Anka, a five year old tabby cat who likes to travel on trains
Whenever I travel abroad, my eye is drawn to any animals that I encounter.
Case Studies
Sooty, a female Cairn Terrier who is almost 16 years old and was just “not thriving”.
Sooty is a typical example of a “family pet”. Rosie is twenty two years old now, which means that she was a six year old girl when Sooty arrived in the household as a puppy.
TJ, a one year old male cat who had a red raw area on the back of his neck that he kept scratching
Itchy skin is a common problem in pets. There are many causes, ranging from allergies to fleas, with dozens of other possible reasons.
Ali, a ten year old female Boxer who had started limping on her left hind leg
Lameness is very common in pet dogs, and it is much more common in some breeds.
Ed, a seven year old male cat with ataxia
Cats are nimble and gymnastic creatures, jumping onto walls which look much too high to climb, and leaping across gaps which seem impossibly wide. They have an innate ability to judge distances and heights.
Titan, a six year old male Rottweiler who was shaking his head and pawing at his ears
As a Rottweiler, Titan is a giant dog, weighing over 60kg (around 10 stone). He is a good-natured animal, which is just as well.
Cheeky, a five-year-old female cat who had itchy skin
When Cheeky was brought in to see me, the main thing that her owners had noticed was a skin rash along her back and on her underside.
Whoopie, a five year old female Golden Labrador who had a sore mouth
Whoopie just loves going for walks, and she has always adored chasing sticks. She has her own routine – she finds a stick herself, brings it to Mandy’s feet, and then barks until Mandy throws it.
Mugley: an exceptionally big cat
Most cats arrive at my vet clinic in cat carrier cages, and these are usually carried in by the owner.
Teva, an 11 year old female corgi who had permanent loss of use of her hind legs
As a vet, it can be difficult to leave your job behind you, even when you go on holidays overseas.
Chico a 10 year old black cat with diabetes
Chico is a large, striking-looking black cat with yellow eyes.
Bobby an eight year old Border Terrier who was dog-napped
Dog-napping is on the rise, with more and more pets being stolen from suburban gardens and homes across Ireland.
Pasha, a five year old cat with dental disease
Sheila visited Sharpes Hill Animal Sanctuary in County Wicklow shortly after reading a book about the First World War, featuring a soldier called Pasha.
Fluffy and Murphy, two black and white cats
Fluffy and Murphy came into the Yarrow household when they were young kittens. The family live in an urban area, and it was obvious that it would be hazardous for the cats to be allowed outside.
Lucky an 11 year old male terrier with heart disease.
Lucky had always been a typical terrier - an active, energetic dog. He had been healthy over the years apart from a few minor illnesses.
Snowy the cat who suffered serious injuries after a kick from a horse
When Geraldine’s two kittens, Sooty and Snowy, were young, she made sure that she signed them both up for pet insurance.
Angel an 18 month old Samoyed who seemed to start to go bald
Samoyeds come from the group of dogs known as “sled-pulling dogs”. They were bred in Siberia by nomadic reindeer herding people.
Max, a nine month old cat with a sneezing problem
Max was a smart, inquisitive and friendly cat. He was the only animal in the house, and he enjoyed his role as the centre of human attention.