lead to not only fluid building up in the lungs and in the space around the lungs, but also to the formation of blood clots. There is thought to be a genetic susceptibility to HCM and unfortunately along with Maine Coon, Ragdolls and British Shorthairs, Persians are predisposed to it.
As with Peri, many cats don’t appear to be sick at all, however once congestive heart failure occurs and fluid builds up, they become very ill indeed. Little Peri packed so much love and affection into her 15 years, and we will all miss her dearly.
Written by Helen Burns
Helen graduated from Sydney Uni in 1997 with First Class Honours and worked in a practice on the Northern Beaches for 16 years. Helen joined the Gordon Vet team early in 2014 and our clients have really enjoyed getting to know her. She loves being a vet and takes a keen interest in all of her patients. Her gentle, friendly nature helps pets to feel relaxed when they visit the vet. Helen lives locally and has 3 children. At least one of her children seems destined to be a vet! When not ferrying her children around, Helen cares for her menagerie of pets. These include Chloe the dog, Obi and Leia the cats, Little Cocky the galah and Rosie the very tame eclectus parrot who all happily coexist at her house. In her spare time, Helen likes to be active outdoors, running, kayaking, camping or playing any manner of sport with her children.
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