World Veterinary Day: The vet with a soft spot for feline patients (2025)

SINGAPORE – Dr Sandhya Nair’s special interest in feline medicine and ophthalmology stemmed from her experience as a junior vet in Singapore.

“I saw a cat with an eye problem, and after speaking to my senior vet colleagues, they agreed the cat needed to be checked out by a specialist,” she recalls.

Unfortunately, the cat’s owner chose not to go due to financial reasons, and a week later, the cat lost its vision.

“That episode hit me hard. I felt like if I knew better, I could have made a difference,” she says.

She finds that with early diagnosis of eye conditions, vision can be preserved.

Dr Nair, who graduated from the University of Melbourne in Australia with a veterinary science degree in 2010, completed her postgraduate ophthalmology programme at the University of Sydney in 2013.

Her journey to becoming a vet started when she was in junior college.

“I’ve always loved animals, but coming from a family that does not, my exposure to animals was only through being a volunteer at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,” says the 38-year-old, who would spend her weekends at the animal welfare charity.

“I knew I wanted to study vet science, and there was no second option. Thankfully, my parents were very supportive,” she adds.

While she treats dogs and cats and other non-exotics, Dr Nair gravitated towards feline medicine as cats are “very unique”.

“They need much more specialised care than dogs as the diseases cats get are different, like feline leukaemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus, so treatments are different too,” she says.

She set up Oasis Vet in 2018 to be an internationally recognised feline clinic accredited by the International Society of Feline Medicine.

She does not own any cats because of her long working hours –she starts at 9.30am and ends at 8pm on weekdays – and advises would-be owners to think carefully before getting a pet.

“Having a pet is a big decision. It is not just being there to feed and play with them; they depend on you like a permanent child,” she says, adding that people must be prepared to dedicate 20 years of their lives to their pets.

She adds: “I often see individuals bringing cats and dogs to the clinic, not knowing much about them.

“There are also parents who bring their adult children’s pets to see us because their children are busy at work. You don’t buy cats and dogs, then hand them to someone else.”

Owners must be attuned to their pets’ behaviour and quirks, too, to know if they are stressed or unwell.“For them to show the slightest symptom means they’re already quite ill,” adds Dr Nair.

Apart from treating animals, she seeks to educate pet owners, such as teaching them to understand that pets do get stressed too, resulting in them falling sick.

“Changing behaviour patterns is the easiest way to tell if a pet is stressed, especially for cats which are creatures of habit,” she says.“For instance, if your cat starts to hide under a couch, that is not a normal behaviour as cats prefer to be perched on top.”

With pet ownership in Singapore on the rise, the shortage of veterinary staff means animal care workers need to put in a lot more hours.

To “switch off” from work, Dr Nair, who is married with no children, ensures she eats well and exercises regularly.

“Having a good support system is also very important; to find that listening ear. I also meditate, which helps me unwind,” she adds.

What keeps her going is seeing that her patients have a better quality of life after treatments.

“A young woman brought a stray kitten that she had been feeding to the clinic, and it was in quite bad shape,” Dr Nair recalls. After running some tests, she discovered the one-year-old kitten’s organs were in its chest area, “probably caused by a traumatic injury”.

Dr Nair and her staff cared for the kitten after it underwent surgery, and upon its recovery, the clinic put it up for adoption.

“One of my clients took it in, and I still see it now and then,” she says, adding that watching the cat’s life transform is “rewarding”.

“I’ll never forget what its owner said: ‘You have saved her life. The least I can do is provide her a home.’”

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