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survet of irish vets

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:30 pm
by Cussypat1974
I am a vet nurse student in second year. i am half thinking of writing an article for the irish veterinary journal on FIV. more specifically..... on attatudes of Irish vets to FIV. i was thinking of sending a survey out to all vets, and collating the results, and writing my article based on that, highlighting the reasons why killing healthy FIV cats is just..... well..... silly! I do think many vets recommend killing the cat unnecessarily. I have three here who I adopted this Summer because vets said to kill them. They are doing GREAT.
ferals are a different survey..... and one I plan to do when I have more confidence and skill.
I am gonna need the help of my lecturers to do this. Ideally I would like to survey owner reactions too....... I want to figure out how many and WHY healthy FIV cats are killed by vets.
any and all input or ideas is VERY helpful at this stage! i havent even mentioned it to my lecturer yet......

Re: survet of irish vets

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 7:25 pm
by Crewella
It's a sad situation, but people are gradually becoming more enlightened about FIV and attitudes are slowly changing - the more discussion there is on the subject the better.

I think FIV cats also suffer because of the general lack of homes and sheer numbers of unwanted cats in the UK - they often get put down because vets know they will be harder to home as well as because of concerns over the actual disease itself. Sadly, it's often the simplest (I won't say 'easy') option. :(

I think it's a great idea, go for it. And good luck.

Paddington, my recently rescued FIV+ old boy, approves too. xx

Re: survet of irish vets

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 11:34 pm
by bobbys girl
Bob thinks it's a great idea. :) our local vet would have advised PTS. But we switched to a vets in the south who are great.

Good luck with that.

Re: survet of irish vets

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 1:54 am
by Mrs Kane
LOVE the idea Cussypat!

I personally think a cat having FIV is very similar to HIV in the 80s. Nobody really knows what it is outside the community and therefore no one wants a cat with an unknown disease (I myself didn't know of its existence until I joined Catchat and educated myself)
A lot of people seem to treat FIV cats like a cat with a permanent disability and that's just not the case! They can live perfectly happy and healthy lives for years and years without the infection spreading!

We don't even give cats with cancer this kind of wide berth of fostering and adoption and that makes me really angry!

Re: survet of irish vets

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:15 am
by jillyvillyvoo
Well said Mrs Kane, well said.

Re: survet of irish vets

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 1:41 pm
by Cussypat1974
thisis EXACTLY why I want to do this survey, and publish the results. my first confirmed FIV was Ghostie, who is right now sleeping upstairs in a cat pile. she has had cancer twice but been treated. i know she will die young, but I have NO DOUBT IN MY MIND that her young demise will be down to prior starvation and inbreeding.
yet still..... Irish vets say to kill the cat as soon as the diagnosis is made. not all of them, but I was toild to kill Ghostie years ago! i want it to be clear...... more than anecdotal evidence. i want to know if Irish vets generally kill fiv cats or not, becausr I have met BOTH types of vet.

i think it is a worthwhile project. if it gets published, it MIGHT make some vets rethink their position........

Re: survet of irish vets

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 12:43 am
by Mrs Kane
I agree. I think we need to change the whole outlook on FIV cats. They are not disabled and not something to fear and be put down upon diagnosis.
PS, thankyou jillyvillyvoo :)

Re: survet of irish vets

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 8:46 am
by bobbys girl
My FIV boy Bob has just come bouncing in for his breakfast. He has wolfed down a small tin of Applaws and a sachet of Gourmet, had a big wash and is settling down for a nap. He is a long, lithe tube of muscle - long may it continue.

My other, 'normal', 'healthy' cats have, in the case of the girls, whinged and moaned like a bunch of spoilt brats and Tommy has gone picky again. Gracie is off to the vets today, suspected cystitis!

Tom is now back in looking for his breakfast, but I think Grace has had it. :roll:

Re: survet of irish vets

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2015 2:59 pm
by Cussypat1974
I spoke to my clinical pathology levturer and she thinks it is a great idea! But.. Publishing in the Irish vet journal is paid.... And costs about 3 grand!!!! !! HELLO!!!!!!! So she said to do the research and publish in a IK Nursing journal...... You just send them stuff and if they think it is good enough they will publish it. But my lecturer is behind me all the way. She is mainly a large animal vet. Kinda wierd for me to pick her as a mentor, but I just like her down to earth manner.