-
The Five Freedoms
With respect to feline therapies and quality of life, there are a number of ethical principles that constitute the foundation for all treatment considerations. The first of these principles is the most important one, namely that the needs of the cat must always come first. The next principle is an ancient medical principle: above all, do no harm. […]
-
Veterinary Ethics
It is a self-evident truth that wherever there is consciousness, there is some degree of suffering, whether that pain be physical or psychological[1]. Consequently, the study of ethics is an examination of the rights and welfare of all living things which possess consciousness. Pertinent to this arena of veterinary medicine, ethics deals with an ethical code that is the […]
-
Motivating factors
The majority of veterinarians choose their professional vocation because of an inherent desire to help animals. And, not surprisingly, that lifelong choice is made well before adolescence, and often by the time they are 13 years[1]. For a minority, the decision is rarely so simple, lucid or arbitrary. They arrive at this decision after years […]
-
Quality and quantity
We live in an age of quantity. The media shapes us with the notion that larger, faster, and more are often synonymous with better. We are told that we need to find more time, more possessions, and more love to be truly happy. A smaller quantity of anything that is high in quality will almost […]
-
Compassion fatigue
Because of their exposure to long work hours and workloads, health practitioners are at an increased risk of being personally influenced by their work. Few enter the veterinary profession thinking they might pay dearly for their care of animals. They usually come with strong beliefs in such ideals as the decency of people, the conviction […]
-
Veterinary Oath
The Veterinarian Oath: Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, and to adhere to a code of conduct that ensures the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and […]
-
Polydactyly
Ernest Hemingway made polydactylism of cats famous when he adopted a colony of about 50 cats, half of which were polydactyl[1]. Polydactylism is relatively common in cats, and mostly non-pathogenic, but a correlation exists between extra digits and other genetic abnormalities such as radial agenesis, bilateral radial hypoplasia (hemimelia) and generalised cardiomegaly[2][3][4][5]. Polydactyly in ‘Poly’, a 12 week Ragdoll male […]
-
Singapura
The Singapura cat takes it’s name from the Malaysian name for Singapore. The Singapura was brought to America in the 1970’s. Also known as ‘drain cats’ because they were reputed to inhabit the city drains, they are also known as the Singapore River Cat. Contents 1 History 2 Appearance 3 Personality 4 Suitability 5 References History In 1971, Hal Meadow, […]
-
Olfaction
Although cats have less sensitivity to smells than a dog, whose is renowned for his olfactory prowess, a cat’s olfactory skills far exceed humans. Specific odours are attractive to cats, particularly mineral odours (bleach), catnip, olive wood, valerian, asparagus, mint, papyrus, cloves, mimosa, pheromones, and meats (including viscera such as liver). A large majority of feline […]
-
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmic examination of the cat is different to other species, even dogs. Initially the cat is observed from a distance in order to assess the nature and severity of the ocular problem. If appropriate, the cat should be allowed to move freely about the consulting room; this provides a very crude method of assessing vision. […]