A BLACK cat called Ralph has been hailed as one of the luckiest cats in Lancashire after recovering from a road accident that nearly cost him his life.
Ralph underwent lifesaving surgery at Stanley House Vets in Colne after being found by a member of the public following a road accident.
The two-year-old moggy could barely breathe and was suffering from bruised kidneys, a bleed on his liver and grazes after colliding with a van. He was also suffering from a diaphragmatic hernia – a common consequence of traumatic injuries in cats which can be fatal if not promptly diagnosed and treated – and needed emergency surgery.
Ralph, whose owner Anita Robins was traced by the practice team because of his microchip, was given a 50-50 chance of survival as the surgery is risky, but the team knew they had to respond quickly if they were to save his life.
Vet Kate Brandist, who has a Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care, led the surgery, assisted by veterinary nurses Georgia Brayshaw, Emma Hoole and Joe Bromfield, and Ralph was nursed round the clock for 24 hours.
The practice, which looks after pets across Pendle, Burnley and Lancashire, is part of VetPartners, a group led by vets that owns some of the most respected and trusted veterinary practices in the UK and Ireland.
Kate said: “The surgery was very risky because ideally in a situation like this where there have been trauma injuries, you need to wait at least 24 hours so the organs can settle after being shaken about. But Ralph’s breathing wasn’t stable enough to leave him, so we had to operate much sooner and open up his abdomen and repair his diaphragm. He had a 50% chance of making it through the surgery.
“It isn’t a common surgery, and this was only the second time in three years of working in emergency care that I have needed to repair a diaphragm, so it was very satisfying when he came through.”
Ralph’s grateful owner has now paid tribute to the care, skills and expertise of the team at Stanley House Vets for saving her pet’s life. He is now home with his owner in Burnley Wood after astonishing everyone with his recovery.
Anita said: “It was such a shock when I receive an early morning call to say he had been involved in a road accident. It was such a relief when he came out of surgery and I heard he had got through the operation. I rang the practice the day after his operation and they said he was eating and having his tummy rubbed. It was amazing as he was home the next day.
“The team at Stanley House are amazing – they always are whenever I take cats there – and have saved his life. I asked them to do the best for him, and they went above and beyond and Kate the vet was brilliant. When a pet’s life was on the line, they did everything they could and I’m so grateful.
“He’s still housebound but is back to his old self. He’s very cheeky, playful and demanding, and head butts me to get what he wants.”