IT can be quite disconcerting when clients stride into your consulting room and confidently announce their pet’s diagnosis.

Normally, things are a little more tentative.

Thus, “I think my dog has got something stuck in his throat.” usually means that he has an infectious tracheitis or inflammation of the windpipe.

Similarly, “I think my dog might be lame.” often indicates a long standing, severe arthritic problem.

But when owners are more positive about their thoughts on their pet, it can lead to difficulties.

So when a young lady popped her cat basket onto my consulting room table the other day and said, “My cat is hyperthyroid.” I knew I had to be careful. She was probably right, of course.

I knew from my computer screen that we had never seen her cat before and so asked, more in hope than belief, where her cat had been diagnosed.

I was praying that she had moved house and was about to produce her cat’s previous history. But no such luck.

She confirmed he had not been seen by a vet in years but that she knew he was definitely hyperthyroid, so could she just get some treatment and she presumed she would not have to pay for a consultation since I had not actually done anything. (I didn’t mention the upkeep of the waiting room, the computer system, the receptionist, the cleaning, the electricity etc).

Now, for those of you who are not in the know, or rather have not yet had the chance to Google ‘hyperthyroidism in cats‘, this is a relatively common condition of the older feline.

Generally caused by a benign growth of the thyroid gland, hyperthyroidism results in an increased metabolic rate.

Symptoms are multiple and varied but weight loss is always seen and the heart rate is raised. Frequently, the enlarged thyroid gland can be palpated in the neck, whilst affected cats often have a voracious appetite, an increased thirst and many exhibit gastrointestinal upsets. Some become aggressive and twitchy, others are depressed.

And so, with heavy heart and the thought that the internet will surely be the demise of veterinary surgeons everywhere, I watched as my young lady client pulled a classic case of over-active thyroid activity from her basket.

He was thin, his coat was dull and the loose skin on his tummy confirmed recent, dramatic weight loss.

And then I took a deep breath, which I always do when I am nervous, and, in quiet tones, advised my confident client that it really would be better to let me examine and test her cat for all the things she hadn’t Googled before we jumped to conclusions. I saw the look on her face. If I was wrong she would castigate me for having wasted her time and her money.

But then, if I just took her word, and her diagnosis, and treated the cat inappropriately, then that too would be my fault. I think it is called a no-win situation.

Luckily, she let me do it my way. After further history and examination, we ran some tests. Her cat, as it turned out, was not hyperthyroid but diabetic.

Google nil, Veterinary Surgeon one.