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Cat Cookies receives emergency blood transfusion from brother Ollie to stay alive
Almost 40 miles from her home, Cookie the cat was on the brink of death.
She’d been missing for more than three weeks when she was found by a passer-by and rushed to a vet.
But her misadventure nearly proved fatal as she was less than half her normal body weight and critically ill.
Thankfully the one-year-old was saved by emergency vets at Vets Now and is now home in Glasgow – and thriving – with loving owner Dorothy Boyle.
But it’s her brother Ollie that Cookie owes her life to as she needed blood from him to stay alive.
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Cookie was discovered – fighting for her life and weighing less than half what she should – in Broxburn, West Lothian.
She was referred to the Vets Now pet emergency hospital in Glasgow where she was diagnosed with the life-threatening condition re-feeding syndrome as well as wounds on her abdomen and hind legs.
Vets found Dorothy’s details on her microchip – and she took to social media to tell her friends and family the news.
“I had the most amazing news last night to say that Cookie had been found after being missing for 22 days,” she posted.
“She was in Broxburn, which is nearly in Edinburgh. I have no idea how she got there or how long she’d been there for.
“The bad news is that she has lost a great deal of weight and is only 1.8kg, is dehydrated, extremely thin, and has a bad cut underneath on her tummy.”
During her treatment Cookie took a turn for the worse and a blood transfusion was required urgently. Fortunately, brother Ollie came to the rescue, providing the blood Cookie needed to survive.
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Vet Neus Elias-Santo Domingo, who works in Vets Now, Glasgow, takes up the story: “Cookie was suffering from re-feeding syndrome, which is a life-threatening condition that affects insulin, glucose and multiple electrolytes.
“After placing a central jugular line, she received intravenous fluid therapy and intravenous supplements.
“She initially became severely anaemic, secondary to the electrolyte disturbances, and received a whole blood transfusion from her brother, Ollie.
“Cookie also suffered from wounds that affected the skin on her abdomen and back legs and had burns on the pads of her hind limbs.”
After intensive treatment, Cookie was finally able to return home eight days later – where she was put on a strict eating regime to build up her strength.
Since then her weight has doubled and Dorothy says she is now back to her old self.
“I can’t thank the vets at Vets Now enough for all they’ve done for Cookie,” she added.
“It was a rollercoaster of a few weeks with absolute high points followed by terrible lows but luckily it’s all looking up now.”
Dorothy also emphasised the importance of microchipping your pet, saying: “I would have never got Cookie back if she hadn’t been microchipped.
“She was a long way off, and without that information, we would have never been re-connected.”
The Vets Now pet emergency hospital in Glasgow – where Cookie received treatment – is regarded as one of the finest facilities of its kind in the UK.
It’s one of three Vets Now hospitals across the UK that are open 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, to treat any pet emergencies that may occur.
UPDATE:
Five months after her ordeal, Dorothy got in touch to say Cookie now weighs a healthy 4.1kg.
She said “She is doing brilliantly now. She is a beautiful bundle of fun and loves nothing more than playing with her many toys or running around the garden chasing insects!
“Here is a photo to show you how much she has improved over these last five months. Thanks again to all at Vets Now in Glasgow.”