This week saw reports that 28 cats in the West Country have recently died after drinking anti-freeze. Now the veterinary chain, Vets Now, has reported that over the past two nights 11 cats have died from anti-freeze poisoning in one street in Camberley.

The Vets Now clinic in Farnham had to put three cats to sleep on Tuesday night, brought in by an owner whose other cat died the previous day from anti-freeze poisoning. Another two cats were also brought in by a different owner, also displaying signs of poisoning and were also put to sleep. All of the cats were from Eaton Road in the town.

Commenting on the cases, Kath Howie, Senior Veterinary Nurse at Vets Now in Farnham said;

"We have had to put five cats to sleep in the past two nights and I know that another four cats from Eaton Road were put to sleep by daytime vets over the past couple of days.

"Anti-freeze is a highly toxic substance to cats. Being exposed to just a teaspoon of anti-freeze can cause death and cats in particular are drawn to the substance as it tastes sweet and they lick their paws after coming into contact with it. Unfortunately, by the time the signs of anti-freeze poisoning present themselves, it is usually too late to save the cat's life.

"We normally see one anti-freeze poisoning case every six months so to see five in one week and have knowledge of another six cases, would lead me to believe that this has been malicious. I would like owners in the area to be aware of what to look for and be particularly attentive to their cat's behaviour."

Anti-freeze poisoning occurs in two stages. Within 30 minutes of ingesting the substance, the animal will begin to stagger, vomit and become extremely un-coordinated. This may continue for a few hours and after passing through the first stage, the animal may appear to recover; however after 12 hours of ingestion, the toxic substances present in the anti-freeze will accumulate in the kidneys, causing kidney failure and ultimately death.

Vets Now advises owners to seek immediate veterinary treatment if they suspect that their pet has come into contact with anti-freeze. The first 9 – 12 hours are critical as after this period, the toxic crystals have already started to form on the animal's kidneys and this is likely to be too late to save the its life.

The Surrey Police are aware of the incidents and are conducting an investigation into cases of cat cruelty in the area. If anyone has any information about the recent spate of poisonings which may help the police in their enquiries, please contact Surrey Police on 0845 125 222.

Submitted by: Steve O'Malley      

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