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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / July 2006Sick of these vets
Abelard is still barfing more than normal, so I called the vet he saw before. He was not in (his mom had a stroke - little wonder, she must be around 100 years old) but spoke with assistant. She said he probably needs more antibiotics, and I should call tomorrow. So I called the other vet in town and told him the whole story. He was sure it must be hairballs. Yeah, right.... an Abyssinian with hairballs. I don't know what to do. Maybe "nothing" is the wisest choice. I just don't believe he has a GI infection or hairballs. And for sure it isn't worms, they were all wormed a week ago. It is so extremely difficult to medicate this cat, I think the stress of it probably worsens his condition, too. And I spent a whole week making sure he got probiotics - meaning lock him in a room alone with a dish. Maybe someone here has some thoughts on what to do for him. He's got a great appetite, doesn't look the least bit sick, and isn't losing weight. In fact he's gained a bit since he this barfing started. He keeps food in his stomach for a long time - up to 12 hours - before barfing. He has loose, light-colored stools, and sometimes seems to have a slight fever. This morning was weird, he barfed up last night's supper, then, *immediately* afterward, barfed a larger quantity of clear thick liquid that was slightly pink. A few days ago he was barfing something very yellow in color but not a huge quantity. The alternate vet said if I give him anti-hairball paste for a week and he is not cured, to take him to Springfield for "a GI series" (whatever that is). I didn't bother to tell him that I am currently without transportation. Sometimes I think these vets prescribe stuff they know will not work and just want to milk us for all they can, at the expense of our pets' health. I'm about ready to swear off them permanently except for surgeries. What has been done so far? X-rays? A barium series? Is he defecating? How about some Pepcid and reglan to control the vomiting? If it were here, my doctor would put it on fluids (cause he's got to be dehydrated) and run a barium series to see if everything is passing. purrs that everything works out Kristi > Abelard is still barfing more than normal, so I called the vet he saw > before. He was not in (his mom had a stroke - little wonder, she must be [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > just want to milk us for all they can, at the expense of our pets' health. > I'm about ready to swear off them permanently except for surgeries. I found that with some of the local vets here, their predominate interest is livestock, and they don't seem to know much about cats. I think some vets truly aren't that good with cats particularly. I hate to even mention it (God forbid), but chronic vomiting that can't be resolved is a serious symptom, that could indicate heartworm, urinary tract disease, IBS are the ones that come to mind. I didn't know that vomiting was associated with UTD until recently. I don't think it is a common symptom, but apparently with some cats it is. Have you tried some internet research? YOU know Abelard, and what's normal for him, and what's not, much better than any vet. Maybe you can get some ideas to ask him about. Good luck. PUrring for Abi. Sherry >He was sure it must be hairballs. Yeah, >right.... an Abyssinian with hairballs. It might not be likely, but it's possible. Betty wasn't as short haired as Abelard, but she was a shorthair, and she got plenty of hairballs. It seems to build up over time. Besides, it's possible for a cat to be a mutual groomer, picking up hair from other cats. >Sometimes I think these vets prescribe stuff they know will not work and >just want to milk us for all they can, at the expense of our pets' health. >I'm about ready to swear off them permanently except for surgeries. I know it's hard, and that you're a very independent type. It must be frustrating going and not getting the right answer the first or second or third time, but I'm sure they don't do it on purpose. You see a lot of people here who have had vets who didn't get the correct diagnosis at first. We even have so many posters here with hoomin doctors who weren't able to get them the correct diagnosis at first, whether it's with cancer or colitis, or even scabies, recently. I'm sorry that I can't help, since I'm not a vet, but I will send purrs for Abelard. >>He was sure it must be hairballs. Yeah, >>right.... an Abyssinian with hairballs. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I'm sorry that I can't help, since I'm not a vet, but I will send > purrs for Abelard. Yep. I say my dermatologist today finally. The mites are gone. The scars could take six months. She assures me that scabies on a middle aged woman (she is kind) is an easy diagnosis to miss. I assured her that while I bear no malice, I'm not going to let my internist live it down any time soon either. It isn't like I only saw him once. But in all fairness there is enough else wrong with me to be distracting. Try something with Abelard if he will allow it. Give him a fairly light massage that is aimed from his front to his back. Especially chest and tummy. Kind of like you would do for a baby with colic. Sam had digestive issues after he had an accident and surgery and it really helped him. Think the way a momma cat massages her kittens to keep things moving. Jo "Jo Firey" <jofirey@sbcglobal.net> wrote in > Try something with Abelard if he will allow it. Give him a fairly light > massage that is aimed from his front to his back. Especially chest and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Think the way a momma cat massages her kittens to keep things moving. He doesn't have a problem to keep things moving. And he makes sure I know about it. He won't bury his poop! >>He was sure it must be hairballs. Yeah, >>right.... an Abyssinian with hairballs. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > hairballs. It seems to build up over time. Besides, it's possible > for a cat to be a mutual groomer, picking up hair from other cats. Abelard is the only kitty here who almost never grooms any other cat. Heck, half the time they do most of his grooming for him. > Abelard is still barfing more than normal, so I called the vet he saw > before. He was not in (his mom had a stroke - little wonder, she must be > around 100 years old) but spoke with assistant. She said he probably needs > more antibiotics, and I should call tomorrow. So I called the other vet in > town and told him the whole story. He was sure it must be hairballs. Yeah, > right.... an Abyssinian with hairballs. My TED told me to take Otis off food for twenty four hours and then we fed him no more than a teaspoon at a time of a can of easily digestible wet food - a hypo-allergenic food - that TED had. We used only two cans of it and then Otis started to get better. It seemed that his stomach was very irritated. The idea is to help it calm down a bit. We also had him on antibioitics for a week. Otis has had these kinds of episodes a few different occasions and they always take a long time to completely clear up. I would be a little worried about the pink in the vomit though - did it look at all like blood? Susan M Otis and Chester > My TED told me to take Otis off food for twenty four hours and then we fed > him no more than a teaspoon at a time of a can of easily digestible wet [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > worried about the pink in the vomit though - did it look at all like > blood? All my cats occasionally vomit pink stuff, particularly after eating fresh grass. I was alarmed the first time I saw it but I guess it's not that abnormal. It's just barely pink - probably less than a drop of blood per cup of vomit. Still purring for Abelard. I'm sorry I've no suggestions.  SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > I'm about ready to swear off them permanently except for surgeries. I'm very sorry to hear Abelard is still sick. Is there a vet member of the AAFP near you? http://www.aafponline.org/findadoctor.php I've found that those are the best TEDs for cats. Good luck! SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com > I'm very sorry to hear Abelard is still sick. Is there a vet member of the > AAFP near you? > http://www.aafponline.org/findadoctor.php > I've found that those are the best TEDs for cats. Thanks, Victor. I found the closest one is south of Springfield, 1.5 hours away. That's not too bad. Boy, it sounds a lot like Sugar's recurring bladder infection. > Abelard is still barfing more than normal, so I called the vet he saw > before. He was not in (his mom had a stroke - little wonder, she must be [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > just want to milk us for all they can, at the expense of our pets' health. > I'm about ready to swear off them permanently except for surgeries. > Boy, it sounds a lot like Sugar's recurring bladder infection. Please tell me more. Did she barf a lot? How do you keep it in check? One reason TED never suspected bladder infection is because although Abelard sometimes pees outside the litterbox he doesn't strain, there's no blood in it, and it's always a large amount. I hope TED is wrong in this case. Sugar didn't even pee outside the box. She mostly just acted sick a lot. We are on our last day of baytril. Hopefully it will not come back, but now I know when she acts sick to look for it. Yes, she barfs sometimes. There are no parameters for what they actually do. It's worth a an actually look at the urine. Straining would me blockage (UBER BAAD!!! EMERGENCY). Lot's of peeing or peeing inappropriately, throwing up that can all be UTI or bladder. Some antibiotics will not kick that in the butt. Sometimes it takes more than one go around with ABs. > > Boy, it sounds a lot like Sugar's recurring bladder infection. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > sometimes pees outside the litterbox he doesn't strain, there's no blood in > it, and it's always a large amount. I hope TED is wrong in this case. >> Boy, it sounds a lot like Sugar's recurring bladder infection. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >sometimes pees outside the litterbox he doesn't strain, there's no blood in >it, and it's always a large amount. I hope TED is wrong in this case. Bladder infections can trigger vomiting as a side-effect in humans; I know one lady this happened to recently. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria > Abelard is still barfing more than normal, so I called the vetHe has > loose, light-colored stools, and sometimes seems to have a slight fever. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > that was slightly pink. A few days ago he was barfing something very > yellow in color but not a huge quantity. Ask the vet to check out his liver. Tweed > Abelard is still barfing more than normal, so I called the vetHe has > loose, light-colored stools, and sometimes seems to have a slight fever. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > that was slightly pink. A few days ago he was barfing something very > yellow in color but not a huge quantity. Ask the vet to check out his liver. Tweed > Abelard is still barfing more than normal, so I called the vet he saw > before. He was not in (his mom had a stroke - little wonder, she must be > around 100 years old) but spoke with assistant. She said he probably needs > more antibiotics, and I should call tomorrow. So I called the other vet in > town and told him the whole story. He was sure it must be hairballs. Yeah, > right.... an Abyssinian with hairballs. <snip> Soncek is short-haired and I brush him at least once a week, as there is always a lot of hair on the brush. I have no other ideas unfortunately. Lots of purrs and best wishes that Abelard's problem is not serious, Polonca and Soncek > Soncek is short-haired and I brush him at least once a week, as there is > always a lot of hair on the brush. I have no other ideas unfortunately. > Lots of purrs and best wishes that Abelard's problem is not serious, I'm starting to think that it *is* serious. He hasn't kept anything down for several days now. I've brushed him many times and never gotten any hair to come out. >> Soncek is short-haired and I brush him at least once a week, as there >> is always a lot of hair on the brush. I have no other ideas [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > I've brushed him many times and never gotten any hair to come out. Pat, he needs to see a vet VERY soon. That's all there is to it. I know it's very hard for you and I don't know if your car is working yet, but somehow you must get him there. >>Soncek is short-haired and I brush him at least once a week, as there is >>always a lot of hair on the brush. I have no other ideas unfortunately. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > I've brushed him many times and never gotten any hair to come out. Please try to get him to a vet. Lots and lots of purrs and best wishes, Polonca and Soncek >> Soncek is short-haired and I brush him at least once a week, as there is >> always a lot of hair on the brush. I have no other ideas unfortunately. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > I've brushed him many times and never gotten any hair to come out. Light coloured (yellowish) loose stools *can* be a sign of liver problems and all the other symptoms seem to fit too. I know you don't have transport at the moment but Abelard really does need to see a vet. I also know that you are new to the area that you live in, but in these circumstances - if no friends can help - I would knock on a neighbour's door, explain your car is out of order and your cat is very sick and needs to see a vet urgently, and could they possible drive you there if you paid for their gas? Not many people would refuse, surely? Tweed > Light coloured (yellowish) loose stools *can* be a sign of liver problems His stools were just light brown, not yellow. But now they are fine, anyhow. >> Light coloured (yellowish) loose stools *can* be a sign of liver problems > > His stools were just light brown, not yellow. But now they are fine, > anyhow. Glad to hear it. Tweed > Abelard is still barfing more than normal, so I called the vet he saw > before. He was not in (his mom had a stroke - little wonder, she must be > around 100 years old) but spoke with assistant. She said he probably needs > more antibiotics, and I should call tomorrow. So I called the other vet in > town and told him the whole story. He was sure it must be hairballs. Yeah, > right.... an Abyssinian with hairballs. Abbys get hairballs like any other cat. > I don't know what to do. Maybe "nothing" is the wisest choice. I just don't > believe he has a GI infection or hairballs. And for sure it isn't worms, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > stomach for a long time - up to 12 hours - before barfing. He has loose, > light-colored stools, and sometimes seems to have a slight fever. The cat probably has a soft blockage of the intestine, due to hairtballs or something ingested. Which is what I posted at least two weeks ago. Did they do a barium study of his GI tract? > This morning was weird, he barfed up last night's supper, then, > *immediately* afterward, barfed a larger quantity of clear thick liquid that > was slightly pink. That's stomach fluid with blood in it. It's from the GI tract being irritated - probably from hair. > A few days ago he was barfing something very yellow in > color but not a huge quantity. Bile. > The alternate vet said if I give him anti-hairball paste for a week and he > is not cured, to take him to Springfield for "a GI series" (whatever that [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > just want to milk us for all they can, at the expense of our pets' health. > I'm about ready to swear off them permanently except for surgeries. Vet medicine is sometimes an art and not a science. A GI series is exactly what this cat needs. I highly suspect he has a partial blockage - probably a soft blockage. He has all the symptoms. If you give him hairball meds and get some massive quatities of liquid down him (like chicken broth) he may pass a very large hairball in his stool. -L. |
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