SEPTEMBER PET
Lily- 2 years old

BREED British short hair

HOW WE HELPED In the words of her owner 

“Lily is such a princess! Spoilt rotten, and a fair-weather cat, she loves being outside in the sun and does NOT like the cold weather! She loves her belly rubs and lays on her back with her paws up to be pampered! She’s like my little shadow and follows me around everywhere.”

Lily was bought in to the surgery by a member of the public on a Saturday, just before we closed. It looked like she had been hit by a car, and to start with she was completely unresponsive. We administered oxygen, intravenous fluids and pain relief and were very happy when, five minutes later, she tried to raise her head. We took X-rays which showed no damage to her limbs or spine, but the suspicion was a traumatic brain injury. Lily was transferred to our colleagues at Dick White Referrals for further tests and hospitalisation over the weekend. 

A month on from the accident, we are all thrilled with how well Lily has recovered. She is eating and drinking normally and almost back to her normal self.  

Congratulations Lily! 

AUGUST PET
Toby- 12 years old

BREED DSH

HOW WE HELPED Toby was adopted from Woodgreen animal Shelter when he was 4 years old. Not only is he handsome, he is also very loving, although only on his own terms! Like many ginger cats, he is a strong character with rather firm opinions on life!

A year after coming to live with his owners, Toby developed a persistent dry cough. X-rays of his chest and cytology led to a diagnosis of Feline Asthma. It took a month or so for Toby to get used to daily medication via an inhaler, but he is now completely used to the daily routine, appearing at his owner’s feet when his medicine is due. His asthma comes and goes a little and can be worse in the summer months, but is generally very well managed.

He came into the surgery a few months ago as he was drooling a lot and refusing his treats. He responded well to pain relief and returned for dental treatment, including 4 extractions. He was out-of-sorts for a few weeks following the proceedure, spending most of his time outside, but happily he is now fully recovered and back to his usual cheerful self. Congratulations Toby!

JULY PET
Margo- 4 years old

BREED Cairn Terrier

HOW WE HELPED Margo is a typical Cairn terrier. A loving and happy-go-lucky, live wire whose favourite activity is rolling in the stinkiest thing she can possibly find, and who enjoys her food just as much as a cuddle!

Poor Margo was not so cheerful when she came into the surgery a few weeks ago. She had been off colour for a few days and her owner had noticed her licking her mammary glands and spotted a small hole with a little discharge. We opted for sedation, first checking that the drugs required were safe for the litter of puppies Margo was still feeding.

Closer examination revealed a small grass seed, which had worked its way in between the swollen mammary glands, possibly pushed along a little by the feeding puppies.

Margo recovered well from the procedure and was back to feeding her 10 day old pups later the same day.

Well done Margo!

JUNE PET
Raven- 3 years old

BREED Pointer Cross

HOW WE HELPED Raven was found as a stray in Cyprus in 2022, and spent 7 months in the shelter before moving to Cambridge. Not much is known about her past, but it seems she has had limited socialisation and has probably never lived in a home. While she absolutely loves her humans, Raven gets very worried by new people and places and loud noises. 

Ravens owners have been working really hard, with the help of a behaviourist, and lots of social visits to the surgery, to reduce her anxiety.

On her first few visits, Raven would hide and shake and refuse treats. Over the past few weeks she has progressed from the car park to the waiting room and then consult rooms. She has met the vets, and a few few staff pets, which really helped her confidence. On her latest visit we were able to weigh her and she was relaxed enough to accept treats. We have all really enjoyed seeing Ravens confidence grow and thought she deserved a special mention.

MAY PET
Billy- 13 years old

BREED DSH

HOW WE HELPED Billy was one of an abandoned litter rescued by Woodgreen. Aged less than two years, Billy was hit by a car and required surgery to remove the top of his femur and replace it with a false joint. He has never let this hold him back, and still scales fences like a cat half his age!

Billy recently required significant dental work. His initial weight loss was attributed to his dental issues, but ongoing weight loss combined with a seemingly endless appetite, prompted us to investigate further. In house blood tests confirmed hyperthyroidism, and Billy has just started treatment to manage his condition.

Younger Billy was a little nervous and skittish, but he has definitely mellowed into a relaxed and sociable boy, whose favourite trick is sitting on the computer and photo bombing zoom calls!

APRIL PET
Caleb - 7 years old

BREED Labrador Retriever

HOW WE HELPED Caleb is a big bouncy boy, full of enthusiasm for life. He loves water (his owners can hardly keep him out of it!) and playing with his tennis ball, though he will always prefer someone else's to his.

Poor Caleb has had a rough time of it lately. He presented with lameness in his left front leg 6 weeks ago. His foot was swollen and sore to the touch, so we gave pain relief and booked him in for X-rays. These showed a fracture to one of the small bones in his foot. Treatment has involved strict rest, lots of bandage changes and a couple of surgical procedures. Caleb’s owners have done a fantastic job of keeping him entertained despite the lack of walks, and Caleb has endured all the treatment with good humour.

We know they are all looking forward to getting back to agility training very soon!

MARCH PET
Sunny - 13 years old

BREED
Flat-coated Retriever

HOW WE HELPED
Sunny has been through the wars a little in recent years. Now a golden oldie, she suffers from Osteoarthritis and comes in for a monthly injection that reduces joint pain and inflammation. Her condition has also benefitted from laser therapy. She has an ongoing skin condition and has had several surgeries, most recently an oral abscess and before that several growths.

Sunny is a much loved member of her family, who despite her arthritis still loves to get out and about. She finds swimming a bit more of challenge these days, but still loves to be near the water. Sunny is a little less keen on visiting the surgery after so much intervention, but remains friendly and cooperative and always brightens our day.

Congratulations Sunny!

FEBRUARY PET
Buster - 8 years old

BREED
Rottweiler

HOW WE HELPED
Buster has had his fair share of medical challenges. A couple years ago, suddenly lame after chasing a tennis ball, he was diagnosed with a ruptured cruciate ligament, and referred for surgical repair. Shortly afterwards, Buster was attacked by the family cat and developed a particularly nasty infection. Late last year, Buster developed bilateral otitis externa, an inflammatory disease of the external ear canal, which can be very persistent and uncomfortable.

Buster’s owner describes him as the friendliest and most social dog you could hope to meet. He is a typical clumsy Rottweiler (weighing 55 kg) who walks through things rather than round them. He loves his daily walks around Milton Country Park, trips to the local pub, play fighting with his owner and sleeps for about 19 hours a day! 

JANUARY PET
Luna - 17 years old

BREED
Domestic Shorthair

HOW WE HELPED
Luna (short for ‘lunettes’ due to the light fur around both eyes during kittenhood) has only been coming to the surgery for a year or so but we have become rather fond of her. She enjoys human company even more since sadly loosing brother, Enzo, last year. Luna loves snoozing on a lap, surveying the scene from a high vantage point or being involved in whatever is going on, be that sitting on the keyboard, the open book or a drawing in progress!

Luna has chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is common in older cats. She also suffers from recurrent urinary tract infections, which after further investigation turned out to be resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics, adding to the difficulty of management. Despite these challenges, Luna is a gentle and patient soul and her owners love her to bits!

DECEMBER PET
Harvey - 15 years old

BREED
Lurcher

HOW WE HELPED
Rescue dog Harvey was adopted by his current owners (then aged 93) in 2016, after they lost their much loved lab.

Harvey settled well, and is great company. He has always loved his walks and food, once managing to almost help himself to the Christmas cake (the sound of the tin hitting the floor gave him away!)

He's now an old boy and spends most of his day dozing on the sofa. Despite his size and his age, Harvey is a really healthy boy, visiting Patrick just twice a year for his checkup. He knows exactly where he is when the car pulls up at the surgery, and tries his very best to drag his owners in the opposite direction. We don’t take it personally!

Congratulations Harvey!

NOVEMBER PET
Erskine - 19+ years old

BREED
Domestic Shorthair

HOW WE HELPED
Erskine is a venerable cat, over 19 years old, who lives with his sister May.

Erskine is a lucky boy, enjoying the peaceful domestic surroundings of the Master’s Lodge at St Catharine’s College, and will always be grateful to Harriet whose deft removal of dental plaque helped reverse a life-threatening infection. Erskine is a gentle, patient and affectionate soul with a love of food and nature and an adventurous and curious spirit that has made him beloved and cherished by all who have met him.

We are all very happy that Erskine continues to enjoy good health and a fantastic quality of life!

OCTOBER PET
Bessie - 13 years old

BREED
Basset Hound

HOW WE HELPED
Bessie was adopted aged 8 months old from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Bessie is all about food and cuddles! She has never been interested in toys but does love a pizza crust, cucumber or carrots. She's the best therapy dog, loves a Sunday sofa nap and is amazing with children. She's surprisingly speedy for her little legs and enjoys her regular trips to Scotland where she hangs out with the family Italian Spinone.

Bessie has been a regular visitor to the practice over the years, including an allergic reaction to a spider, emergency treatment after eating a whole punnet of grapes and in more recent years ongoing treatment to manage her allergic skin disease, heart condition and age related incontinence. Bessie puts up with all these tribulations with great stoicism. Harriet is her favourite (sorry Patrick!) and she has lots of love for Anna and Nancy and the rest of the team too.