My name is Milkshake Furtasia and I am a 7 year old bi-colour lynx Ragdoll. My name came about because I was collected by my new family at the Krispy Kreme carpark and Cooper (one of my hooman brothers) was drinking a vanilla milkshake with chocolate powder sprinkled on top. I was the same colours as the milkshake so there and then I was named “Milkshake’. I am a very social cat and have local friends – both cats and dogs that come to visit me.
I became unwell last year with vomiting and was seeing my local vet for tests and diet changes to hypoallergenic food. Not much was working and nothing obvious had shown up in my results so in April this year I was referred to SASH Northern Beaches where I saw Dr Amy Dixon.
It’s a great place to visit and doesn’t smell at all like a veterinary clinic. There are lovely green plants in the waiting room and even a special feline waiting area for cats like me that get nervous and a little scared. My mum says she is so grateful for the day I began my treatment at SASH. She says she’s never experienced such amazing care, kindness and knowledge than what is provided at SASH.
I underwent a cat scan and endoscopy with Dr Amy and her lovely nurses who gave me so many fairy floss floof cuddles which I loved!! Dr Amy was very knowledgeable and explained everything to my mum.
The scans showed there was intestinal thickening and I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I went on a trial of mediction and wow!! It was amazing!!! I only vomited twice during the first month!! I had so much energy and was eating more and playing non stop. Mum, Dad and my hooman brothers were so excited and happy that the old Milkshake was back.
Over the next few months I was seeing Dr Amy (and on 1 occasion Dr Stephanie who I also loved) every 4-6 weeks for follow up, some further scans to see if anything was changing and to modify treatment as it was slowly not working anymore. I was still being a brave cat and playing at home and eating well but I was losing weight and vomiting regularly.
In early December Dr Amy suggested to mum that I should have another ultrasound to check what was going on, plus a lymph node aspiration. I was there for 7 hours that day and received so much attention from the nursing staff. I vomited after having the sedation so they gave me an anti nausea injection so I could feel better and go home. The next day my mum says she got the worst news possible…That my IBD had progressed to large cell lymphoma.
Every hooman in my family cried. They said they were heart broken and held onto me tightly and I felt their tears drop on to my floofy head. I told them not to worry.. that I would be meeting my spirit brothers and sisters when I cross the rainbow bridge.. Ginger, Walter, Cassie, Emma and Pudgie Budgie. I’ve had a wonderful 7 years here on earth but my time here is soon to end. I know my family will remember me forever and I’ll remember them!!! I am part of their story and nothing changes that. My mum and I are so grateful to the incredible staff at SASH who have provided me with such personalised treatment and care. and to (kind of) quote Dale Kerrigan in ‘The Castle’ – “My name is Milkshake Furtasia and this is my SASH story”.
– Northern Beaches NSW
