On the 2nd April 2013 Jasper Hodgetts was in a road traffic accident while his owners were away. He was bought into us and we were able to identify him by his microchip which meant we were able to contact the owner straight away and let them know what had happened. Jasper was treated by our vet Hayley Giles and this is what she had to say:
“Jasper was brought in to me after being found huddled in a hedge in Billericay by a passer-by. At presentation he was in shock with a swollen jaw and his breathing and heart rate were very elevated. We immediately stabilised him with fluid and oxygen therapy and administered pain relief. We scanned him and luckily he had a microchip which enabled us to contact his owners without delay. After a little while we took a catogram – an xray of the entire body to highlight any injuries. It was clear to see that he was suffering from a mild pneumothorax, a collection of air outside of the lung tissue which, if it accumulates to a large amount, can prevent the lungs from being able to expand and contract for normal breathing. This however was a very mild pneumothorax that would resolve with cage rest over a few days. Jasper’s left hip was also luxated, meaning the ball of the hip joint was not sitting nicely in the cup joint. This required surgical correction which was carried out a few days after when Jasper was feeling much better. Luckily Jasper’s swollen jaw was not due to any fractures or dislocations; he had however fractured one of his teeth. Jasper has made a brilliant recovery from his injuries and I and all the staff at Cherrydown are pleased to hear how well he is doing at home”
Since the treatment we have heard Jasper is recovering well and his owner, Emma Hodgetts, has been kind enough to tell us her side of the story:
“Two years ago my friends cat had kittens, 2 ginger toms, 1 long haired and 1 short haired- Jasper and Ralph, I decided to have both. I brought them home at 12 weeks, registered them with a vet and got them insured. At 6 months old I got both the cats micro-chipped and neutered, both cats go out regularly especially during the summer when they enjoy playing in the garden and sleeping in the sun.
On Easter Monday I got home from a long day at work to a voice-mail saying that Jasper had been taken to Cherrydown after being run over by a car and was receiving treatment. I called straight away and the nurse who took my call explained the situation, current treatment, what was going to happen over the coming days, she was able to reassure me while being honest about what to expect when I visited the next day.
I was upset to see Jasper looking how he did but the nurse had prepared me well and it was obvious he was in good hands. All the staff were exceptional in their care not only of Jasper but of myself whilst I was there. Everything that was going to happen over the coming days was clearly explained, as well as what would happen depending on the outcome of the investigations.
Staff made visiting as easy as possible offering flexible visiting when needed as well as showing kindness, compassion and an obvious love for the animals in their care, I was happy to leave Jasper there knowing he was in the best possible hands.
Thankfully Jasper is micro-chipped meaning I was contacted soon after the incident, and being insured the whole process was made even easier by the direct insurance scheme which meant the cost of insurance will be collected directly from the insurance company, meaning I could concentrate on Jasper’s recovery rather than worry about covering the cost of treatment. After spending 8 days at Cherrydown Jasper is now at home and recovering well.”
It’s not often we get the chance to hear both sides of story, but it does show the importance of getting your pet micro-chipped and insured. Also, with our Direct Insurance service, a lot of stress was taken off Emma so she could concentrate on Jasper. If you would like more information on Direct Insurance please click HERE to visit our website or call us at the clinic on 01268 533 636
Below are a couple of pictures of Jasper looking a lot better after his ordeal. We would like to thank our vet, Hayley, and Emma for telling their story.
If you have a story about your pet and your experience at Cherrydown and you would like to share it, please send it to [email protected] and it might be published on the website and shared on Facebook
