NOAH: Top ten pet surgery shockers

Friday, 27 June 2008 12:00 AM

To mark the launch of the Pet Health Information website (www.pethealthinfo.org.uk), a nationwide search for 'it shouldn't happen to a pet' anecdotes to highlight the lack of awareness of pet health issues amongst owners has revealed some howlers. Pet care professionals were invited to submit their stories, and the responses, which ranged from the mildly amusing to the downright ridiculous, came flooding in.

Extracts from the "It shouldn't happen to a pet" shortlist.

"An 'armchair expert' who carefully removed one of the eight evenly distributed 'ticks' from his dog's undercarriage, and rang his vet in a panic when he couldn't stem the subsequent bleeding not realising that dogs have nipples too."

"An intact male hamster who came into the surgery, his owner distraught about the 'tumours' she had discovered between his hind legs, later to be told that they were in fact testament to his manhood."

"A young horse booked in by his owner for the first of his annual castrations."

"An astonishingly co-operative dog, who willingly allowed his owner to treat his ear infection at source - by inserting antibiotic tablets into his ears."

"A pampered indoor cat, who ventured outdoors, and was so viciously attacked by a garden slug, that his owner feared he would bleed to death."

"Jesus, the hamster, was pronounced dead by his owner yet rose miraculously from the grave, before dying again later that day. It shouldn't happen to a pet twice!"

"A kitten suffering from acute vomiting had been reported by its owners as allegedly bringing up a 'lasagne' type sheet at home. The clinic staff's joy at the kitten's miraculous recovery was short-lived when it became clear that he had passed a condom during the night, and as well as retrieving it, they would also have to inform his owner, and her mother, of the reason for the kitten's mystery illness."

"The pet shop owners taken to task by a customer for not stocking vegetarian cat food - in particular, the variety containing mackerel, that well known vegetable."

"The vet stumped by a client insisting that there was a lot of 'privet virus' going about, and as he'd noticed his clematis dying, he assumed the two were related and thought he should probably get the dog vaccinated."

And last but not least.Our Winner

Spliff, the Staffie, who was completely floored by an ear operation. to be continued..

Notes to editors:

The Pet Health Information website features a wealth of animal health information and advice to help owners and potential owners to make informed decisions about their pets' healthcare. With a wide range of topics including information on buying a pet, health guides, travelling abroad with your pet and first aid, the site features information on a range of species from dogs through to fish. The Pet Health Information website is a National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) initiative to help raise awareness of safe, effective and preventative healthcare for pets.

NOAH represents the UK animal medicines industry. Its aims are to promote the benefits of safe, effective, quality medicines for the health and welfare of all animals. www.noah.co.uk

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For further press information, the PHI logo, and photographs, please contact
Charlotte Hassenstein or Ally Gau
Blue Zebra PR
Tel: 01865 861 600
charlotte.hassenstein@bluezebrapr.com or ally.gau@bluezebrapr.com

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