Sox is super friendly and likes nothing more than winding up his sister and stealing food from next door!  Tilly takes life more seriously and is very much more at home on her owner’s beanbag, venturing outside only to ensure Sox is not up to too much mischief!

They always come yearly for their routine vaccinations and whilst here, as part of their pre-vaccination health check, we noticed changes in Sox and Tilly.  They are both beginning to enter senior years, so a few conditions start to become more troublesome than in younger years. Sox’s weight graph begun to drop more than usual, and Tilly became under the weather and was eating a little less than usual.

Vet, Ben, decided to do a blood test on Sox and Tilly (Sox took this in his stride, as always, Tilly was a little more worried, but nurse Ali put her at ease and the blood test was stress free). 

Following blood tests, it was found that Sox had developed hyperthyroidism and Tilly was beginning to struggle with kidney failure.  As a common side effect of hyperthyroidism, Sox had also begun to develop heart changes and we could hear a heart murmur. To ensure we knew what was happening within Sox’s heart, we did a conscious ultrasound of his heart, which enabled us to see that his heart muscle had begun to become thickened; luckily the atrium of his heart had not stretched and he was not at risk of a blood clot, so he began tablets to help reduce his heart changes. 

Sox also began hyperthyroidism treatment in the form of a gel (which he sits on the stairs for every day and waits for his ear rub and treat).  Tilly is now on special prescription food to reduce the strain on her kidneys and she is doing great also.

Sox is back to his troublesome best and Tilly is back incharge of the household, including her owners, who are at her service hourly!  

Here are some pictures of our heros...