A CAT called Tanqueray who had been plagued by a chronic ear condition has received a real tonic after a specialist vet treated him with dog medicine.
The six-year-old Maine Coon had been struggling for six months with an acute ear infection and was eventually referred to the renowned Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull.
Willows’ head of dermatology Dr Richard Harvey took charge of the case and confirmed that Tanqueray was afflicted by a rare bacterial infection.
Dr Harvey, a UK and European recognised specialist in dermatology, said: “Tanqueray was suffering from a serious case of what’s called ‘bilateral gram-negative otitis externa’ which is very rare in cats.
“It affected both external and middle ears. The case was complicated further as Tanqueray was also found to have a heart murmur.
“Luckily for Tanqueray, Willows has a specialist cardiology team who were able to perform an ultrasound on him straight away to ensure that general anaesthetic could be administered in order to investigate fully what the problem was.
“The infection had ruptured Tanqueray’s eardrums, inflamed his ear canal and caused a build-up of fluid in his middle ear as well as some discharge from both ears. The bacteria, called Pseudomonas, was shown to be resistant to all antibacterial agents that were available to us to use in a cats’ ear.”
Owner Tom Duncan, from Hampton in Arden, was relieved to finally have a definitive diagnosis, although admitted he was surprised by Dr Harvey’s innovative treatment.
He said: “It was such a relief to have a clear diagnosis and a path forward that wasn’t essentially just trial and error.
“Dr Harvey also said the condition could be treated with a selection of unconventional antibiotics.
“Unconventional in the sense that Tanqueray is a cat but roughly the size of a Jack Russell dog, so physically more suited to medication for dogs, however, this isn’t commonly prescribed.”
