Samoa’s cat lovers have been cautioned of the dangers of ciguatera poison which can be found in certain fish and could be dangerous to the animals if fed.

The Animal Protection Society, in their newsletter distributed on Friday evening, issued a caution to cat owners of the dangers that ciguatera poisoning in fish poses to feline animals.

As an example, the A.P.S. said it had to hospitalise a male orange tabby cat called Ginger, which had trouble walking properly and “appeared intoxicated”.

“Our clinic staff immediately considered that he may have been poisoned by something so asked what he had eaten.  The answer: local reef fish, [which are] a common cause of ciguatera poisoning,” said the non-government organisation. 

“Ginger stayed in the clinic for a few days until Dr. Harriet could come in to see him and confirm that Ginger had most likely been poisoned with ciguatera, a toxin that can be found in certain reef fish.

“Unfortunately, there is not a cure for ciguatera and recovery depends on how much of the toxin has been consumed.”

The A.P.S. staff kept Ginger in a safe and clean space and fed and kept it hydrated with food and intravenous fluids as well as some physiotherapy to help in his recovery.

"Our staff at the Clinic were so happy when Ginger finally seemed to be on the road to recovery and they knew he was going to make it.

"After another week of care in the clinic, Ginger was ready to go home to his extremely relieved family."

According to the clinic, the symptoms of ciguatera poisoning may include wobbly walking or falling over, diarrhoea, vomiting or sensitivity to touch. The onset of symptoms varies with the amount of toxin eaten from half an hour to up to two days and symptoms can last from weeks to months, if not fatal. 

The clinic said in its newsletter that if you think your dog or cat has had ciguatera poisoning, bring them to the A.P.S. clinic so that their staff can give them the best chance to make it through. 

The APS clinic's opening hours during the holidays are Wednesday 28 December:  9am – 3pm. Thursday 29 December: 9am – 3pm. Friday 30 December:  9am – 3pm. Wednesday 4 January:  9am – 3pm. Thursday 5 January: 9am – 3pm and Friday 6 January:  9am – 3pm.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, ciguatera fish poisoning is a clinical syndrome caused by eating fish that have accumulated ciguatoxins (CTXs) due to feeding on toxic microalgae. Over 400 known fish species from tropical and subtropical waters have been classified as potential CTXs carriers. Examples of the fish most frequently associated with cases of ciguatera include barracuda, grouper, amberjack, red snapper, moray eel, hogfish, mackerel, surgeonfish, and parrotfish.

Meanwhile, the A.P.S. says there is an urgent need for a veterinarian in Samoa, with the non-government organisation operating at the mercy of vets volunteering their services to the organisation. 

Since the departure of Dr. David and Dr. Megan, the clinic has been without the services of a full-time veterinary professional.

“However, former volunteer, Dr. Harriet, has been able to make time to come into the clinic on Fridays to supervise Veterinary Assistant Tino who has been trained to carry out male castrates,” reads their recent newsletter.

“The clinic also had the benefit of telemedicine consultations with Dr. David following his departure.  

However, this arrangement has now come to an end and the Board is actively seeking a volunteer vet willing to come to Samoa for three or more months. 

“In the meantime, Dr. David Dowd, a vet from New Zealand is in Samoa from December 19 to 6 January 2023 and he has offered his services at the clinic during the Christmas/New Year period during the restricted opening hours.”