Meet the newest member of the Summer Hill Village Vet team…Steve Buscemi!

In “kitten season” last year we had a little kitten come into our care who had some of the buggiest eyes we had ever seen. In honour of one of our team’s childhood heartthrobs she was immediately named: Steve Buscemi

Steve developed all of the usual “kitten diseases” we see in rescue cats such as ringworm and diarrhoea. We are experts at treating these things at Summer Hill Village Vet. When we discovered that Steve also had a heart murmur we enlisted some specialist help from our friend Veterinary Cardiologist Dr Damon Leeder.

Dr Damon came to SHVV and did some tests on little Steve including a heart ultrasound and an ECG. Sadly for Steve it was not good news.

She has a rare condition called: DCRV or “double chambered right ventricle”. 

This condition causes disruption to the blood flow from her heart and will eventually cause congestive heart failure, collapse and/or sudden death.

Treatment options are limited. Ideally surgery is needed but it involves a heart/lung bypass operation which is currently not available in Australia.

Steve may live a few months or five years, we just don’t know. With this uncertainty in mind and not wanting to rehome her with the promise of heartbreak for potential adopters we have decided to keep Steve here at the vets.

Steve has become “queen of the upstairs realm” where she performs vital administrative tasks such as “pooping in the office during important meetings”, stealing food from staff when they are not looking and the most important “trip hazard”.

As “queen of the realm” she conducts her business with the utmost elegance and grace.

Brigitte Jonas, handyperson extraordinaire, says she can’t remember how she ever got any repairs done at the Summer Hill Village Vet before Steve started working there. “It’s amazing, I know exactly what tool I need to use next as Steve will invariably be sitting right on top of it!”

We look forward to keeping you updated on Steve Buscemi’s journey.