Gorgeous little kitten Melon had always had a faster breath and been smaller than her sister, but it was when Melon and her sister were taken to be spayed at their local vets that a nurse discussed her concerns, leading to a referral to us.
Melon was quickly diagnosed to be suffering from a very serious peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia (her entire liver, spleen and intestines were adhered within her pericardial sack compressing her heart and lungs) most likely due to a birth defect.
This meant she urgently needed a complex operation. This was undertaken by Dr Heidi Kaniok, one of our Residents in Small Animal Surgery and Dr Hannah Reeves, a Clinical Fellow in Small Animal Surgery.
Melon’s owner said: “There was a lot of shock, as Melon had already become part of the family. We were extremely concerned as we knew it was possible Melon wouldn’t survive the procedure due to her age.”
“However, DWR Veterinary Specialists and the vets who spayed Melon were amazing. We had regular phone calls from DWR explaining how Melon was and what needed to happen next or the risks she faced. For example, when she was being operated on she lost a lot of blood, so they rang me to discuss a blood transfusion. Melon’s quality of life is now perfect. You wouldn’t know she’s had life-saving surgery and is back to being a kitten. She is so loving and regularly cleans her sister and our older cat Jack, although he isn’t too impressed!”
