The agoraphobic cat William, a Persian Chinchilla
Petplan Launches The 2016 Vet Awards With Top 5 Unusual Animal Ailments
9 years ago 
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The UK’s most loved pet insurer shares some of the most unexpected and unpredictable cases from the nation’s veterinary waiting rooms
To mark the launch of Petplan’s 2016 Veterinary Awards, which celebrate the love, care and often awe-inspiring work of the nation’s veterinary professionals, Petplan has identified five outlandish cases that have graced the operating tables and tested the mettle of veterinary practices around the country over the past year.
The top five are:
The yoga mat-eating cat
The agoraphobic cat
The discriminate dog
The dog with a compulsive eating disorder
The cat with separation anxiety
“UK vets are increasingly being put through their paces and often having to go to extremes to tend to the unusual and unexpected cases they see coming through their practice doors. The cases identified by Petplan serve to shine a light on the unpredictability of the job and the lengths the profession is prepared to go to for the wellbeing of our treasured pets,” commented Petplan Veterinary Awards 2015 winner, Steve Kirby.
Veterinary staff go above and beyond and help save pets lives on a daily basis. Petplan, the UK’s most trusted pet insurer is calling for pet owners to take the opportunity to say thank you to their vet, vet nurse, practice manager or practice support staff, in the 17th annual Petplan Veterinary Awards. To nominate, simply visit www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards by the 31st January 2016.
The top five in detail :
1. The yoga mat-eating cat
Charlie, had always been slightly suspicious of yoga. One night he planned his attack and his owner awoke to a mauled mat. Other than sporting a guilty look on his face, Charlie was displaying no abnormal behaviours and appeared to be himself. The yoga mat however – or remains of it - suggested signs of ingestion. Concerned, Charlie’s owner whisked him off to the vet, who, taking no chances, treated Charlie as an emergency case, and after a quick abdominal examination, rushed Charlie in for X-rays, which – perhaps unsurprisingly - revealed gigantic chunks of foam and a blockage to the intestines. Without intervention, the abdomen and even bloodstream can become infected, and can lead to fatality. Charlie, thanks to the quick thinking of his vet, made a full recovery following surgery.
2. The agoraphobic cat
William, a Persian Chinchilla, is a real scaredy cat who loves the comfort of his home to such an extent he will only go as far as putting one paw out of the door before darting back inside. After having to sedate William on two separate occasions to get him into his travel basket to go to the surgery, the vet has now resorted to house visits to treat him. In the last 6 months alone, the pampered Persian has had four house calls to tend to his diva-esque troubles in the luxury of his own living room, the most extreme of which was being treated for an allergy to dry cat food! With the vet surgery just around the corner from William’s home, the kind- hearted vet has agreed a preferential house visits rate with William’s long-suffering owners!
3. The discriminate dog
When Rose first had her cockapoo, Sessy, as a nine month old puppy, she thought nothing of it when she barked at all her non-white friends. She figured it stood to reason that because Sessy was only exposed to a white family as a puppy, it was natural that she wouldn’t understand that people have different skin colours. As Sessy grew older, the barking became louder and she would also snarl and bare her teeth at people, displaying clear signs of distress every time she saw someone with black skin. Mortified by what was happening, Rose consulted the vet, who reassured her that Sessy’s behaviour was not uncommon and more than likely stemmed from anxiety. The solution? A referral to a dog whisperer who slowly exposed Rose to people with different skin tones, instructing each of them to give her calming commands using an authoritative tone. Inclusivity is now second nature to Sessy.
4. The dog with the compulsive eating disorder
Rollo the Chocolate Labrador is prone to putting things in his mouth. Over the last year, 12 muffins, including the Tupperware container they were in, and a full box of rat poison have fallen prey to Rollo’s appetite. Each episode involved a full physical examination, blood test and X-ray, costing Rolo’s owner in the region of £100 per visit. The rat poison incident however involved a treatment that was much more up Rollo’s street... Wanting to spare Rollo from having his stomach pumped and in a case of extraordinary out of the box thinking, the vet popped out to the corner shop and came back with a bag of spinach – a natural antidote to rat poison*. Rollo happily munched his way through eight bags of it and made a full recovery.
5. The cat suffering from separation anxiety
When Francesca went away to university, her Maine Coon cat, Casper started misbehaving. No door or item of furniture escaped his claws and no carpet escaped his urine-marking. He also developed feline anorexia, refusing to eat when left alone. The vet prescribed a natural supplement designed to reduce anxiety, along with environmental pheromone therapy. When neither had any impact, the vet recommended a range of behaviour modification techniques and helped the family identify specific triggers for Casper’s anxiety – keys, briefcases and bags. The vet then guided the family through a routine to help them practice coming and going multiple times a day, each time greeting Casper casually or engaging in a little play session and gradually increasing the time spent outside of the home until his confidence returned.
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