A two-year-old cat is back to full health after a close call with rat poison, thanks to the quick work of a specialist veterinary team in Cheshire.
Splodge, a beloved family pet from Liverpool, collapsed at home after ingesting a toxic substance. His owner, Anthony McSherry, rushed him to a local vet, where he was then referred to Northwest Veterinary Specialists (NWVS) in Sutton Weaver for urgent care.
Anthony said the incident was a major shock. “He couldn’t walk, his eyes were glazed, and he kept having seizures,” he recalled. “I honestly thought Splodge was going to die.”
To make matters more stressful, the cat belongs to Anthony’s 20-year-old daughter, Molly, who was sitting an exam upstairs at the time. “I didn’t tell her right away because I knew she wouldn’t have been able to focus,” Anthony said. “I wanted to protect her until we knew more.”
At NWVS, Splodge came under the care of neurology head Luca Motta, a European diplomate in veterinary neurology. Dr. Motta said the cat showed clear signs of severe neurological distress.
“Splodge couldn’t walk, his vision appeared impaired, and his head moved constantly from side to side,” Dr. Motta explained. “His eyes were flickering, which was worrying, but we didn’t see full-body seizures at the time of admission.”
An MRI scan of Splodge’s brain came back normal, so the team ran blood and urine toxicology tests. The results confirmed the presence of chloralose—a rodenticide commonly used in rat poison.
Splodge was treated with antiepileptic medication and intravenous fluids. Within 48 hours, he began to improve and was well enough to return home without needing long-term medication.
“Splodge made a strong recovery,” said Dr. Motta. “He returned to normal life and no further treatment was needed.”
Anthony said the entire family is grateful for the outcome. “We’re so thankful to the team at Northwest Veterinary Specialists for saving Splodge,” he said. “And we’re proud of Molly, too—she passed her exam, and now she has her best friend back, healthy and happy.”
