Question:
: I don’t believe for a minute there are cats who can’t be pilled … there’s : always a way. I know it’s often difficult though. What would you do with a cat that was super timid, I mean you try to pick her up she runs away, if you dont’ give her enough attention she starts getting skittish even around you (who she trusts the most), and if you even try to do anything that involves holding her she freaks and runs (and if you try to go after her she decides something definitely is up and hides for hours). I’m lucky, she eats soft food so verociasly she doesn’t find the pilll in it. But I really don’t know what I’d do if she wised up (as did my fat cat who I now have to force the pill down his throat). Tigress — The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren’t worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes ‘em testy. …Bev | _,,,—,,_ Tigress /,`.-’`’ -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress ’—”(_/–’ `-’_) Cat by Felix Lee.
Response:
: Just today I spoke with an aquaintance who used to be a vetrinary : assistant. When I told her that I lost it in the office she said, : "Good, the ones that give the vet a hard time are the ones that get : the proper attention. It’s too bad, but it’s all about money. Most : vets are jerks." That’s not been my experience. I would say the one you went to was. I would also say the one I work for I really like (I get to see his practices everday with people). I do know that he onec withheld that he thoguht the prognosis might be bad but that is beccause he was not sure, and it turrned out it was a much better prognosis than he thought (his first idea just looking at symptoms was kidney failure. He did take the cat to be boarded that night and have the blood tested so he could know for certain what he was looking at so he didn’t have to needlessly worry the owner. Your vet on the other hand just seemed to want to le tthe cat suffer and tell you not to worry). Unfortunately, I am sure there are a lot of jerk vets out there, and incompetant ones and you’ve alerady gone through one. But there are also a lot of good vets too. And you have to realize that any vet has to worry about money somewhat, I mean they do have to make a living. See if the guy will at least let you pay him in increments. Then maybe you can afford getting another vet. Yeah, I will say you did get burned at that vet, but that doesn’t mean other vets will do the same. I’d say shop around. It may take a while unless you know some people who could give you some good references, but you just might find a vet you like (hey, my vet has many people who have gone to him for thirty years, and he will bill customers that he has known for a while. And he does get burned sometimes, but it seems he treis to keep to a philosiphy of trustin gthe client. I’d also point out out that in 6 months of living near Seattle, I have found two decent vets, the other one is too far away from me though). Tigress — The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren’t worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes ‘em testy. …Bev | _,,,—,,_ Tigress /,`.-’`’ -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress ’—”(_/–’ `-’_) Cat by Felix Lee.
Response:
I had no obligation to rescue her in the first place. You have to understand that there are limits. I just tried to pill her again. No luck. Yes, I have read all of the pilling instructions on the web. If you will recall they all say, "there are some cats that can just not be pilled."
Try crushing up the pill and mixing into some food or treats. =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Life is a journey, not a guided tour.
Response:
As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies.
I don’t blame you for feeling bitter. We were hoping to find a vet closer to home than our "old reliable" vet 33 miles away[1] and were disappointed. Pet Practice in particular seems good with care but very, very expensive. We ended up having endoscopy done on Julius on Friday, and that was $671. As luck would have it, the regular vet offered the alternative of going ahead and treating Julius for irritable bowel disease, and that’s most likely what the endoscopy found anyway, so had we not done it the treatment would have been the same. BUT… because the treatment didn’t show any effect whatever until this morning, I’m glad we spent the money and had the procedure done. I’d have sat out the weekend believing we still weren’t helping Julius. Stopping the feeding and pilling will kill her. If you really want to do this, then take her to the vet and have her put down gently. In my case, as long as there’s any hope of my cat living a reasonably healthy and happy life after the ordeal, I’ll continue the ordeal, because I know my cat wants to live and I’ll help him do that any way I can. We went through this with Rocky last December. His was a sad case, because he kept showing little signs of improvement until that last day. His disease won, and he went downhill so fast and looked so bad at the end we felt it necessary to explain to our vet that we weren’t forcing him to hang on for our own selfish reasons, that we believed there was hope until that last few hours. But as long as there was hope, I forced myself to squeeze gruel and pills down his throat, knowing that I could never forgive myself if I didn’t try to keep him alive while there was any hope of recovery for him. And even though I can still picture the poor guy hating the whole process, and remember how badly I felt doing it, I still would do exactly the same thing if fate put me back to December and made me live it over. Don’t just let your baby die slowly and painfully. Either help her get past the stuffy nose, or take her in for euthanasia. [1] I’ve said 42 in the past. Checked it by GPS yesterday. — "I would have been happy to explain further, except you had by that point made it clear you would believe whatever you wanted to believe"
Response:
I don’t believe for a minute there are cats who can’t be pilled … there’s always a way. I know it’s often difficult though. My cat gets 3 pills a day and I used to have one heck of a time … I was ready to give up then I found a method that works every single time. I set her on the bathroom counter. I hold the pill in the fingers of my right hand and put my left hand on her back. I gently force her mouth open with one finger of my right hand and push the pill as far into her mouth as I can. She has no choice but so swallow cus it’s so far back … and touching her throat that way makes her want to swallow. She licks her lips once she’s swallowed and I know then that it’s gone down. We’ve been doing this for almost a year now so she doesn’t give much of a struggle anymore. If she realizes I’m about to give her a pill before I get her on the counter she runs all over the house to avoid it. Hey, if I could help you pill your cat I’d do it in a flash cus I know it’s frustrating trying to do stuff like that on your own sometimes. I understand that for some people there are limits. For me those limits aren’t there … I sure as heck don’t have an endless supply of money but I’m doing without some things I’d like in order to "maintain" my CRF cat. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m sorry things are going so wrong for you guys right now.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I understand you feeling bitter but I don’t understand why you won’t get your cat to a homeopathic vet … now. She will likely die due to your negligence and that’s not fair Last May she showed up as a scrawny stray. She got sick after I had her spayed. I spent $400 that time, $600 so far this time and you have the nerve to say that I am negligent. You can go straight to hell. I had no obligation to rescue her in the first place. You have to understand that there are limits. I just tried to pill her again. No luck. Yes, I have read all of the pilling instructions on the web. If you will recall they all say, "there are some cats that can just not be pilled." Sure it’s stressful for her to have the antiobitics and food but she needs them. Please get some help … don’t give up on her … i don’t believe she’s a lost cause and that’s how you’re treating her. PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
Response:
: Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this : office. : If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. Unfortunately I don’t have anything to help you with the current situation but next time I would go to another vet. To me a vet who tells me that a not eating cat is fine already sounds really fishy (and why would he decide to lie to you about the cat not eating? Did you ask him this? The only thing I can think of is he had a pretty good idea what was wrong with the cat and he knew it was hopeless, which he still should have told you if he was pretty sure of that). Tigress — The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren’t worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes ‘em testy. …Bev | _,,,—,,_ Tigress /,`.-’`’ -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress ’—”(_/–’ `-’_) Cat by Felix Lee.
Response:
I understand you feeling bitter but I don’t understand why you won’t get your cat to a homeopathic vet … now. She will likely die due to your negligence and that’s not fair
Last May she showed up as a scrawny stray. She got sick after I had her spayed. I spent $400 that time, $600 so far this time and you have the nerve to say that I am negligent. You can go straight to hell. I had no obligation to rescue her in the first place. You have to understand that there are limits. I just tried to pill her again. No luck. Yes, I have read all of the pilling instructions on the web. If you will recall they all say, "there are some cats that can just not be pilled." – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sure it’s stressful for her to have the antiobitics and food but she needs them. Please get some help … don’t give up on her … i don’t believe she’s a lost cause and that’s how you’re treating her. PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
Response:
PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we.
You are expecting them to make a diagnosis without seeing the cat, which is not really possible. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies.
If she is not taking fluid of her own accord I can’t see her living long after you stop making her take it. If she has a blocked up nose she won’t have much sense of smell which will stop her feeding, and really it’s down to you to keep her going until she feeds herself again. I realise syringing her will distress her – I’ve had to do it myself with one of my cats – but if she gets well again most of the distress will be forgotten by her. You could try ’steaming’ her to clear her nose, if you have a wire carrying cage. Pop her in it, put a large thick towel (or towels) over the cage to completely enclose it down to the surface it’s on, and pop a bowl of boiling water under the towel next to the cage. It helps sometimes. You could also try a drop of Olbas oil (if it’s available in the UK – it’s a mixture of essential oils that help clear the tubes) onto the surface of the hot water, but *only* a drop. You *must* try to keep up her fluid intake which will mean syringing her, but she will go downhill very quickly without fluid especially if she is vomiting. Whilst the electrolytes are fine, I’m not sure about baby food especially since she threw up later. It often contains milk products which are not good for cats and clearly is formulated with baby humans (and their parents!) in mind, not felines. The high-calorie Hills from the vets would be best I think, or kitten food which is a little higher in calories than ordinary cat food. The Hills is based on chicken with some liver to give it a strong smell and the meat content is pulverised so it can be ‘let down’ with water so it can be syringed into a cat. My cat Billy got a very nasty respiratory infection a year ago and started vomiting. He had 3 nights in the vets on a drip, and was refusing to eat when I took him home until I remembered the cat treats he kills for, but I had to put them in his mouth to start with. I also got him eating the Hills tinned food but again I had to start by more or less pinning him down and smearing some on his lips – then he started licking it off my fingers. I also tried him on raw meat again by putting tiny, tiny bits into his mouth, and then trying slightly large bits rubbing them against his lips. It took a couple of days to get him to let me feed him the raw meat and licking the Hills of my finger. After another few days he started eating the cat’s usual food and refused the Hills – one of the other cats finished it up! One small tin of the Hills contains as many calories as two ordinary tins so far as I can remember, so the cat only needs a small amount to get some worthwhile nutrition. My cat had lost quite a bit of weight whilst ill, but once he started eating picked up very quickly. He since had another respiratory infection but never stopped eating, though that one never cleared up completely and he almost always has a runny eye and nose. However he is fit and happy, though doesn’t like anything happening near his face – he clawed the vet who tried to check his teeth at his last vaccination visit. The vet was only 3 weeks into his first job after vet school, and the receptionists were highly amused. He is a great favourite with one of them as he’s a very outgoing cat and is a very unusual colour, being a Caramel self Asian. The only other thing I can think of to help feeding her is to have a nasogastric tube passed, but your cat would probably have to wear a collar to prevent her removing it prematurely. However it would let you feed her and give her liquids without further distress to either of you. I’m sorry you feel the way you do about the vets. Sadly as by a large we only go there when our pets are ill, they do tend to be the places associated with all the pain that entails. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
– Five Cats
Response:
I contacted the lady at Lavendar Cat and she said do not apply eucalpytus topically or diffuse in high concentration. Lauren – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I’ve heard the same about eucalyptus oil and cats. I’d be cautious. Tar The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest. I would check out the safety of eucalpytus oil in cats. Cats are highly sensitive to Essential Oils and fragrances! Their liver does not metabolize these at all and the oils over time will build up in their systems to toxic levels, eventually resulting in a very ill cat, – often fatally ill. http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.htm Article by Kristin L. Bell Aromatherapist http://www.holisticat.com/aromatherapy.html
=^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
Response:
I understand you feeling bitter but I don’t understand why you won’t get your cat to a homeopathic vet … now. She will likely die due to your negligence and that’s not fair. Sure it’s stressful for her to have the antiobitics and food but she needs them. Please get some help … don’t give up on her … i don’t believe she’s a lost cause and that’s how you’re treating her.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
Response:
PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility.
Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
Response:
First, it is definitely time for you to find a new vet. This one sounds extremely incompetent and if I were you I would not trust the care of your cat to him AT ALL.
Just today I spoke with an aquaintance who used to be a vetrinary assistant. When I told her that I lost it in the office she said, "Good, the ones that give the vet a hard time are the ones that get the proper attention. It’s too bad, but it’s all about money. Most vets are jerks." BTW, my bill yesterday was US$470. The cat is still no better. Now she is on an antibiotic called Orbax ($1 per pill), had fluids (probably necessary), x-rays (anesthesia needed of course), full blood panel (everything negative, all results normal, cytology and culture of the nasal discharge (results not in till Monday). I was given a can of feline liquid diet and told to get as much in the cat as possible using a syringe. (The force feeding is a real nightmare, if the cat recovers she will probably hate me.) This goes further than this cat. A male stray has been coming around, he has an eye injury and missing hair (fights). I was going to take him in to be neutered and checked out. After the bills for this cat ($470 yesterday and $130 previously) he won’t be going anywhere. I will continue to feed him but if he gets sick he will go away and hide and die. It’s better anyway, I don’t want to know; rather I will convince myself that someone else is feeding him and that is why he no longer comes around. Although he just may live longer if he steers clear of the vet. I’ll bet if one were to read vetrinary journals there would be articles on how to extract the maximum amount of fees from clients. I’m not kidding. In the future, with any vet, I will have the minimum done. Two, maybe three cats in two years weren’t saved by the maximum tests, treatments, etc that this vet proposed. If I sound down on vets, I am.
Response:
Benadryl can be given to cats. When mine had a respiratory infection recently, they were on it. Check with alt.med.veterinary and see if anyone can give you a dosage level, as I’ve forgotten what it is.
Searching the Usenet archives at Google I have come across Benadryl, Chllortrimeton, and psuedoephedrine being given to congested cats. Unfortunately no one mentioned a dose. I have both Benadryl and psuedoephedrine in the house. I am on the verge of trying 1/4 of a psuedoephedrine tablet which is 7.5mg (normal adult human dose is 60mg). I know the dose for Benadryl is 50 mg. I am wondering if 1/4 tablet (6.25mg) would be appropriate for a cat.
Response:
http://www.peteducation.com/pharmacy/diphenhydramine.htm says the usual dosage for cats 0.5 to 2 mg per pound by mouth (tablet, capsule, elixir) every 8-12 hours. Have a look at the site cus it mentions side effects and precautions.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Benadryl can be given to cats. When mine had a respiratory infection recently, they were on it. Check with alt.med.veterinary and see if anyone can give you a dosage level, as I’ve forgotten what it is. Searching the Usenet archives at Google I have come across Benadryl, Chllortrimeton, and psuedoephedrine being given to congested cats. Unfortunately no one mentioned a dose. I have both Benadryl and psuedoephedrine in the house. I am on the verge of trying 1/4 of a psuedoephedrine tablet which is 7.5mg (normal adult human dose is 60mg). I know the dose for Benadryl is 50 mg. I am wondering if 1/4 tablet (6.25mg) would be appropriate for a cat.
Response:
I understand your frustration having dealt with an incompetent vet in the past. I know you said not to suggest a second opinion, but it sounds as if this vet is doing f*** all for you right now. Couldn’t you just consult another vet for an opinion w/o an expensive battery of tests? Whatever you do, consider dropping this one if you can. A vet who is too busy to give you the time of day unless you lose your cool and are in a veritable life or death situation isn’t worth keeping. 
Tar
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Over two weeks ago my cat (female ~10 months old) started to get a respiratory infection. I took her to the vet who prescribed clavamox because it was moving into her lungs. This was 16 days ago. After a few days she felt better and her temperature was normal. (Note: her temperature has remained normal since then.) The congestion moved to her sinuses and nasal passages and she stopped eating. Nine days ago during a follow-up visit I let the vet know about this but he seemed unconcerned. Seven days ago I phoned him and told him that she was not eating (and maybe not drinking, I wasn’t sure about that) and he said not to worry too much. Starting to get disgusted with the vet, I took matters into my own hands. On Friday of last week I force fed her pedialyte and baby food. Saturday morning she started eating. She continued to eat through Sunday evening when she threw up. She has not eaten since then. When I took her to the vet two days ago (Tuesday) I told him. He said not to worry and bring her back today for an X-ray. This morning he said he would X-ray her and give her some fluids as well as test her for FeLV (previously done 6 months ago but he wanted to do it again). I pointed out that she had only eaten two days out of the last nine and on one of those two days she threw it all up. He left the exam room and the assistant returned with the "treatment plan" which was basically an itemization of what was to be done. At this point, I "lost it". I told the vet assistant that all I had ever gotten at this office was dead cats (I had one put to sleep there and one died during treatment for an undetermined illness.) At that point I stormed out through the (full) waiting room with my cat and slammed the door. The receptionist, who is very nice, followed me out and asked what was wrong. I told her, "For the thousands of dollars I have spent here in the last two years, I expect more than five minutes with Dr. X." I went back inside and, suprise!, the Dr was willing to spend some time with me. I pointed out that as it was most likely a virus (no fever) there was still nothing he could do to cure it. I expressed my extreme concern that the cat would develop liver problems from not eating and that if she did, I would hold him responsible as I had told him on three seperate occasions that she was not eating. He then admitted that he thought it looked bad as she had been sick for over two weeks and was not improving. I ended up leaving her there but I don’t hold out hope that he will have any better treatment ideas than he did this morning. He also said that some cats get these sinus problems and never recover. I fear that I am just throwing away money on something that is hopeless. I am sick and tired of spending the better part of $1000 and having nothing but a dead cat at the end of the week as has happened before. (Note, these were all young animals, less than 5 years old.) Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this office. If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. This cat is hell to force feed. (I would put her to sleep before I would put in a permanent stomach tube, I don’t believe in putting an animal through that.) Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back. Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
Response:
Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back.
If you have a rice cooker, try putting that in the bathtub to generate lots of steam quickly. As I recall, I put in two cups of water, brought in the kitty and smelly salmon catfood after the room was full of steam, sat on the bathroom floor with her – she seemed to notice the food after a short time. (She went on antibiotics the third day of the cold, incidentally.)
Response:
I’ve heard the same about eucalyptus oil and cats. I’d be cautious. Tar
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest. I would check out the safety of eucalpytus oil in cats. Cats are highly sensitive to Essential Oils and fragrances! Their liver does not metabolize these at all and the oils over time will build up in their systems to toxic levels, eventually resulting in a very ill cat, – often fatally ill. http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.htm Article by Kristin L. Bell Aromatherapist http://www.holisticat.com/aromatherapy.html =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
Response:
The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest.
I would check out the safety of eucalpytus oil in cats. Cats are highly sensitive to Essential Oils and fragrances! Their liver does not metabolize these at all and the oils over time will build up in their systems to toxic levels, eventually resulting in a very ill cat, – often fatally ill. http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.htm Article by Kristin L. Bell Aromatherapist http://www.holisticat.com/aromatherapy.html =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
Response:
If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know.
First, it is definitely time for you to find a new vet. This one sounds extremely incompetent and if I were you I would not trust the care of your cat to him AT ALL. Get your kitty out of there tomorrow and into the hands of someone more competent. I have no doubt that changing vets now will be cheaper in the long run and cause you a lot less heartache. I have dealt with severe upper respiratory infections in cats many times, and I can offer you what worked well for the majority. Since we’re dealing with a virus, as you probably know antibiotics aren’t going to do anything except prevent a secondary bacterial infection. What you could try is giving your cat 500 mg of Lysine daily. Lysine prevents the herpes virus (which is the cause of upper respiratory infections) from replicating, which in turn should cause the infection to subside. It is available in pill form anywhere you can buy vitamins. The second thing you should do that really made the difference for cats I’ve treated was to supplement them with 500 mg of Sodium Ascorbate twice a day. Sodium Ascorbate is a form of vitamin C that comes in a powder, is available at health food stores, and has no distinctive taste when it is mixed in with food. As far as getting her to eat, you can try holding a very warm, damp washcloth around the sinus area of your cat and see if that will temporarily loosen/clear things up enough that she can smell food, and then feed her something canned that is very strong smelling. Any of the fish flavors of canned Pro Plan would be perfect for this. I hope this helps. Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574
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Cats often have poor appetites with respiratory illnesses because, as Phil has so often pointed out, food odor stimulates their appetite and a stuffy nose minimizes their ability to smell the food. You are doing the right thing to force feed her. You might also try getting some fancy feast (everyone says that cats love it although I have no personal experience) and warming it just a little to enhance its aroma. That might help your cat to feel like eating on her own. I understand your frustration, and it really is too bad you can’t go to a different vet. There is a possibility that she has developed other problems in addition to her cold, and that they are contributing to her lack of appetite. In any case, I wouldn’t go back to that vet for anything else. I agree with the poster who said that you shouldn’t have to get upset to get a response. I hope your kitty feels better soon, and you too! Laura – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Over two weeks ago my cat (female ~10 months old) started to get a respiratory infection. I took her to the vet who prescribed clavamox because it was moving into her lungs. This was 16 days ago. After a few days she felt better and her temperature was normal. (Note: her temperature has remained normal since then.) The congestion moved to her sinuses and nasal passages and she stopped eating. Nine days ago during a follow-up visit I let the vet know about this but he seemed unconcerned. Seven days ago I phoned him and told him that she was not eating (and maybe not drinking, I wasn’t sure about that) and he said not to worry too much. Starting to get disgusted with the vet, I took matters into my own hands. On Friday of last week I force fed her pedialyte and baby food. Saturday morning she started eating. She continued to eat through Sunday evening when she threw up. She has not eaten since then. When I took her to the vet two days ago (Tuesday) I told him. He said not to worry and bring her back today for an X-ray. This morning he said he would X-ray her and give her some fluids as well as test her for FeLV (previously done 6 months ago but he wanted to do it again). I pointed out that she had only eaten two days out of the last nine and on one of those two days she threw it all up. He left the exam room and the assistant returned with the "treatment plan" which was basically an itemization of what was to be done. At this point, I "lost it". I told the vet assistant that all I had ever gotten at this office was dead cats (I had one put to sleep there and one died during treatment for an undetermined illness.) At that point I stormed out through the (full) waiting room with my cat and slammed the door. The receptionist, who is very nice, followed me out and asked what was wrong. I told her, "For the thousands of dollars I have spent here in the last two years, I expect more than five minutes with Dr. X." I went back inside and, suprise!, the Dr was willing to spend some time with me. I pointed out that as it was most likely a virus (no fever) there was still nothing he could do to cure it. I expressed my extreme concern that the cat would develop liver problems from not eating and that if she did, I would hold him responsible as I had told him on three seperate occasions that she was not eating. He then admitted that he thought it looked bad as she had been sick for over two weeks and was not improving. I ended up leaving her there but I don’t hold out hope that he will have any better treatment ideas than he did this morning. He also said that some cats get these sinus problems and never recover. I fear that I am just throwing away money on something that is hopeless. I am sick and tired of spending the better part of $1000 and having nothing but a dead cat at the end of the week as has happened before. (Note, these were all young animals, less than 5 years old.) Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this office. If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. This cat is hell to force feed. (I would put her to sleep before I would put in a permanent stomach tube, I don’t believe in putting an animal through that.) Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back. Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
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The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest.
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You could ask your vet if Bisolvon (Bromhexine) is licensed for use on animals where you live, it’s a secretolytic (it reduces viscosity of bronchial & nasal secretions). Another thing you could try is raising the cats food dish so she doesn’t have to lower her head to eat and this should stop her nose getting stuffed up (cats eat better if they can smell their food). Also ask your vet for some Nutrical, it comes in a tube like toothpaste and most cats will eat/lick this even when they are off their food. — Shirley see my cat pictures at http://communities.msn.co.uk/Friendsfamilyandfelines2
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Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
I honestly understand your frustration. But please don’t give your cat human meds. They could be extremely harmful or even lethal. IMO, your cat has to be seen by another vet immediately, preferably one who specializes in felines. From what you’ve told us, this vet is not doing a good job, and a customer shouldnt’ have to get upset to get some response. Antibiotics very often will kill the appetite. Even after your cat is done with the antibiotics, it may take some doing to get her eating normally again. I recommend getting her some KMR (kitten replacement milk, which is very high in nutrients) and/or some Nutrical. You could also try sprinkling some Parmesan cheese on her food. Since she is stuffed up, you want to feed the stinkiest food possible. Good luck and keep us posted. Lauren =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
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Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
Actually there is a decongestant. I almost put my cat on it but then he got better. What color is the mucous that comes out of the cat’s nose? green, brown, yellow, clear? If it’s dark, it means the infection is over and the mucous is just clearing out. Took five days to get it all out for my Persian kitty. I tried looking for the prescription the vet gave me but I seem to have thrown it out. He told me I could buy it at a pharmacy cheaper then just cut up the dose. Ask your vet for the correct type. When my kitty gets super sick I force feed this sick cat energy gel that I got from a pet store. They told me not to use babyfood for some reason. Every vet is different. I didnt’ know we could use pedialyte. That stuff is great with humans.
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Over two weeks ago my cat (female ~10 months old) started to get a respiratory infection. I took her to the vet who prescribed clavamox because it was moving into her lungs. This was 16 days ago. After a few days she felt better and her temperature was normal. (Note: her temperature has remained normal since then.) The congestion moved to her sinuses and nasal passages and she stopped eating. Nine days ago during a follow-up visit I let the vet know about this but he seemed unconcerned. Seven days ago I phoned him and told him that she was not eating (and maybe not drinking, I wasn’t sure about that) and he said not to worry too much. Starting to get disgusted with the vet, I took matters into my own hands. On Friday of last week I force fed her pedialyte and baby food. Saturday morning she started eating. She continued to eat through Sunday evening when she threw up. She has not eaten since then. When I took her to the vet two days ago (Tuesday) I told him. He said not to worry and bring her back today for an X-ray. This morning he said he would X-ray her and give her some fluids as well as test her for FeLV (previously done 6 months ago but he wanted to do it again). I pointed out that she had only eaten two days out of the last nine and on one of those two days she threw it all up. He left the exam room and the assistant returned with the "treatment plan" which was basically an itemization of what was to be done. At this point, I "lost it". I told the vet assistant that all I had ever gotten at this office was dead cats (I had one put to sleep there and one died during treatment for an undetermined illness.) At that point I stormed out through the (full) waiting room with my cat and slammed the door. The receptionist, who is very nice, followed me out and asked what was wrong. I told her, "For the thousands of dollars I have spent here in the last two years, I expect more than five minutes with Dr. X." I went back inside and, suprise!, the Dr was willing to spend some time with me. I pointed out that as it was most likely a virus (no fever) there was still nothing he could do to cure it. I expressed my extreme concern that the cat would develop liver problems from not eating and that if she did, I would hold him responsible as I had told him on three seperate occasions that she was not eating. He then admitted that he thought it looked bad as she had been sick for over two weeks and was not improving. I ended up leaving her there but I don’t hold out hope that he will have any better treatment ideas than he did this morning. He also said that some cats get these sinus problems and never recover. I fear that I am just throwing away money on something that is hopeless. I am sick and tired of spending the better part of $1000 and having nothing but a dead cat at the end of the week as has happened before. (Note, these were all young animals, less than 5 years old.) Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this office. If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. This cat is hell to force feed. (I would put her to sleep before I would put in a permanent stomach tube, I don’t believe in putting an animal through that.) Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back. Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
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: I don’t believe for a minute there are cats who can’t be pilled … there’s : always a way. I know it’s often difficult though. What would you do with a cat that was super timid, I mean you try to pick her up she runs away, if you dont’ give her enough attention she starts getting skittish even around you (who she trusts the most), and if you even try to do anything that involves holding her she freaks and runs (and if you try to go after her she decides something definitely is up and hides for hours). I’m lucky, she eats soft food so verociasly she doesn’t find the pilll in it. But I really don’t know what I’d do if she wised up (as did my fat cat who I now have to force the pill down his throat). Tigress — The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren’t worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes ‘em testy. …Bev | _,,,—,,_ Tigress /,`.-’`’ -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress ’—”(_/–’ `-’_) Cat by Felix Lee.
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: Just today I spoke with an aquaintance who used to be a vetrinary : assistant. When I told her that I lost it in the office she said, : "Good, the ones that give the vet a hard time are the ones that get : the proper attention. It’s too bad, but it’s all about money. Most : vets are jerks." That’s not been my experience. I would say the one you went to was. I would also say the one I work for I really like (I get to see his practices everday with people). I do know that he onec withheld that he thoguht the prognosis might be bad but that is beccause he was not sure, and it turrned out it was a much better prognosis than he thought (his first idea just looking at symptoms was kidney failure. He did take the cat to be boarded that night and have the blood tested so he could know for certain what he was looking at so he didn’t have to needlessly worry the owner. Your vet on the other hand just seemed to want to le tthe cat suffer and tell you not to worry). Unfortunately, I am sure there are a lot of jerk vets out there, and incompetant ones and you’ve alerady gone through one. But there are also a lot of good vets too. And you have to realize that any vet has to worry about money somewhat, I mean they do have to make a living. See if the guy will at least let you pay him in increments. Then maybe you can afford getting another vet. Yeah, I will say you did get burned at that vet, but that doesn’t mean other vets will do the same. I’d say shop around. It may take a while unless you know some people who could give you some good references, but you just might find a vet you like (hey, my vet has many people who have gone to him for thirty years, and he will bill customers that he has known for a while. And he does get burned sometimes, but it seems he treis to keep to a philosiphy of trustin gthe client. I’d also point out out that in 6 months of living near Seattle, I have found two decent vets, the other one is too far away from me though). Tigress — The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren’t worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes ‘em testy. …Bev | _,,,—,,_ Tigress /,`.-’`’ -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress ’—”(_/–’ `-’_) Cat by Felix Lee.
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I had no obligation to rescue her in the first place. You have to understand that there are limits. I just tried to pill her again. No luck. Yes, I have read all of the pilling instructions on the web. If you will recall they all say, "there are some cats that can just not be pilled."
Try crushing up the pill and mixing into some food or treats. =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Life is a journey, not a guided tour.
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As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies.
I don’t blame you for feeling bitter. We were hoping to find a vet closer to home than our "old reliable" vet 33 miles away[1] and were disappointed. Pet Practice in particular seems good with care but very, very expensive. We ended up having endoscopy done on Julius on Friday, and that was $671. As luck would have it, the regular vet offered the alternative of going ahead and treating Julius for irritable bowel disease, and that’s most likely what the endoscopy found anyway, so had we not done it the treatment would have been the same. BUT… because the treatment didn’t show any effect whatever until this morning, I’m glad we spent the money and had the procedure done. I’d have sat out the weekend believing we still weren’t helping Julius. Stopping the feeding and pilling will kill her. If you really want to do this, then take her to the vet and have her put down gently. In my case, as long as there’s any hope of my cat living a reasonably healthy and happy life after the ordeal, I’ll continue the ordeal, because I know my cat wants to live and I’ll help him do that any way I can. We went through this with Rocky last December. His was a sad case, because he kept showing little signs of improvement until that last day. His disease won, and he went downhill so fast and looked so bad at the end we felt it necessary to explain to our vet that we weren’t forcing him to hang on for our own selfish reasons, that we believed there was hope until that last few hours. But as long as there was hope, I forced myself to squeeze gruel and pills down his throat, knowing that I could never forgive myself if I didn’t try to keep him alive while there was any hope of recovery for him. And even though I can still picture the poor guy hating the whole process, and remember how badly I felt doing it, I still would do exactly the same thing if fate put me back to December and made me live it over. Don’t just let your baby die slowly and painfully. Either help her get past the stuffy nose, or take her in for euthanasia. [1] I’ve said 42 in the past. Checked it by GPS yesterday. — "I would have been happy to explain further, except you had by that point made it clear you would believe whatever you wanted to believe"
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I don’t believe for a minute there are cats who can’t be pilled … there’s always a way. I know it’s often difficult though. My cat gets 3 pills a day and I used to have one heck of a time … I was ready to give up then I found a method that works every single time. I set her on the bathroom counter. I hold the pill in the fingers of my right hand and put my left hand on her back. I gently force her mouth open with one finger of my right hand and push the pill as far into her mouth as I can. She has no choice but so swallow cus it’s so far back … and touching her throat that way makes her want to swallow. She licks her lips once she’s swallowed and I know then that it’s gone down. We’ve been doing this for almost a year now so she doesn’t give much of a struggle anymore. If she realizes I’m about to give her a pill before I get her on the counter she runs all over the house to avoid it. Hey, if I could help you pill your cat I’d do it in a flash cus I know it’s frustrating trying to do stuff like that on your own sometimes. I understand that for some people there are limits. For me those limits aren’t there … I sure as heck don’t have an endless supply of money but I’m doing without some things I’d like in order to "maintain" my CRF cat. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m sorry things are going so wrong for you guys right now.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I understand you feeling bitter but I don’t understand why you won’t get your cat to a homeopathic vet … now. She will likely die due to your negligence and that’s not fair Last May she showed up as a scrawny stray. She got sick after I had her spayed. I spent $400 that time, $600 so far this time and you have the nerve to say that I am negligent. You can go straight to hell. I had no obligation to rescue her in the first place. You have to understand that there are limits. I just tried to pill her again. No luck. Yes, I have read all of the pilling instructions on the web. If you will recall they all say, "there are some cats that can just not be pilled." Sure it’s stressful for her to have the antiobitics and food but she needs them. Please get some help … don’t give up on her … i don’t believe she’s a lost cause and that’s how you’re treating her. PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
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: Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this : office. : If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. Unfortunately I don’t have anything to help you with the current situation but next time I would go to another vet. To me a vet who tells me that a not eating cat is fine already sounds really fishy (and why would he decide to lie to you about the cat not eating? Did you ask him this? The only thing I can think of is he had a pretty good idea what was wrong with the cat and he knew it was hopeless, which he still should have told you if he was pretty sure of that). Tigress — The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren’t worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes ‘em testy. …Bev | _,,,—,,_ Tigress /,`.-’`’ -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress ’—”(_/–’ `-’_) Cat by Felix Lee.
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I understand you feeling bitter but I don’t understand why you won’t get your cat to a homeopathic vet … now. She will likely die due to your negligence and that’s not fair
Last May she showed up as a scrawny stray. She got sick after I had her spayed. I spent $400 that time, $600 so far this time and you have the nerve to say that I am negligent. You can go straight to hell. I had no obligation to rescue her in the first place. You have to understand that there are limits. I just tried to pill her again. No luck. Yes, I have read all of the pilling instructions on the web. If you will recall they all say, "there are some cats that can just not be pilled." – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sure it’s stressful for her to have the antiobitics and food but she needs them. Please get some help … don’t give up on her … i don’t believe she’s a lost cause and that’s how you’re treating her. PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
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PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we.
You are expecting them to make a diagnosis without seeing the cat, which is not really possible. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies.
If she is not taking fluid of her own accord I can’t see her living long after you stop making her take it. If she has a blocked up nose she won’t have much sense of smell which will stop her feeding, and really it’s down to you to keep her going until she feeds herself again. I realise syringing her will distress her – I’ve had to do it myself with one of my cats – but if she gets well again most of the distress will be forgotten by her. You could try ’steaming’ her to clear her nose, if you have a wire carrying cage. Pop her in it, put a large thick towel (or towels) over the cage to completely enclose it down to the surface it’s on, and pop a bowl of boiling water under the towel next to the cage. It helps sometimes. You could also try a drop of Olbas oil (if it’s available in the UK – it’s a mixture of essential oils that help clear the tubes) onto the surface of the hot water, but *only* a drop. You *must* try to keep up her fluid intake which will mean syringing her, but she will go downhill very quickly without fluid especially if she is vomiting. Whilst the electrolytes are fine, I’m not sure about baby food especially since she threw up later. It often contains milk products which are not good for cats and clearly is formulated with baby humans (and their parents!) in mind, not felines. The high-calorie Hills from the vets would be best I think, or kitten food which is a little higher in calories than ordinary cat food. The Hills is based on chicken with some liver to give it a strong smell and the meat content is pulverised so it can be ‘let down’ with water so it can be syringed into a cat. My cat Billy got a very nasty respiratory infection a year ago and started vomiting. He had 3 nights in the vets on a drip, and was refusing to eat when I took him home until I remembered the cat treats he kills for, but I had to put them in his mouth to start with. I also got him eating the Hills tinned food but again I had to start by more or less pinning him down and smearing some on his lips – then he started licking it off my fingers. I also tried him on raw meat again by putting tiny, tiny bits into his mouth, and then trying slightly large bits rubbing them against his lips. It took a couple of days to get him to let me feed him the raw meat and licking the Hills of my finger. After another few days he started eating the cat’s usual food and refused the Hills – one of the other cats finished it up! One small tin of the Hills contains as many calories as two ordinary tins so far as I can remember, so the cat only needs a small amount to get some worthwhile nutrition. My cat had lost quite a bit of weight whilst ill, but once he started eating picked up very quickly. He since had another respiratory infection but never stopped eating, though that one never cleared up completely and he almost always has a runny eye and nose. However he is fit and happy, though doesn’t like anything happening near his face – he clawed the vet who tried to check his teeth at his last vaccination visit. The vet was only 3 weeks into his first job after vet school, and the receptionists were highly amused. He is a great favourite with one of them as he’s a very outgoing cat and is a very unusual colour, being a Caramel self Asian. The only other thing I can think of to help feeding her is to have a nasogastric tube passed, but your cat would probably have to wear a collar to prevent her removing it prematurely. However it would let you feed her and give her liquids without further distress to either of you. I’m sorry you feel the way you do about the vets. Sadly as by a large we only go there when our pets are ill, they do tend to be the places associated with all the pain that entails. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
– Five Cats
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I contacted the lady at Lavendar Cat and she said do not apply eucalpytus topically or diffuse in high concentration. Lauren – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I’ve heard the same about eucalyptus oil and cats. I’d be cautious. Tar The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest. I would check out the safety of eucalpytus oil in cats. Cats are highly sensitive to Essential Oils and fragrances! Their liver does not metabolize these at all and the oils over time will build up in their systems to toxic levels, eventually resulting in a very ill cat, – often fatally ill. http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.htm Article by Kristin L. Bell Aromatherapist http://www.holisticat.com/aromatherapy.html
=^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
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I understand you feeling bitter but I don’t understand why you won’t get your cat to a homeopathic vet … now. She will likely die due to your negligence and that’s not fair. Sure it’s stressful for her to have the antiobitics and food but she needs them. Please get some help … don’t give up on her … i don’t believe she’s a lost cause and that’s how you’re treating her.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
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PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility.
Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
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First, it is definitely time for you to find a new vet. This one sounds extremely incompetent and if I were you I would not trust the care of your cat to him AT ALL.
Just today I spoke with an aquaintance who used to be a vetrinary assistant. When I told her that I lost it in the office she said, "Good, the ones that give the vet a hard time are the ones that get the proper attention. It’s too bad, but it’s all about money. Most vets are jerks." BTW, my bill yesterday was US$470. The cat is still no better. Now she is on an antibiotic called Orbax ($1 per pill), had fluids (probably necessary), x-rays (anesthesia needed of course), full blood panel (everything negative, all results normal, cytology and culture of the nasal discharge (results not in till Monday). I was given a can of feline liquid diet and told to get as much in the cat as possible using a syringe. (The force feeding is a real nightmare, if the cat recovers she will probably hate me.) This goes further than this cat. A male stray has been coming around, he has an eye injury and missing hair (fights). I was going to take him in to be neutered and checked out. After the bills for this cat ($470 yesterday and $130 previously) he won’t be going anywhere. I will continue to feed him but if he gets sick he will go away and hide and die. It’s better anyway, I don’t want to know; rather I will convince myself that someone else is feeding him and that is why he no longer comes around. Although he just may live longer if he steers clear of the vet. I’ll bet if one were to read vetrinary journals there would be articles on how to extract the maximum amount of fees from clients. I’m not kidding. In the future, with any vet, I will have the minimum done. Two, maybe three cats in two years weren’t saved by the maximum tests, treatments, etc that this vet proposed. If I sound down on vets, I am.
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Benadryl can be given to cats. When mine had a respiratory infection recently, they were on it. Check with alt.med.veterinary and see if anyone can give you a dosage level, as I’ve forgotten what it is.
Searching the Usenet archives at Google I have come across Benadryl, Chllortrimeton, and psuedoephedrine being given to congested cats. Unfortunately no one mentioned a dose. I have both Benadryl and psuedoephedrine in the house. I am on the verge of trying 1/4 of a psuedoephedrine tablet which is 7.5mg (normal adult human dose is 60mg). I know the dose for Benadryl is 50 mg. I am wondering if 1/4 tablet (6.25mg) would be appropriate for a cat.
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http://www.peteducation.com/pharmacy/diphenhydramine.htm says the usual dosage for cats 0.5 to 2 mg per pound by mouth (tablet, capsule, elixir) every 8-12 hours. Have a look at the site cus it mentions side effects and precautions.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Benadryl can be given to cats. When mine had a respiratory infection recently, they were on it. Check with alt.med.veterinary and see if anyone can give you a dosage level, as I’ve forgotten what it is. Searching the Usenet archives at Google I have come across Benadryl, Chllortrimeton, and psuedoephedrine being given to congested cats. Unfortunately no one mentioned a dose. I have both Benadryl and psuedoephedrine in the house. I am on the verge of trying 1/4 of a psuedoephedrine tablet which is 7.5mg (normal adult human dose is 60mg). I know the dose for Benadryl is 50 mg. I am wondering if 1/4 tablet (6.25mg) would be appropriate for a cat.
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I understand your frustration having dealt with an incompetent vet in the past. I know you said not to suggest a second opinion, but it sounds as if this vet is doing f*** all for you right now. Couldn’t you just consult another vet for an opinion w/o an expensive battery of tests? Whatever you do, consider dropping this one if you can. A vet who is too busy to give you the time of day unless you lose your cool and are in a veritable life or death situation isn’t worth keeping. Tar
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Over two weeks ago my cat (female ~10 months old) started to get a respiratory infection. I took her to the vet who prescribed clavamox because it was moving into her lungs. This was 16 days ago. After a few days she felt better and her temperature was normal. (Note: her temperature has remained normal since then.) The congestion moved to her sinuses and nasal passages and she stopped eating. Nine days ago during a follow-up visit I let the vet know about this but he seemed unconcerned. Seven days ago I phoned him and told him that she was not eating (and maybe not drinking, I wasn’t sure about that) and he said not to worry too much. Starting to get disgusted with the vet, I took matters into my own hands. On Friday of last week I force fed her pedialyte and baby food. Saturday morning she started eating. She continued to eat through Sunday evening when she threw up. She has not eaten since then. When I took her to the vet two days ago (Tuesday) I told him. He said not to worry and bring her back today for an X-ray. This morning he said he would X-ray her and give her some fluids as well as test her for FeLV (previously done 6 months ago but he wanted to do it again). I pointed out that she had only eaten two days out of the last nine and on one of those two days she threw it all up. He left the exam room and the assistant returned with the "treatment plan" which was basically an itemization of what was to be done. At this point, I "lost it". I told the vet assistant that all I had ever gotten at this office was dead cats (I had one put to sleep there and one died during treatment for an undetermined illness.) At that point I stormed out through the (full) waiting room with my cat and slammed the door. The receptionist, who is very nice, followed me out and asked what was wrong. I told her, "For the thousands of dollars I have spent here in the last two years, I expect more than five minutes with Dr. X." I went back inside and, suprise!, the Dr was willing to spend some time with me. I pointed out that as it was most likely a virus (no fever) there was still nothing he could do to cure it. I expressed my extreme concern that the cat would develop liver problems from not eating and that if she did, I would hold him responsible as I had told him on three seperate occasions that she was not eating. He then admitted that he thought it looked bad as she had been sick for over two weeks and was not improving. I ended up leaving her there but I don’t hold out hope that he will have any better treatment ideas than he did this morning. He also said that some cats get these sinus problems and never recover. I fear that I am just throwing away money on something that is hopeless. I am sick and tired of spending the better part of $1000 and having nothing but a dead cat at the end of the week as has happened before. (Note, these were all young animals, less than 5 years old.) Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this office. If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. This cat is hell to force feed. (I would put her to sleep before I would put in a permanent stomach tube, I don’t believe in putting an animal through that.) Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back. Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
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Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back.
If you have a rice cooker, try putting that in the bathtub to generate lots of steam quickly. As I recall, I put in two cups of water, brought in the kitty and smelly salmon catfood after the room was full of steam, sat on the bathroom floor with her – she seemed to notice the food after a short time. (She went on antibiotics the third day of the cold, incidentally.)
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I’ve heard the same about eucalyptus oil and cats. I’d be cautious. Tar
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest. I would check out the safety of eucalpytus oil in cats. Cats are highly sensitive to Essential Oils and fragrances! Their liver does not metabolize these at all and the oils over time will build up in their systems to toxic levels, eventually resulting in a very ill cat, – often fatally ill. http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.htm Article by Kristin L. Bell Aromatherapist http://www.holisticat.com/aromatherapy.html =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
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The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest.
I would check out the safety of eucalpytus oil in cats. Cats are highly sensitive to Essential Oils and fragrances! Their liver does not metabolize these at all and the oils over time will build up in their systems to toxic levels, eventually resulting in a very ill cat, – often fatally ill. http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.htm Article by Kristin L. Bell Aromatherapist http://www.holisticat.com/aromatherapy.html =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
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If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know.
First, it is definitely time for you to find a new vet. This one sounds extremely incompetent and if I were you I would not trust the care of your cat to him AT ALL. Get your kitty out of there tomorrow and into the hands of someone more competent. I have no doubt that changing vets now will be cheaper in the long run and cause you a lot less heartache. I have dealt with severe upper respiratory infections in cats many times, and I can offer you what worked well for the majority. Since we’re dealing with a virus, as you probably know antibiotics aren’t going to do anything except prevent a secondary bacterial infection. What you could try is giving your cat 500 mg of Lysine daily. Lysine prevents the herpes virus (which is the cause of upper respiratory infections) from replicating, which in turn should cause the infection to subside. It is available in pill form anywhere you can buy vitamins. The second thing you should do that really made the difference for cats I’ve treated was to supplement them with 500 mg of Sodium Ascorbate twice a day. Sodium Ascorbate is a form of vitamin C that comes in a powder, is available at health food stores, and has no distinctive taste when it is mixed in with food. As far as getting her to eat, you can try holding a very warm, damp washcloth around the sinus area of your cat and see if that will temporarily loosen/clear things up enough that she can smell food, and then feed her something canned that is very strong smelling. Any of the fish flavors of canned Pro Plan would be perfect for this. I hope this helps. Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574
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Cats often have poor appetites with respiratory illnesses because, as Phil has so often pointed out, food odor stimulates their appetite and a stuffy nose minimizes their ability to smell the food. You are doing the right thing to force feed her. You might also try getting some fancy feast (everyone says that cats love it although I have no personal experience) and warming it just a little to enhance its aroma. That might help your cat to feel like eating on her own. I understand your frustration, and it really is too bad you can’t go to a different vet. There is a possibility that she has developed other problems in addition to her cold, and that they are contributing to her lack of appetite. In any case, I wouldn’t go back to that vet for anything else. I agree with the poster who said that you shouldn’t have to get upset to get a response. I hope your kitty feels better soon, and you too! Laura – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Over two weeks ago my cat (female ~10 months old) started to get a respiratory infection. I took her to the vet who prescribed clavamox because it was moving into her lungs. This was 16 days ago. After a few days she felt better and her temperature was normal. (Note: her temperature has remained normal since then.) The congestion moved to her sinuses and nasal passages and she stopped eating. Nine days ago during a follow-up visit I let the vet know about this but he seemed unconcerned. Seven days ago I phoned him and told him that she was not eating (and maybe not drinking, I wasn’t sure about that) and he said not to worry too much. Starting to get disgusted with the vet, I took matters into my own hands. On Friday of last week I force fed her pedialyte and baby food. Saturday morning she started eating. She continued to eat through Sunday evening when she threw up. She has not eaten since then. When I took her to the vet two days ago (Tuesday) I told him. He said not to worry and bring her back today for an X-ray. This morning he said he would X-ray her and give her some fluids as well as test her for FeLV (previously done 6 months ago but he wanted to do it again). I pointed out that she had only eaten two days out of the last nine and on one of those two days she threw it all up. He left the exam room and the assistant returned with the "treatment plan" which was basically an itemization of what was to be done. At this point, I "lost it". I told the vet assistant that all I had ever gotten at this office was dead cats (I had one put to sleep there and one died during treatment for an undetermined illness.) At that point I stormed out through the (full) waiting room with my cat and slammed the door. The receptionist, who is very nice, followed me out and asked what was wrong. I told her, "For the thousands of dollars I have spent here in the last two years, I expect more than five minutes with Dr. X." I went back inside and, suprise!, the Dr was willing to spend some time with me. I pointed out that as it was most likely a virus (no fever) there was still nothing he could do to cure it. I expressed my extreme concern that the cat would develop liver problems from not eating and that if she did, I would hold him responsible as I had told him on three seperate occasions that she was not eating. He then admitted that he thought it looked bad as she had been sick for over two weeks and was not improving. I ended up leaving her there but I don’t hold out hope that he will have any better treatment ideas than he did this morning. He also said that some cats get these sinus problems and never recover. I fear that I am just throwing away money on something that is hopeless. I am sick and tired of spending the better part of $1000 and having nothing but a dead cat at the end of the week as has happened before. (Note, these were all young animals, less than 5 years old.) Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this office. If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. This cat is hell to force feed. (I would put her to sleep before I would put in a permanent stomach tube, I don’t believe in putting an animal through that.) Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back. Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
Response:
The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest.
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You could ask your vet if Bisolvon (Bromhexine) is licensed for use on animals where you live, it’s a secretolytic (it reduces viscosity of bronchial & nasal secretions). Another thing you could try is raising the cats food dish so she doesn’t have to lower her head to eat and this should stop her nose getting stuffed up (cats eat better if they can smell their food). Also ask your vet for some Nutrical, it comes in a tube like toothpaste and most cats will eat/lick this even when they are off their food. — Shirley see my cat pictures at http://communities.msn.co.uk/Friendsfamilyandfelines2
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Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
I honestly understand your frustration. But please don’t give your cat human meds. They could be extremely harmful or even lethal. IMO, your cat has to be seen by another vet immediately, preferably one who specializes in felines. From what you’ve told us, this vet is not doing a good job, and a customer shouldnt’ have to get upset to get some response. Antibiotics very often will kill the appetite. Even after your cat is done with the antibiotics, it may take some doing to get her eating normally again. I recommend getting her some KMR (kitten replacement milk, which is very high in nutrients) and/or some Nutrical. You could also try sprinkling some Parmesan cheese on her food. Since she is stuffed up, you want to feed the stinkiest food possible. Good luck and keep us posted. Lauren =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
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Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
Actually there is a decongestant. I almost put my cat on it but then he got better. What color is the mucous that comes out of the cat’s nose? green, brown, yellow, clear? If it’s dark, it means the infection is over and the mucous is just clearing out. Took five days to get it all out for my Persian kitty. I tried looking for the prescription the vet gave me but I seem to have thrown it out. He told me I could buy it at a pharmacy cheaper then just cut up the dose. Ask your vet for the correct type. When my kitty gets super sick I force feed this sick cat energy gel that I got from a pet store. They told me not to use babyfood for some reason. Every vet is different. I didnt’ know we could use pedialyte. That stuff is great with humans.
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Over two weeks ago my cat (female ~10 months old) started to get a respiratory infection. I took her to the vet who prescribed clavamox because it was moving into her lungs. This was 16 days ago. After a few days she felt better and her temperature was normal. (Note: her temperature has remained normal since then.) The congestion moved to her sinuses and nasal passages and she stopped eating. Nine days ago during a follow-up visit I let the vet know about this but he seemed unconcerned. Seven days ago I phoned him and told him that she was not eating (and maybe not drinking, I wasn’t sure about that) and he said not to worry too much. Starting to get disgusted with the vet, I took matters into my own hands. On Friday of last week I force fed her pedialyte and baby food. Saturday morning she started eating. She continued to eat through Sunday evening when she threw up. She has not eaten since then. When I took her to the vet two days ago (Tuesday) I told him. He said not to worry and bring her back today for an X-ray. This morning he said he would X-ray her and give her some fluids as well as test her for FeLV (previously done 6 months ago but he wanted to do it again). I pointed out that she had only eaten two days out of the last nine and on one of those two days she threw it all up. He left the exam room and the assistant returned with the "treatment plan" which was basically an itemization of what was to be done. At this point, I "lost it". I told the vet assistant that all I had ever gotten at this office was dead cats (I had one put to sleep there and one died during treatment for an undetermined illness.) At that point I stormed out through the (full) waiting room with my cat and slammed the door. The receptionist, who is very nice, followed me out and asked what was wrong. I told her, "For the thousands of dollars I have spent here in the last two years, I expect more than five minutes with Dr. X." I went back inside and, suprise!, the Dr was willing to spend some time with me. I pointed out that as it was most likely a virus (no fever) there was still nothing he could do to cure it. I expressed my extreme concern that the cat would develop liver problems from not eating and that if she did, I would hold him responsible as I had told him on three seperate occasions that she was not eating. He then admitted that he thought it looked bad as she had been sick for over two weeks and was not improving. I ended up leaving her there but I don’t hold out hope that he will have any better treatment ideas than he did this morning. He also said that some cats get these sinus problems and never recover. I fear that I am just throwing away money on something that is hopeless. I am sick and tired of spending the better part of $1000 and having nothing but a dead cat at the end of the week as has happened before. (Note, these were all young animals, less than 5 years old.) Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this office. If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. This cat is hell to force feed. (I would put her to sleep before I would put in a permanent stomach tube, I don’t believe in putting an animal through that.) Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back. Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
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: I don’t believe for a minute there are cats who can’t be pilled … there’s : always a way. I know it’s often difficult though. What would you do with a cat that was super timid, I mean you try to pick her up she runs away, if you dont’ give her enough attention she starts getting skittish even around you (who she trusts the most), and if you even try to do anything that involves holding her she freaks and runs (and if you try to go after her she decides something definitely is up and hides for hours). I’m lucky, she eats soft food so verociasly she doesn’t find the pilll in it. But I really don’t know what I’d do if she wised up (as did my fat cat who I now have to force the pill down his throat). Tigress — The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren’t worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes ‘em testy. …Bev | _,,,—,,_ Tigress /,`.-’`’ -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress ’—”(_/–’ `-’_) Cat by Felix Lee.
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: Just today I spoke with an aquaintance who used to be a vetrinary : assistant. When I told her that I lost it in the office she said, : "Good, the ones that give the vet a hard time are the ones that get : the proper attention. It’s too bad, but it’s all about money. Most : vets are jerks." That’s not been my experience. I would say the one you went to was. I would also say the one I work for I really like (I get to see his practices everday with people). I do know that he onec withheld that he thoguht the prognosis might be bad but that is beccause he was not sure, and it turrned out it was a much better prognosis than he thought (his first idea just looking at symptoms was kidney failure. He did take the cat to be boarded that night and have the blood tested so he could know for certain what he was looking at so he didn’t have to needlessly worry the owner. Your vet on the other hand just seemed to want to le tthe cat suffer and tell you not to worry). Unfortunately, I am sure there are a lot of jerk vets out there, and incompetant ones and you’ve alerady gone through one. But there are also a lot of good vets too. And you have to realize that any vet has to worry about money somewhat, I mean they do have to make a living. See if the guy will at least let you pay him in increments. Then maybe you can afford getting another vet. Yeah, I will say you did get burned at that vet, but that doesn’t mean other vets will do the same. I’d say shop around. It may take a while unless you know some people who could give you some good references, but you just might find a vet you like (hey, my vet has many people who have gone to him for thirty years, and he will bill customers that he has known for a while. And he does get burned sometimes, but it seems he treis to keep to a philosiphy of trustin gthe client. I’d also point out out that in 6 months of living near Seattle, I have found two decent vets, the other one is too far away from me though). Tigress — The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren’t worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes ‘em testy. …Bev | _,,,—,,_ Tigress /,`.-’`’ -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress ’—”(_/–’ `-’_) Cat by Felix Lee.
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I had no obligation to rescue her in the first place. You have to understand that there are limits. I just tried to pill her again. No luck. Yes, I have read all of the pilling instructions on the web. If you will recall they all say, "there are some cats that can just not be pilled."
Try crushing up the pill and mixing into some food or treats. =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Life is a journey, not a guided tour.
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As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies.
I don’t blame you for feeling bitter. We were hoping to find a vet closer to home than our "old reliable" vet 33 miles away[1] and were disappointed. Pet Practice in particular seems good with care but very, very expensive. We ended up having endoscopy done on Julius on Friday, and that was $671. As luck would have it, the regular vet offered the alternative of going ahead and treating Julius for irritable bowel disease, and that’s most likely what the endoscopy found anyway, so had we not done it the treatment would have been the same. BUT… because the treatment didn’t show any effect whatever until this morning, I’m glad we spent the money and had the procedure done. I’d have sat out the weekend believing we still weren’t helping Julius. Stopping the feeding and pilling will kill her. If you really want to do this, then take her to the vet and have her put down gently. In my case, as long as there’s any hope of my cat living a reasonably healthy and happy life after the ordeal, I’ll continue the ordeal, because I know my cat wants to live and I’ll help him do that any way I can. We went through this with Rocky last December. His was a sad case, because he kept showing little signs of improvement until that last day. His disease won, and he went downhill so fast and looked so bad at the end we felt it necessary to explain to our vet that we weren’t forcing him to hang on for our own selfish reasons, that we believed there was hope until that last few hours. But as long as there was hope, I forced myself to squeeze gruel and pills down his throat, knowing that I could never forgive myself if I didn’t try to keep him alive while there was any hope of recovery for him. And even though I can still picture the poor guy hating the whole process, and remember how badly I felt doing it, I still would do exactly the same thing if fate put me back to December and made me live it over. Don’t just let your baby die slowly and painfully. Either help her get past the stuffy nose, or take her in for euthanasia. [1] I’ve said 42 in the past. Checked it by GPS yesterday. — "I would have been happy to explain further, except you had by that point made it clear you would believe whatever you wanted to believe"
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I don’t believe for a minute there are cats who can’t be pilled … there’s always a way. I know it’s often difficult though. My cat gets 3 pills a day and I used to have one heck of a time … I was ready to give up then I found a method that works every single time. I set her on the bathroom counter. I hold the pill in the fingers of my right hand and put my left hand on her back. I gently force her mouth open with one finger of my right hand and push the pill as far into her mouth as I can. She has no choice but so swallow cus it’s so far back … and touching her throat that way makes her want to swallow. She licks her lips once she’s swallowed and I know then that it’s gone down. We’ve been doing this for almost a year now so she doesn’t give much of a struggle anymore. If she realizes I’m about to give her a pill before I get her on the counter she runs all over the house to avoid it. Hey, if I could help you pill your cat I’d do it in a flash cus I know it’s frustrating trying to do stuff like that on your own sometimes. I understand that for some people there are limits. For me those limits aren’t there … I sure as heck don’t have an endless supply of money but I’m doing without some things I’d like in order to "maintain" my CRF cat. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m sorry things are going so wrong for you guys right now.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I understand you feeling bitter but I don’t understand why you won’t get your cat to a homeopathic vet … now. She will likely die due to your negligence and that’s not fair Last May she showed up as a scrawny stray. She got sick after I had her spayed. I spent $400 that time, $600 so far this time and you have the nerve to say that I am negligent. You can go straight to hell. I had no obligation to rescue her in the first place. You have to understand that there are limits. I just tried to pill her again. No luck. Yes, I have read all of the pilling instructions on the web. If you will recall they all say, "there are some cats that can just not be pilled." Sure it’s stressful for her to have the antiobitics and food but she needs them. Please get some help … don’t give up on her … i don’t believe she’s a lost cause and that’s how you’re treating her. PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
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: Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this : office. : If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. Unfortunately I don’t have anything to help you with the current situation but next time I would go to another vet. To me a vet who tells me that a not eating cat is fine already sounds really fishy (and why would he decide to lie to you about the cat not eating? Did you ask him this? The only thing I can think of is he had a pretty good idea what was wrong with the cat and he knew it was hopeless, which he still should have told you if he was pretty sure of that). Tigress — The root cause of problems is simple overpopulation. People just aren’t worth very much any more, and they know it. Makes ‘em testy. …Bev | _,,,—,,_ Tigress /,`.-’`’ -. ;-;;,_ http://havoc.gtf.gatech.edu/tigress ’—”(_/–’ `-’_) Cat by Felix Lee.
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I understand you feeling bitter but I don’t understand why you won’t get your cat to a homeopathic vet … now. She will likely die due to your negligence and that’s not fair
Last May she showed up as a scrawny stray. She got sick after I had her spayed. I spent $400 that time, $600 so far this time and you have the nerve to say that I am negligent. You can go straight to hell. I had no obligation to rescue her in the first place. You have to understand that there are limits. I just tried to pill her again. No luck. Yes, I have read all of the pilling instructions on the web. If you will recall they all say, "there are some cats that can just not be pilled." – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sure it’s stressful for her to have the antiobitics and food but she needs them. Please get some help … don’t give up on her … i don’t believe she’s a lost cause and that’s how you’re treating her. PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
Response:
PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we.
You are expecting them to make a diagnosis without seeing the cat, which is not really possible. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies.
If she is not taking fluid of her own accord I can’t see her living long after you stop making her take it. If she has a blocked up nose she won’t have much sense of smell which will stop her feeding, and really it’s down to you to keep her going until she feeds herself again. I realise syringing her will distress her – I’ve had to do it myself with one of my cats – but if she gets well again most of the distress will be forgotten by her. You could try ’steaming’ her to clear her nose, if you have a wire carrying cage. Pop her in it, put a large thick towel (or towels) over the cage to completely enclose it down to the surface it’s on, and pop a bowl of boiling water under the towel next to the cage. It helps sometimes. You could also try a drop of Olbas oil (if it’s available in the UK – it’s a mixture of essential oils that help clear the tubes) onto the surface of the hot water, but *only* a drop. You *must* try to keep up her fluid intake which will mean syringing her, but she will go downhill very quickly without fluid especially if she is vomiting. Whilst the electrolytes are fine, I’m not sure about baby food especially since she threw up later. It often contains milk products which are not good for cats and clearly is formulated with baby humans (and their parents!) in mind, not felines. The high-calorie Hills from the vets would be best I think, or kitten food which is a little higher in calories than ordinary cat food. The Hills is based on chicken with some liver to give it a strong smell and the meat content is pulverised so it can be ‘let down’ with water so it can be syringed into a cat. My cat Billy got a very nasty respiratory infection a year ago and started vomiting. He had 3 nights in the vets on a drip, and was refusing to eat when I took him home until I remembered the cat treats he kills for, but I had to put them in his mouth to start with. I also got him eating the Hills tinned food but again I had to start by more or less pinning him down and smearing some on his lips – then he started licking it off my fingers. I also tried him on raw meat again by putting tiny, tiny bits into his mouth, and then trying slightly large bits rubbing them against his lips. It took a couple of days to get him to let me feed him the raw meat and licking the Hills of my finger. After another few days he started eating the cat’s usual food and refused the Hills – one of the other cats finished it up! One small tin of the Hills contains as many calories as two ordinary tins so far as I can remember, so the cat only needs a small amount to get some worthwhile nutrition. My cat had lost quite a bit of weight whilst ill, but once he started eating picked up very quickly. He since had another respiratory infection but never stopped eating, though that one never cleared up completely and he almost always has a runny eye and nose. However he is fit and happy, though doesn’t like anything happening near his face – he clawed the vet who tried to check his teeth at his last vaccination visit. The vet was only 3 weeks into his first job after vet school, and the receptionists were highly amused. He is a great favourite with one of them as he’s a very outgoing cat and is a very unusual colour, being a Caramel self Asian. The only other thing I can think of to help feeding her is to have a nasogastric tube passed, but your cat would probably have to wear a collar to prevent her removing it prematurely. However it would let you feed her and give her liquids without further distress to either of you. I’m sorry you feel the way you do about the vets. Sadly as by a large we only go there when our pets are ill, they do tend to be the places associated with all the pain that entails. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
– Five Cats
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I contacted the lady at Lavendar Cat and she said do not apply eucalpytus topically or diffuse in high concentration. Lauren – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I’ve heard the same about eucalyptus oil and cats. I’d be cautious. Tar The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest. I would check out the safety of eucalpytus oil in cats. Cats are highly sensitive to Essential Oils and fragrances! Their liver does not metabolize these at all and the oils over time will build up in their systems to toxic levels, eventually resulting in a very ill cat, – often fatally ill. http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.htm Article by Kristin L. Bell Aromatherapist http://www.holisticat.com/aromatherapy.html
=^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
Response:
I understand you feeling bitter but I don’t understand why you won’t get your cat to a homeopathic vet … now. She will likely die due to your negligence and that’s not fair. Sure it’s stressful for her to have the antiobitics and food but she needs them. Please get some help … don’t give up on her … i don’t believe she’s a lost cause and that’s how you’re treating her.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility. Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
Response:
PS Whatever the advice, anything you do to your cat is your responsibility.
Of course it is. BTW, none of the caring veterinarians that frequent this group offered an opinion, I guess that there is honor among theives. Wouldn’t want to deprive my vet of anothe $500 visit that accomplishes nothing, now would we. Am I bitter? Hell yes! I trusted my vet for a couple of years; when he recommended a course of action a followed it. I guess he could "see me coming" as they say in the used car business. I always paid my bills in full when picking up my cats, whether they be dead or alive. The fucking bastard took advantage of me. I fell betrayed, and the non-response of any veterinarians in this group just proves my point. As for the cat. She is so stressed out with the syringe feeding and antibiotic pilling that I have decided to stop both. If she lives she lives, if she dies she dies. To all you non-vets who gave advice, thank you.
Response:
First, it is definitely time for you to find a new vet. This one sounds extremely incompetent and if I were you I would not trust the care of your cat to him AT ALL.
Just today I spoke with an aquaintance who used to be a vetrinary assistant. When I told her that I lost it in the office she said, "Good, the ones that give the vet a hard time are the ones that get the proper attention. It’s too bad, but it’s all about money. Most vets are jerks." BTW, my bill yesterday was US$470. The cat is still no better. Now she is on an antibiotic called Orbax ($1 per pill), had fluids (probably necessary), x-rays (anesthesia needed of course), full blood panel (everything negative, all results normal, cytology and culture of the nasal discharge (results not in till Monday). I was given a can of feline liquid diet and told to get as much in the cat as possible using a syringe. (The force feeding is a real nightmare, if the cat recovers she will probably hate me.) This goes further than this cat. A male stray has been coming around, he has an eye injury and missing hair (fights). I was going to take him in to be neutered and checked out. After the bills for this cat ($470 yesterday and $130 previously) he won’t be going anywhere. I will continue to feed him but if he gets sick he will go away and hide and die. It’s better anyway, I don’t want to know; rather I will convince myself that someone else is feeding him and that is why he no longer comes around. Although he just may live longer if he steers clear of the vet. I’ll bet if one were to read vetrinary journals there would be articles on how to extract the maximum amount of fees from clients. I’m not kidding. In the future, with any vet, I will have the minimum done. Two, maybe three cats in two years weren’t saved by the maximum tests, treatments, etc that this vet proposed. If I sound down on vets, I am.
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Benadryl can be given to cats. When mine had a respiratory infection recently, they were on it. Check with alt.med.veterinary and see if anyone can give you a dosage level, as I’ve forgotten what it is.
Searching the Usenet archives at Google I have come across Benadryl, Chllortrimeton, and psuedoephedrine being given to congested cats. Unfortunately no one mentioned a dose. I have both Benadryl and psuedoephedrine in the house. I am on the verge of trying 1/4 of a psuedoephedrine tablet which is 7.5mg (normal adult human dose is 60mg). I know the dose for Benadryl is 50 mg. I am wondering if 1/4 tablet (6.25mg) would be appropriate for a cat.
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http://www.peteducation.com/pharmacy/diphenhydramine.htm says the usual dosage for cats 0.5 to 2 mg per pound by mouth (tablet, capsule, elixir) every 8-12 hours. Have a look at the site cus it mentions side effects and precautions.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Benadryl can be given to cats. When mine had a respiratory infection recently, they were on it. Check with alt.med.veterinary and see if anyone can give you a dosage level, as I’ve forgotten what it is. Searching the Usenet archives at Google I have come across Benadryl, Chllortrimeton, and psuedoephedrine being given to congested cats. Unfortunately no one mentioned a dose. I have both Benadryl and psuedoephedrine in the house. I am on the verge of trying 1/4 of a psuedoephedrine tablet which is 7.5mg (normal adult human dose is 60mg). I know the dose for Benadryl is 50 mg. I am wondering if 1/4 tablet (6.25mg) would be appropriate for a cat.
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I understand your frustration having dealt with an incompetent vet in the past. I know you said not to suggest a second opinion, but it sounds as if this vet is doing f*** all for you right now. Couldn’t you just consult another vet for an opinion w/o an expensive battery of tests? Whatever you do, consider dropping this one if you can. A vet who is too busy to give you the time of day unless you lose your cool and are in a veritable life or death situation isn’t worth keeping. Tar
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Over two weeks ago my cat (female ~10 months old) started to get a respiratory infection. I took her to the vet who prescribed clavamox because it was moving into her lungs. This was 16 days ago. After a few days she felt better and her temperature was normal. (Note: her temperature has remained normal since then.) The congestion moved to her sinuses and nasal passages and she stopped eating. Nine days ago during a follow-up visit I let the vet know about this but he seemed unconcerned. Seven days ago I phoned him and told him that she was not eating (and maybe not drinking, I wasn’t sure about that) and he said not to worry too much. Starting to get disgusted with the vet, I took matters into my own hands. On Friday of last week I force fed her pedialyte and baby food. Saturday morning she started eating. She continued to eat through Sunday evening when she threw up. She has not eaten since then. When I took her to the vet two days ago (Tuesday) I told him. He said not to worry and bring her back today for an X-ray. This morning he said he would X-ray her and give her some fluids as well as test her for FeLV (previously done 6 months ago but he wanted to do it again). I pointed out that she had only eaten two days out of the last nine and on one of those two days she threw it all up. He left the exam room and the assistant returned with the "treatment plan" which was basically an itemization of what was to be done. At this point, I "lost it". I told the vet assistant that all I had ever gotten at this office was dead cats (I had one put to sleep there and one died during treatment for an undetermined illness.) At that point I stormed out through the (full) waiting room with my cat and slammed the door. The receptionist, who is very nice, followed me out and asked what was wrong. I told her, "For the thousands of dollars I have spent here in the last two years, I expect more than five minutes with Dr. X." I went back inside and, suprise!, the Dr was willing to spend some time with me. I pointed out that as it was most likely a virus (no fever) there was still nothing he could do to cure it. I expressed my extreme concern that the cat would develop liver problems from not eating and that if she did, I would hold him responsible as I had told him on three seperate occasions that she was not eating. He then admitted that he thought it looked bad as she had been sick for over two weeks and was not improving. I ended up leaving her there but I don’t hold out hope that he will have any better treatment ideas than he did this morning. He also said that some cats get these sinus problems and never recover. I fear that I am just throwing away money on something that is hopeless. I am sick and tired of spending the better part of $1000 and having nothing but a dead cat at the end of the week as has happened before. (Note, these were all young animals, less than 5 years old.) Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this office. If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. This cat is hell to force feed. (I would put her to sleep before I would put in a permanent stomach tube, I don’t believe in putting an animal through that.) Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back. Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
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Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back.
If you have a rice cooker, try putting that in the bathtub to generate lots of steam quickly. As I recall, I put in two cups of water, brought in the kitty and smelly salmon catfood after the room was full of steam, sat on the bathroom floor with her – she seemed to notice the food after a short time. (She went on antibiotics the third day of the cold, incidentally.)
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I’ve heard the same about eucalyptus oil and cats. I’d be cautious. Tar
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest. I would check out the safety of eucalpytus oil in cats. Cats are highly sensitive to Essential Oils and fragrances! Their liver does not metabolize these at all and the oils over time will build up in their systems to toxic levels, eventually resulting in a very ill cat, – often fatally ill. http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.htm Article by Kristin L. Bell Aromatherapist http://www.holisticat.com/aromatherapy.html =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
Response:
The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest.
I would check out the safety of eucalpytus oil in cats. Cats are highly sensitive to Essential Oils and fragrances! Their liver does not metabolize these at all and the oils over time will build up in their systems to toxic levels, eventually resulting in a very ill cat, – often fatally ill. http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.htm Article by Kristin L. Bell Aromatherapist http://www.holisticat.com/aromatherapy.html =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
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If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know.
First, it is definitely time for you to find a new vet. This one sounds extremely incompetent and if I were you I would not trust the care of your cat to him AT ALL. Get your kitty out of there tomorrow and into the hands of someone more competent. I have no doubt that changing vets now will be cheaper in the long run and cause you a lot less heartache. I have dealt with severe upper respiratory infections in cats many times, and I can offer you what worked well for the majority. Since we’re dealing with a virus, as you probably know antibiotics aren’t going to do anything except prevent a secondary bacterial infection. What you could try is giving your cat 500 mg of Lysine daily. Lysine prevents the herpes virus (which is the cause of upper respiratory infections) from replicating, which in turn should cause the infection to subside. It is available in pill form anywhere you can buy vitamins. The second thing you should do that really made the difference for cats I’ve treated was to supplement them with 500 mg of Sodium Ascorbate twice a day. Sodium Ascorbate is a form of vitamin C that comes in a powder, is available at health food stores, and has no distinctive taste when it is mixed in with food. As far as getting her to eat, you can try holding a very warm, damp washcloth around the sinus area of your cat and see if that will temporarily loosen/clear things up enough that she can smell food, and then feed her something canned that is very strong smelling. Any of the fish flavors of canned Pro Plan would be perfect for this. I hope this helps. Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574
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Cats often have poor appetites with respiratory illnesses because, as Phil has so often pointed out, food odor stimulates their appetite and a stuffy nose minimizes their ability to smell the food. You are doing the right thing to force feed her. You might also try getting some fancy feast (everyone says that cats love it although I have no personal experience) and warming it just a little to enhance its aroma. That might help your cat to feel like eating on her own. I understand your frustration, and it really is too bad you can’t go to a different vet. There is a possibility that she has developed other problems in addition to her cold, and that they are contributing to her lack of appetite. In any case, I wouldn’t go back to that vet for anything else. I agree with the poster who said that you shouldn’t have to get upset to get a response. I hope your kitty feels better soon, and you too! Laura – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Over two weeks ago my cat (female ~10 months old) started to get a respiratory infection. I took her to the vet who prescribed clavamox because it was moving into her lungs. This was 16 days ago. After a few days she felt better and her temperature was normal. (Note: her temperature has remained normal since then.) The congestion moved to her sinuses and nasal passages and she stopped eating. Nine days ago during a follow-up visit I let the vet know about this but he seemed unconcerned. Seven days ago I phoned him and told him that she was not eating (and maybe not drinking, I wasn’t sure about that) and he said not to worry too much. Starting to get disgusted with the vet, I took matters into my own hands. On Friday of last week I force fed her pedialyte and baby food. Saturday morning she started eating. She continued to eat through Sunday evening when she threw up. She has not eaten since then. When I took her to the vet two days ago (Tuesday) I told him. He said not to worry and bring her back today for an X-ray. This morning he said he would X-ray her and give her some fluids as well as test her for FeLV (previously done 6 months ago but he wanted to do it again). I pointed out that she had only eaten two days out of the last nine and on one of those two days she threw it all up. He left the exam room and the assistant returned with the "treatment plan" which was basically an itemization of what was to be done. At this point, I "lost it". I told the vet assistant that all I had ever gotten at this office was dead cats (I had one put to sleep there and one died during treatment for an undetermined illness.) At that point I stormed out through the (full) waiting room with my cat and slammed the door. The receptionist, who is very nice, followed me out and asked what was wrong. I told her, "For the thousands of dollars I have spent here in the last two years, I expect more than five minutes with Dr. X." I went back inside and, suprise!, the Dr was willing to spend some time with me. I pointed out that as it was most likely a virus (no fever) there was still nothing he could do to cure it. I expressed my extreme concern that the cat would develop liver problems from not eating and that if she did, I would hold him responsible as I had told him on three seperate occasions that she was not eating. He then admitted that he thought it looked bad as she had been sick for over two weeks and was not improving. I ended up leaving her there but I don’t hold out hope that he will have any better treatment ideas than he did this morning. He also said that some cats get these sinus problems and never recover. I fear that I am just throwing away money on something that is hopeless. I am sick and tired of spending the better part of $1000 and having nothing but a dead cat at the end of the week as has happened before. (Note, these were all young animals, less than 5 years old.) Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this office. If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. This cat is hell to force feed. (I would put her to sleep before I would put in a permanent stomach tube, I don’t believe in putting an animal through that.) Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back. Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
Response:
The only suggestion I have is a homeopatheic remedy for congested sinuses. Cats tend not to want to eat or drink when they can’t breathe and this remedy seems to help. It is an aromatherapy massage. Two tablespoons sunflower oil, two drops thyme oil, and one drop eucalyptus oil mixed and rubbed into the shoulders and chest.
Response:
You could ask your vet if Bisolvon (Bromhexine) is licensed for use on animals where you live, it’s a secretolytic (it reduces viscosity of bronchial & nasal secretions). Another thing you could try is raising the cats food dish so she doesn’t have to lower her head to eat and this should stop her nose getting stuffed up (cats eat better if they can smell their food). Also ask your vet for some Nutrical, it comes in a tube like toothpaste and most cats will eat/lick this even when they are off their food. — Shirley see my cat pictures at http://communities.msn.co.uk/Friendsfamilyandfelines2
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Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
I honestly understand your frustration. But please don’t give your cat human meds. They could be extremely harmful or even lethal. IMO, your cat has to be seen by another vet immediately, preferably one who specializes in felines. From what you’ve told us, this vet is not doing a good job, and a customer shouldnt’ have to get upset to get some response. Antibiotics very often will kill the appetite. Even after your cat is done with the antibiotics, it may take some doing to get her eating normally again. I recommend getting her some KMR (kitten replacement milk, which is very high in nutrients) and/or some Nutrical. You could also try sprinkling some Parmesan cheese on her food. Since she is stuffed up, you want to feed the stinkiest food possible. Good luck and keep us posted. Lauren =^..^= Mickey and Meesha: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1278826&a=9501548 Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you round the face, better get yourself together, darlin’, join the human race….. - John Lennon
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Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
Actually there is a decongestant. I almost put my cat on it but then he got better. What color is the mucous that comes out of the cat’s nose? green, brown, yellow, clear? If it’s dark, it means the infection is over and the mucous is just clearing out. Took five days to get it all out for my Persian kitty. I tried looking for the prescription the vet gave me but I seem to have thrown it out. He told me I could buy it at a pharmacy cheaper then just cut up the dose. Ask your vet for the correct type. When my kitty gets super sick I force feed this sick cat energy gel that I got from a pet store. They told me not to use babyfood for some reason. Every vet is different. I didnt’ know we could use pedialyte. That stuff is great with humans.
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Over two weeks ago my cat (female ~10 months old) started to get a respiratory infection. I took her to the vet who prescribed clavamox because it was moving into her lungs. This was 16 days ago. After a few days she felt better and her temperature was normal. (Note: her temperature has remained normal since then.) The congestion moved to her sinuses and nasal passages and she stopped eating. Nine days ago during a follow-up visit I let the vet know about this but he seemed unconcerned. Seven days ago I phoned him and told him that she was not eating (and maybe not drinking, I wasn’t sure about that) and he said not to worry too much. Starting to get disgusted with the vet, I took matters into my own hands. On Friday of last week I force fed her pedialyte and baby food. Saturday morning she started eating. She continued to eat through Sunday evening when she threw up. She has not eaten since then. When I took her to the vet two days ago (Tuesday) I told him. He said not to worry and bring her back today for an X-ray. This morning he said he would X-ray her and give her some fluids as well as test her for FeLV (previously done 6 months ago but he wanted to do it again). I pointed out that she had only eaten two days out of the last nine and on one of those two days she threw it all up. He left the exam room and the assistant returned with the "treatment plan" which was basically an itemization of what was to be done. At this point, I "lost it". I told the vet assistant that all I had ever gotten at this office was dead cats (I had one put to sleep there and one died during treatment for an undetermined illness.) At that point I stormed out through the (full) waiting room with my cat and slammed the door. The receptionist, who is very nice, followed me out and asked what was wrong. I told her, "For the thousands of dollars I have spent here in the last two years, I expect more than five minutes with Dr. X." I went back inside and, suprise!, the Dr was willing to spend some time with me. I pointed out that as it was most likely a virus (no fever) there was still nothing he could do to cure it. I expressed my extreme concern that the cat would develop liver problems from not eating and that if she did, I would hold him responsible as I had told him on three seperate occasions that she was not eating. He then admitted that he thought it looked bad as she had been sick for over two weeks and was not improving. I ended up leaving her there but I don’t hold out hope that he will have any better treatment ideas than he did this morning. He also said that some cats get these sinus problems and never recover. I fear that I am just throwing away money on something that is hopeless. I am sick and tired of spending the better part of $1000 and having nothing but a dead cat at the end of the week as has happened before. (Note, these were all young animals, less than 5 years old.) Please don’t suggest a second opinion, I am all spent out at this office. If any one has any constuctive ideas, please let me know. This cat is hell to force feed. (I would put her to sleep before I would put in a permanent stomach tube, I don’t believe in putting an animal through that.) Currently I am leaving her in the bathroom when I shower which helps a little but then the congestion comes right back. Is there any type of decongestant I could try? (Baby psuedophed, etc.) Yes, I know that one must be carefull when giving human medicines but I am all "vetted" out and feel that I must take matters into my own hands.
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[s] – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello again! Just thought, my simple "thanks" was not enough, so I waste a little more bandwidth before I disappear again.. 
Categories: Irritable Bowel Disease | 
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) My mom *only8 has Iritis as her primary sympton. She has some AS changes in her spine, and a bit of back pain once in awhile, but primarily she just has recurrent, severe Iritis. funfunfun, this AS is.. Aim who will have insurance Feb 1 and has an RD appt Feb 3! YAHOO! Enbrel for me, maybe???