The term ‘cat lady’ isn’t always worn with pride, but Dr Keshe Chow is no ordinary feline enthusiast – she’s made a career out of it.
Dr Chow is from the Melbourne Cat Referral Clinic and will be in Warrnambool this Monday as part of a dedicated cats-only day at The Vet Group’s Wollaston clinic.
The day has been organised to provide a cat-friendly environment and bring specialised feline services to the region to avoid animals having to endure stressful trips to Melbourne.
Dr Chow said cats had benefitted from increased research and advancements in medicine in recent years and she was looking forward to bringing that knowledge to Warrnambool.
“It’s fair to say that traditionally the health of cats was often left to take its own course. In comparison to dogs, they certainly didn’t see the same level of expert care,” she said.
“We now have a much more in-depth knowledge of cat medicine and behaviour and know that cats need to be screened, diagnosed and treated differently to other small animals.
“Cats are very good at hiding the signs of any issues they might have. They’ve evolved that way to mask the signs of weakness so that they weren’t vulnerable to predators.”
Dr Chow said cats that travelled long distances in cars or shared waiting rooms with dogs could become quite stressed and the dedicated day in Warrnambool was a great idea.
“We’re always encouraging cat owners to be proactive about their health. Because cats hide things so well, screenings are very important,” she said.
“We rely on diagnostic tools to find potential problems and this early diagnosis leads to better outcomes and more economic outcomes.”
The Vet Group operations manager Kate Williamson said referral appointments could be made with Dr Chow by calling the clinic on 5561 6911.
“Dr Chow deals with all aspects of feline medicine including dermatology, cardiology, oncology, endocrinology, infectious and immune-mediated diseases,” she said.
“People should feel welcome to call the clinic in the next few days, even if they don’t have a referral, to discuss their concerns and how Dr Chow and our own team of vets can help.”
Dr Keshe Chow from the Melbourne Cat Referral Clinic will be at The Vet Group in Wollaston on Monday 20 March for the clinic’s dedicated ‘cats only’ day.
