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Hamish

February 2nd, 2025

It falls to me to find the words to do justice to a ginger cat of some consequence.

Hamish had a rocky start. Fortunately he met Denise, a sure sign that life was about to change for the better, permanently. Trust me, I know. I don’t consider that I needed rescuing, but Hamish did.

And so it was only a short time after I started hearing stories about this very affectionate cat that the subject of these stories appeared one day in the fur at our clinic, ensconced in our then hydrobath room for a temporary stay while a permanent home was arranged. After a barely decent interval my wife suggested that, perhaps, Millpoint Vet Centre could be that permanent home.

I was hesitant. I knew that his care would inevitably fall upon the nurses, and they were very busy already. I wasn’t sure his arrival would be welcomed.

In coming to this conclusion I failed to consider two factors. The first was the kindness and compassion of my colleagues, present and past. The second and unknowable part was the one cat charm offensive Hamish launched upon us. Within a few weeks he was sharing lunches, positioning himself on the bench at reception for brushing and pats, or sprawling over whichever part of the waiting room furniture he had selected for that day’s rest.  It was as if he had been there always, and that he owned the place. In his own mind, I think he did.

There were a few bumps in the road. A penchant for nibbling only the largest and most costly bags of food left out for clients rendered them unsaleable and caused some friction. More importantly as far as he was concerned, our alarm system meant he had to be caged for a large part of each weekend. This was only a temporary stop on his journey to his own personal nirvana, however, as Rachael began to take him home at weekends. And the weekends and the holidays got longer with time.

There was no doubt where he preferred to be. Many a Monday evening I would come down from the office before leaving to find he had climbed into his cat carrier and expected to be whisked away. By Tuesday morning he had accepted his weekday role once again. For Hamish, life was good.

Until last Thursday when he lost the use of his back legs. His neurological status declined so quickly over the next twenty-four hours despite treatment that by Friday evening we had to make that decision that every pet owner dreads, and with which almost all are confronted.

Rachael, Christine, Andrea and I have all lost pets we loved before, and sadly we will do so again. Perhaps the difference now is that we are all grieving, because he bound us all together. We all loved him, and each of us will have our own memories of him. The image I have in my mind is of a fat and fluffy butt and tail disappearing around a corner as he padded off silently to see what was going on, find his next feed, or just choose a place to relax.

When I leave the keyboard on this Sunday morning I will descend the stairs and tour the clinic as I do, checking the doors are secure and that all the switches are set.  The ginger ninja won’t be in his igloo to supervise, and the place will feel empty. The practice will feel incomplete. He reminded us that every veterinary practice needs a practice cat.

But we will be in no hurry to replace him, for the simplest and most obvious of reasons. He is irreplaceable.

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The advent of monoclonal antibody therapy in treating osteoarthritis in dogs and cats

April 2nd, 2023

If I look back on a professional career that will extend to forty years next year, I can count on my fingers and thumbs the number of new medications that have changed the way we work as vets. Dramatic advances in treatment are rare. 

Advances in the treatment of allergies in veterinary practice(as detailed in a previous post) were the last I would put in this category. Before that pimobendan was a game-changer for the treatment of heart failure (and my own dog was one of many to benefit), reversible sedation changed veterinary practice forever, and among vaccines feline leukaemia and feline AIDS vaccines would save even more lives if we could persuade more cat owners to use them. The original Parvo epidemic swept through the UK in the mid70s so when I started seeing practice late in that decade a vaccine was available already, thank goodness. I heard the stories of litters of pups dying only at second-hand.

I think we are standing on the brink of another such advance. The use of monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of osteoarthritis in both dogs and cats will mean, I believe, that we will treat this common, painful and debilitating disease differently in the future.

There will be a change, I think, from daily or twice daily oral anti-inflammatories and pain-killers to a simple monthly injection. These treatments have been in use in the UK and Europe for two years now so they are not new, though they are new to Australia. A response to treatment should be seen within seven days. The minimum commitment required from an owner to assess the benefit is two injections a month apart, though the intention is to inject the patient each month thereafter as the level of pain relief increases over time. 

Does it cost more than traditional medication? Yes, a little, though the price difference is minimal for larger dogs on multiple medications at the moment. Given the enthusiasm with which regular anti-allergy injections have been accepted by my clients, I am confident that there will be a demand for these new treatments. Discuss them with me on your next visit to the clinic.

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Christmas and 2023

December 19th, 2022

Like many families,my family will be together at Christmas for the first time in three years.

To give us a little extra time together the practice will be closed on Christmas Eve (Saturday 24th December) and reopen on Wednesday 28th December. We will be open as normal on New Year’s Eve (Saturday 31st December) then closed till Tuesday January 3rd.

As with all businesses, the practice is facing inflationary pressure. Unfortunately our fees and charges will increase by an average of 7% from January, in line with CPI. I have held back prices from some suppliers so there may be a small number of items where the price increases exceed CPI. 

I’d like to thank you for your support over the year and wish you, your families and pets a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

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Notice of 2 Saturday closures

March 13th, 2022

I have to give notice of two Saturdays on which the practice will be closed. On Saturday 19th March I will be attending the first day of a two day ultrasound course allowing me to get the best out of our new ultrasound machine.

On Saturday 16th April (Easter Saturday) I hope, COVID allowing, to be in Melbourne visiting one of my sons, and my sister and her family.

I apologise for any inconvenience but, as you will appreciate, for different reasons these are appointments I must keep.

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Because everybody loves free stuff

September 12th, 2021

The vast majority of clients that visit the practice value and appreciate us. In Andrew’s case probably more than he deserves. But there is a tiny minority of the pet owning public that consider all vets to be the enemy.

Please don’t tell them about this post:

Dear Reader,

If you have a puppy please allow me to remind you that, for some time now, we have offered a first heartworm prevention injection to puppies at no charge.

That’s three months heartworm prevention for free. At three months of age.

Thank you. No, really Thank YOU.

PS Should we tell them pups that come to Puppy Preschool get free intestinal wormers too? No, I agree, let’s keep it between ourselves.

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