Rory the cat's life saved with a blood transfusion from a DOG after eating rat poison (and an hour later he was purring and eating biscuits)
- Vet performs rare operation on cat that was dying after eating rat poison
- Life or death scenario forced Tauranga vet Kate Heller to use dog blood
- Macy the black Labrador was rushed to the aid of ginger tabby, Rory
By Richard Shears
PUBLISHED: 11:38 GMT, 20 August 2013 | UPDATED: 16:30 GMT, 20 August 2013
On screen they are usually portrayed as mortal enemies, but a cat that was dying after eating rat poison was saved thanks to a blood transfusion - from a dog.
The rare operation was carried out by New Zealand vet Kate Heller, who realised that Rory the cat would not survive unless he was given an immediate blood transfusion.
Unfortunately his blood type was not known and to have performed the delicate operation with the wrong type of blood - which for cats falls into categories A, B or AB - could have proved fatal.
But decisive action was imperative because without it Rory was in equal danger of using up the last of his nine lives.
Rory's owner Kim Edwards rushed him to Tauranga Vets after she heard him howling in pain and unable to move.
When she got there she found the blood laboratory was closed and it was not possible to determine Rory's blood type.
After consulting colleagues, Miss Heller decided to take a chance and perform the operation on the sick feline using dog's blood.
She said: 'If we didn't do it, he would have died, so we had nothing to lose by giving it a go. It was a do or die, but it's very uncommon.'
....more at link
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... cuits.html
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