When 10-month-old kitten Fika’s behaviour modified her household thought she was grieving. The puss had turn out to be torpid and was not consuming her meals – one thing which was very uncommon for her.
Coming shortly after the dying of proprietor Tilly Roovers’ husband, Ronald, they thought she was lacking him. However when she started to lick the paint from the kitchen partitions they knew they needed to get her checked out.
And after they did they found that what they thought had been grief was the truth is a critical sickness which left her needing an emergency five-hour blood transfusion to save lots of her life. Vet Lizzy Linney’s personal cat, Tommy, donated his blood to permit the process to go forward and now Fika is again to her old self.
Mrs Roovers, who lives in Copplestone with youngsters Avie, seven and Jenson, 5 advised how Fika fell sick simply weeks after her husband, Ronald, handed away from a uncommon type of most cancers. She determined to take the kitten to Jonathan Wood Vets at Crediton after she turned involved about her behaviour.
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She stated: “One of the strangest issues was that Fika began licking patches of paint from the partitions. Lizzy defined this was as a result of her physique was craving vitamins that her blood wasn’t supplying her physique with.
“It was very worrying how poorly she was, and after going by way of an insufferable time with my husband’s sickness, we have been terrified we have been going to lose Fika, too. She is so particular to us and when my husband was having chemotherapy, she would sit by his facet for hours whereas he gained consolation from stroking her.”
She added: “I owe it to the crew at Jonathan Wood Vets for saving her life and giving her such excellent care and it’s unbelievable that Lizzy donated her personal cat’s blood to make Fika properly once more. It’s arduous to consider that inside a number of days she was again to her regular self, and being a playful, mischievous kitten once more.
“It would have been heartbreaking to have lost Fika. Having her back home with us has changed the mood and we’ve been all been able to smile again.”
Lizzy advised how when Fika arrived on the vets it was clear there was one thing fallacious. Her coronary heart was pounding and her gums have been white moderately than salmon pink, that are each indicators of anaemia.
A blood take a look at confirmed that Fika had a really low variety of purple blood cells and he or she was dangerously anaemic. It meant the pet wanted the emergency blood transfusion to present her the very best likelihood of restoration.
Veterinary Surgeon Lizzy stated: “Fika was very poorly as a result of her immune system was attacking and destroying her personal blood cells. The situation was life-threatening as a result of with no wholesome blood provide to take oxygen round her physique, it was placing her prone to organ failure.
“To replenish her provide of purple blood cells, we gave her a blood transfusion, which is one thing we solely do in cats in probably the most critical instances. Cats can typically reject donor blood, so transfusions are usually not as frequent in felines as they’re in dogs.
“We took the blood from our own cat, Tommy, because he was readily available in an emergency and I knew he was a suitable donor because he’s in good health. It’s the second time Tommy has saved a life by being a blood donor.”
Fika’s blood transfusion took 5 hours and he or she was stored underneath shut statement on the vet apply in a single day, with fluids administered intravenously to assist her restoration. She was additionally given steroids to suppress her immune system and cease it attacking her purple blood cells, and he or she might have medicine long-term.
Lizzy added: “The transfusion went properly and subsequent morning Fika was a lot brighter, though she was nonetheless pale and weak. She continued to enhance over the next days, and it was beautiful to see her happier and consuming properly once more.
“After she went home, Fika continued to come in for regular blood tests to monitor her condition, and despite all the vet visits she remained the most loving and affectionate patient. She’s won a place in the hearts of the whole team at Jonathan Wood Vets and her purring was infectious.”
