Animal Welfare Professionals

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  • 1.  Veterinary opthamology

    Posted 05-12-2022 04:38 AM
    Hello all!  Kotor Kitties has been given a unique challenge by one of our partner vets in Montenegro, and we need help making a connection to a vet school opthamology professor.  Montenegro would be considered an "under-resourced" country; Kotor Kitties is the first HQHVSN and TNR program in the country, and the first for cats in the Balkan countries.

    Our vets are doing spay-neuter surgeries with injectible anesthesia and nothing is put in the cat's eyes to prevent drying out.  Based on observations of the cats, our new contract asks that the cats be given a drop of lubricant, such as corn or vegetable oil, in each eye, as part of their prep for surgery.

    One vet took exception to the idea, and ask that we provide a written opinion from a veterinary opthamologist on a vet school faculty that this would be safe for the cats.  I've tried 3 times, unsuccessfully, to connect with the Koret School at UC Davis, but wondered if any of you has a connection who wouldn't mind doing this?

    Thanks for any connections you may have for us!
    #CommunityCatManagement
    #EducationandTraining
    #Medicine,SurgeryandSterilization

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    April King
    Volunteer and Board Member
    Kotor Kitties
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  • 2.  RE: Veterinary opthamology

    Posted 05-27-2022 01:06 PM
    Hi April:

    Eek! I can't imagine not putting a protective coating over a cat's eyes during surgery.  Sigh. If the ophthalmology department at UC Davis hasn't gotten back to you, I'd call the Ophthal. department at Cornell and see if you can speak to one of their residents. I don't know if Dr. Tom Kern is still with the department, but if he is, he's a real sweetie, and I'd be surprised if the people working with him didn't talk to you. A good number to start with is: (607) 253-3060.

    Lynne Swanson, DVM
    (Cornell '86 grad)

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    Lynne Swanson
    Safe Harbor Farm K9
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  • 3.  RE: Veterinary opthamology

    Posted 01-13-2023 03:38 PM
    Hi Lynne,

    I never did reach anyone on the opthamology faculty at Cornell or any other school I tried; Dr. Kern has retired, and they wouldn't connect me to anyone else in the department.  I sent emails to everyone on Opthamology staff at 4 different schools, and meanwhile the cats are still being operated on without eye lubricant.  

    If you have any other ideas, or personal contacts, I would be grateful!

    April

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    April King
    Volunteer and Board Member
    Kotor Kitties
    +1 206 407 5336
    http://www.kotorkitties.org
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  • 4.  RE: Veterinary opthamology

    Posted 01-14-2023 04:20 AM
    April:

    That is so disappointing! What kind of anesthesia is being used, and how long are the cats under anesthesia?

    Are you documenting post-surgical corneal ulcers and discomfort?

    Perhaps another place to get help from the veterinary community is to reach out to veterinary groups that do high-volume spay neuter. The ASPCA‘s high-volume spay neuter training facility in Asheville, North Carolina may be able to help. They teach veterinarians the best standard practices for high volume spay neuter, and they’re a wonderful group.

    Sent from my iPhone




  • 5.  RE: Veterinary opthamology

    Posted 01-16-2023 07:08 AM
    Hi April,

    Try reaching out to UW Shelter Medicine.  They have an outreach veterinary team that I would think would be able to answer this question and provide a reference fairly quickly.

    https://www.uwsheltermedicine.com/about/team/

    Dr. Schumacher and Dr. Hicks have both worked with our program and are usually pretty responsive, I can PM you contact information.

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    Jeff Okazaki
    Humane Society of Jefferson County
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