NEWS

Help wanted for a kitten with cerebral hypoplasia

Desley is a volunteer for a cat charity in the Greater Manchester area. They have an 18month old cat with CH, who they would like to place in a forever home and they're wondering if there are any specialist groups they could approach, as obviously he needs to either go with someone who knows what they are doing, or are very happy to learn. This is a link to more information: http://www.catchat.org/77shaw/cgibin/prview.cgi?id=2008100501 


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I don't often do this, give space to off-topic issues, but internet shopping takes such a hammering, I wanted to put the other side for once. For whatever reason, I missed out on the shop-til-you-drop gene and so letting my mouse take the strain is a major personal asset. These are the outfits that have sent quality goods, quickly and in good condition: Photobox http://www.photobox.co.uk , Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk , Hotel Chocolat http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk , Tamar Telecommunications https://www.tamarshop.co.uk , IWOOT http://www.iwantoneofthose.com , Showerail http://www.showerail.co.uk , Body Shop http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk , Express Chemist http://www.expresschemist.co.uk , Viking http://www.viking-direct.co.uk, and ASOS http://www.asos.com . I'll let you know about Pedlars and the Kennedy Space Centre in due course.Yes, they came up trumps too!

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Kick start Christmas for Droitwich Ferret Welfare

Dear Supporter,

Would like to pioneer a new way to 'do' Christmas and raise funds for
ferrets in need at the same time?

GREAT SAVINGS TOO - JUST £5 WILL SEND GREETINGS TO 100 FRIENDS!

EVERYCLICK has launched a new Greeting service this week which will mean
that we can benefit from online charity greetings and giving this Festive
season.

It's really simple; you select a card, add a personal message include an
optional image and possibly a video clip, make a donation and then book a
day to have Santa deliver it to all your friends nearer Christmas.
121%* of the amount you donate will come to Droitwich Ferret Welfare. This
Christmas it really is possible to spend less and give more.

The official launch is next week but you can try out the service today to
raise money for Droitwich Ferret Welfare. Your Greetings will be sent on the
date set for them to be delivered.

Help make Christmas 2008 be about spending less and giving more.
Just go to: http://www.everyclick.com/christmas  and try it out.
(Minimum donation £5 which you can send to up to 100 recipients)

Best wishes,

DROITWICH FERRET WELFARE (reg.charity no.1102038)

* Using Gift Aid means that for every pound given the Welfare will receive
an extra 28p from HM Revenue & Customs, helping each donation go further at
no cost to the donor. For further information please visit -
http://charities.everyclick.com/using-everyclick/terms-and-conditions.htm  
....and don't forget to "Fettle a Ferret" too!

From Dr Sarah Caney, specialist feline vet: I thought that you and members of the disabled animals club might be interested in hearing about a new publication: ‘Caring for a blind cat’ which is now available on my website
http://www.catprofessional.com/publications.html  

Caring for a blind cat has been written as a guide for cat owners, veterinary nurses/technicians and vets. It is written by Natasha Mitchell, a veterinary ophthalmologist who I’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside for several years. Caring for a blind cat is available as an e-book (£7) and shortly will also be available as a print on demand softback book (£16.95). This book is a comprehensive guide on blindness and deals with:
• anatomy of the eye – names and functions of all of the parts of the eyes
• causes of blindness including pictures of the different eye conditions
• treatment of eye conditions causing blindness
• information on how vets assess blind cats
• how to make life for a blind cat as comfortable and safe as possible
• case reports from owners of blind cats illustrating how well these cats cope with their disability
• a glossary of veterinary terms
The book is just over 60 pages long and is beautifully illustrated with colour photographs.

Here are some reviews that this book has received:
''Caring for a blind cat” contains comprehensive yet accessible information on the anatomy, diseases and conditions of the eye together with practical step-by-step advice for owners. It addresses both gradual and sudden onset presentations and provides excellent advice on the specific needs and care of the blind cat. The case histories are particularly useful, as it's always good to know you are not alone when tackling a problem! "

Vicky Halls - Author and member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors

This book will be of great help and comfort to owners of visually-impaired and blind cats. It is both highly informative and very practical, and the case studies give a real insight to the resilience of cats and their near unending ability to adapt to change (often being far better at it than their owners).

Professor Danièlle Gunn-Moore BSc BVM&S PhD MACVSc MRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Videos from Vetstoria: There is quite range of these on all sorts of topics. Take a look at their site - Vetstoria.

March 2008: Syringomelia in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is studying a new product to treat the pain associated with this disease. They are inviting vets to refer dogs to the study. If you are interested, make sure your vet knows about the research. [reported in Veterinary Record, March 8th 2008]

March 2008: The Paul O'Grady Show is looking for pet participants

DO YOU HAVE A PET WITH A PROBLEM?

The Paul O’Grady Show is back on Channel 4 in March and we are looking for all sorts of animals with all sorts of problems to be discussed in our pet clinic.
Do you have a pet that’s feeling under the weather or is behaving strangely? If you’d like to bring your pet onto the show, or would just like your questions answered, why not ask our resident vet Marc.
If you want to get in touch just email your questions to viewerpets@paulogrady.tv February 2008:

My name is Nicola and i work for a production company that is currently producing a show called Animal Crackers for Animal Planet.
We will be looking at various animal stories from in and around the UK.
During the course of my research, I came across your website. I am interested in meeting you and your pets, and the pets that are members of your organisation, and hearing the stories behind them.
If you have a pet with a good character, and a good story, then I would like to talk to you.

If you have any queries about our company, or the show, you can reach me on the email or phone numbers below.

Kind regards

Nicola Barraclough
Assistant Producer/Researcher
Mob: 07734 297473
www.doginabox.com  
2 Principal Square London E9 6AD
Tel: 020 7682 0268

February 2008: No idea where to put this but do take a look! http://www.birdcinema.com/ Bird Cinema gives you a peopleseye view of birds, a sort of YouTube for twitchers! 

February 2008: Feline dementia;  research reported in the FAB journal suggests that diet can help reduce the effects of ageing on cats' behaviour. Hill's Science diet j/d (for joints) seems to contain all the necessary supplements to improve cognitive function in older cats.

February 2008: Ferret News: a booklet 'Caring for your Ferret' is available from the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation (BVA AWF). It can be downloaded  from www.bva-awf.org/uk/resources/leaflets.  

February 2008: On a lighter note: follow this link to see Paul & Carla's video of their delightful wheelchair-jockey Woolley the Bun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GWBqD4AI5M

November 2007 Accident with a Shredder: This is an awful incident, reported in Veterinary Record November 3rd 2007, by vet Graham Campbell who asked for it to be as widely publicised as possible. If you are squeamish, read with care but please do not ignore,

Graham describes a woman coming to the surgery covered in blood and holding a small Jack Russell terrier.  The dog had approached and licked the top of a shredder that had been left on standby.  The shredder ripped out and shredded the dog's tongue.

With more of us having these devices in the home to guard against identity theft, the risk of accidents increases.  It isn't just small dogs; it's cats, it's children, it's your hair, it's the long drifty scarf orund your neck, it's whatever touches the shredder when you lean over it to reach something else. 

Best solution? Put the thing out of reach and keep it unplugged unless you're standing with it, feeding it paper.