Hat-trick of top awards for vet hospital's purr-fect cat care

Linnaeus-owned Veterinary Specialists Scotland (VSS), in Livingston, has once again earned the prestigious gold recognition from the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) for its ‘purr-fect’ care for cats.

Internal medicine specialist Nicki Reed, honoured as a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for her outstanding contribution to the profession, is the driving force behind the hospital’s commitment to feline care.

Nicki is one of only three vets in Scotland to be recognised as a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Specialist in Feline Medicine and is the only one in full-time clinical work.

Veterinary Specialists Scotland has earned a trio of top awards for cat care.

She said: “At VSS, we recognise that cats are a very different species from dogs, with their own unique requirements.

“These special considerations have been taken into account not only throughout the design of our hospital but also when investigating and managing their illnesses.

“Cats often lead a more independent lifestyle than dogs, making it more difficult for owners to know what they are up to.

"They are also more likely to become anxious and stressed in unfamiliar surroundings, which can limit the usefulness of the clinical examination, unless this is done in a sympathetic fashion respecting the cat’s boundaries.

“We have members of the team with advanced qualifications in Feline Medicine and extensive experience in working with cats in order that we can make our cat patients feel as relaxed as possible during their hospital stay.

“We also have outstanding facilities and specialist equipment which allow us to expertly diagnose and carefully treat even the most serious of cases.”

The ISFM set up the worldwide Cat Friendly Clinic programme in 2012 to help and encourage veterinary hospitals and practices to make cats’ visits much less stressful and to cater for feline visitors specifically.

The aim is to ensure the delivery of a much better experience for both cats and their owners with accredited clinics earning bronze, silver or a prestigious gold award.

As a devoted cat lover, Nicki has certainly bought into the ISFM programme and used her expertise and experience to help VSS become the cream of the crop in feline care.

She has two British shorthaired cats of her own, Will and Grace, and has written several journal articles and book chapters in the field of feline medicine, along with lecturing widely in this area in the UK and abroad.

VSS is a specialist-led multidisciplinary referral hospital offering industry-leading services in cardiology, dermatology, emergency and critical care, internal medicine (feline and canine), neurology, orthopaedics, and soft tissue surgery, supported by specialists in diagnostic imaging and anaesthesia and analgesia.

For more information about VSS and the services it offers, visit www.vetscotland.co.uk or search for Veterinary Specialists Scotland on social media.