Introduction
The two cases included in this casebook are both involving the same initial cause for injury, ie one cat fell from the 7th floor and the other was thrown (?) from the 4th floor. This casebook illustrates how the difference in physical build of the animal can influence the subsequent intensive care needs. Sulek was overweight and maintaining his temperature was not overly difficult. Sabrina, however, was very thin and needed constant effort to try and maintain her temperature - even left unattended for 2 hours resulted in a decrease in temperature in the early stages. Cats suffering 'high rise falls' are common in this clinic - there were 4 in the 10 days during the time these case studies were being conducted.

It must be pointed out that, unlike the vet schools, general practices usually do not have specialised intensive care facilities and improvisation is often necessary, due to lack of suitable equipment. Sabrina's temperature would have been managed quite easily if there had been a cage with underfloor and ambient temperature controls - hot water bottles are not the best way to heat an animal!

Intensive care is an area where nurses can practice their skills and knowledge, and good observation skills can frequently aid in identifying problems arising that will require treatment, as directed by the clinician.

Please click the links on the right to navigate to the individual case reports