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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / December 2003can clavimox kill a cat?
On Friday evening we brought her to the vet because of a urinary problem, they kept her overnight, and then released her the next day with clavamox (an antibiotic) to give twice a day. Saturday seemed to go OK, she wasn't exactly energetic, but no one was really expecting her to be anyway. Then yesterday she started having coordination problems, she began urinating on herself, she couldn't breath, she started having watery defecation, and we drove like 90 miles an hour to the vet, but she expired right before we got there. My BF was devastated, as was I. She was only 10 years old, and the vet said that it sounded like a heart attack, and that she had a pre-existing heart problem (a heart murmer to be exact). It seemed strange that this should happen so quickly after I had brought her to the vet for another problem, that I decided to look up the medication that they gave her to see what it said about side effects. Well, any type of antibiotic that has amoxycillan (not sure of spelling) is to be administered with the utmost of caution in an animal with a heart condition! I think very highly of my vet, but I think that they might have missed the ball on this one. It cost $435.00 for the initial visit, and now it is going to cost another $135.00 for the cremation. If they were lax and this could have been prevented I am going to expect a refund of my money. It isn't the money, because no amount of money is going to make me feel better, but I really hate the idea that I might have paid them to kill my cat. >t seemed strange that this should happen so quickly after I had >brought her to the vet for another problem, that I decided to look up [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >going to make me feel better, but I really hate the idea that I might >have paid them to kill my cat. I am so sorry about your cat. I know it was devastating to lose her that way. I know it's too late now, but if something like that ever happens again, sometimes it's worth the money to have a complete necropsy done by an independent vet just to settle the unanswered questions. Again, you have my complete sympathy. Sherry On Friday evening we brought her to the vet because of a urinary problem, they kept her overnight, and then released her the next day with clavamox (an antibiotic) to give twice a day. Saturday seemed to go OK, she wasn't exactly energetic, but no one was really expecting her to be anyway. Then yesterday she started having coordination problems, she began urinating on herself, she couldn't breath, she started having watery defecation, and we drove like 90 miles an hour to the vet, but she expired right before we got there. My BF was devastated, as was I. She was only 10 years old, and the vet said that it sounded like a heart attack, and that she had a pre-existing heart problem (a heart murmer to be exact). It seemed strange that this should happen so quickly after I had brought her to the vet for another problem, that I decided to look up the medication that they gave her to see what it said about side effects. Well, any type of antibiotic that has amoxycillan (not sure of spelling) is to be administered with the utmost of caution in an animal with a heart condition! I think very highly of my vet, but I think that they might have missed the ball on this one. It cost $435.00 for the initial visit, and now it is going to cost another $135.00 for the cremation. If they were lax and this could have been prevented I am going to expect a refund of my money. It isn't the money, because no amount of money is going to make me feel better, but I really hate the idea that I might have paid them to kill my cat. So very sorry about your cat. I don't know about the antibiotic. Did the vet give her the antibiotic overnight while she was admitted? If he did, he may have observed her and thought she was doing ok on it. You said she was there for urinary track problems. The symptoms you describe are identical to what my Ralf had when he died with kidney failure. I wonder if her kidneys just gave out? We spent over $600 for tests and treatment but there was nothing to be done. He was only 8. Without an autopsy you'll never really know. Again so sorry. It's so hard when we lose them. Wendy Well, I don't actually know if they gave her clavamox during the night, but I did forget to mention in my original post that when we went to pick her up she was breathing really rapidly, and didn't look good. We called the vet technician out from behind the desk to take a look at her and she said that Moosh was probably just having anxiety. I have since discovered that the rapid breathing should have been a tip off that she needed to be looked at more closely, and that it is a symptom that shouldn't be ignored. I just feel terrible, because I didn't think it was right, but I went along with what the tech said because it was a saturday and I had a lot of things to do and was anxious to get out of the vets office. I figured I was just being silly. I don't think my vet would even have considered release with the cat like that. I think you should find a new vet. Karen > Well, I don't actually know if they gave her clavamox during the > night, but I did forget to mention in my original post that when we [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > anxious to get out of the vets office. I figured I was just being > silly. >I figured I was just being >silly. Don't ever think that. You know your cat better than anyone. I took my Boots to the vet and they said he just had a tummy ache. The next day he was still sick so I took him back. They said he just had a tummy ache and I was basically being a little silly. That night he collapsed and was rushed to emergency. Another vet looked at his xray and saw obvious stoumach and liver cancer. The next day we let him go to sleep. Vets and vet techs are not Gods. They are fallible, get busy, can make mistakes. I now check my vet's diagnosis through google searches. I check out possible side effects of all medications they prescribe as well. I've actually caught a few mistakes. >> I figured I was just being >> silly. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > effects of all medications they prescribe as well. I've actually > caught a few mistakes. Shadows last really bad IBD flare-up was very scary to me because I was gone that day and came home around 9pm. I couldn't find him anywhere. It took hours and I was even looking outside on the off-chance (no real chance) that he got outside. I finally found him hours later (I was a WRECK by then!) and he was drooling and very sick. I took him to his vet first thing in the am and was told he "missed me" because I wasn't home at the normal time. His bloodwork was fine and that was apparently all they could gauge him on. I was very insulted to have a vet say my cat was sick because he missed me. It wasn't like I hadn't gotten home until late other times. A friend of mine came with me that morning and she was apalled that a vet would say that. That's the last time he's been to that vet and up until then I was happy with them. Did they run blood work on her? Well, I don't actually know if they gave her clavamox during the night, but I did forget to mention in my original post that when we went to pick her up she was breathing really rapidly, and didn't look good. We called the vet technician out from behind the desk to take a look at her and she said that Moosh was probably just having anxiety. I have since discovered that the rapid breathing should have been a tip off that she needed to be looked at more closely, and that it is a symptom that shouldn't be ignored. I just feel terrible, because I didn't think it was right, but I went along with what the tech said because it was a saturday and I had a lot of things to do and was anxious to get out of the vets office. I figured I was just being silly. Yes, they did run blood work on her. I am absolutely not qualified to read the results, but these items did stand out. Sodium level was 160, and was rated HIGH CPK level was 610 and was rated HIGH Platelet count was 195 and was rated LOW Eosinophils was 1309 and was rated HIGH Don't know if anyone else knows what those things might indicate. I will forever be more wary and skeptical of any vet that I go to. I had a bad experience at a different vet with another cat of mine, where the vets worked on salary plus commission, so they reccommended unnecessary treatments to jack up the bill. I successfully got them to refund the portion of the bill that was for unnecessary treatment, but not without fighting tooth and nail over it. That wasn't my regular vet though, that was an emergency vet. This was my regular vet clinic, and they have such an excellent reputation, I really thought that they would be on top of it. I now know that you have to be vigilant in doing your own research in health care matters (and I think this applies to human medicine as well as animal medicine). 1. How did you know they work on salary plus commission? 2. How did you know the treatments recommended weren't necessary? I'm curious because I often feel taken at these emergency places. They are the only thing open after hours, and I have not found the caliber of the veterinary care higher than my regular vet. And the prices, as you indicated, are through the roof. > Yes, they did run blood work on her. I am absolutely not qualified to > read the results, but these items did stand out. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > be vigilant in doing your own research in health care matters (and I > think this applies to human medicine as well as animal medicine). I found out that they worked on salary plus commission because someone from my regular vets office used to work there, and after I told her the whole story, she explained the situation to me. She also told me that some of the treatments weren't necessary. Which just confirmed my hunch about it. If you have a suspicion about one of the emergency vets, just ask your regular vet, there doesn't seem to be any internal loyalties like there are with people doctors or police officers who will cover each others a.ses. After I found out I threatened the emergency vet that I would report them to the regulatory agency that oversees veterinary clinics, and that if they felt like they wanted to take that chance, that they had done everything right, then they would have nothing to worry about. They argued and argued until I said "refund my money, or I am reporting you, period, so you can either take your chances with the regulatory agency, or refund the money". Apparently, they were unwilling to take that chance, because they did refund my money. They sent this snotty letter with the check that said that I wasn't welcome at their facility anymore. Oh boo hoo, like I would have gone back there anyway. > 1. How did you know they work on salary plus commission? > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > be vigilant in doing your own research in health care matters (and I > > think this applies to human medicine as well as animal medicine). >From: lcl_72@hotmail.com (lakinapook) >I found out that they worked on salary plus commission because someone >from my regular vets office used to work there, and after I told her >the whole story, she explained the situation to me. Boy, that sure doesn't seem right that a vet clinic should work on commissions. >They argued and argued until I said >"refund my money, or I am reporting you, period, so you can either [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >said that I wasn't welcome at their facility anymore. Oh boo hoo, >like I would have gone back there anyway. Good for you for sticking to your guns and I'm glad to hear you got your money back. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm >Yes, they did run blood work on her. I am absolutely not qualified to >read the results, but these items did stand out. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >Don't know if anyone else knows what those things might indicate. I'm not a vet and can't really interpret those figures except to say that when a stray cat we took in tested very high for eosinophils, the vet suspected heartworm. Is this a possibility? Heartworms can cause sudden death. I suppose its possible. I don't recall ever being spoken to about heartworms in cats. I always thought that it was just a dog thing. I will have to check into that. > >Yes, they did run blood work on her. I am absolutely not qualified to > >read the results, but these items did stand out. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > a stray cat we took in tested very high for eosinophils, the vet suspected > heartworm. Is this a possibility? Heartworms can cause sudden death. >I suppose its possible. I don't recall ever being spoken to about >heartworms in cats. I always thought that it was just a dog thing. I >will have to check into that. No, cats can get heartworm as well, and detecting it may be harder than it is with dogs. Sometimes the cat appears perfectly normal and then suddenly dies of heart failure. With our cat, I don't remember the actual eosinophil count but the vet said it was extremely high, high enough to suspect heartworm. I don't think it was as high as 1309, however. A high level of eosinophils indicates the body is reacting to something foreign--like parasites, or allergens. It's possible your cat died of heart failure due to heartworm infestation, although I don't know quite what the other parts of the blood test indicate. I believe a high CPK is consistent with heart attack or heart failure. >> >Yes, they did run blood work on her. I am absolutely not qualified to >> >read the results, but these items did stand out. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >> a stray cat we took in tested very high for eosinophils, the vet suspected >> heartworm. Is this a possibility? Heartworms can cause sudden death. Thanks yngver, that is actually very helpful. I am going to research this. > >I suppose its possible. I don't recall ever being spoken to about > >heartworms in cats. I always thought that it was just a dog thing. I [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > >> a stray cat we took in tested very high for eosinophils, the vet suspected > >> heartworm. Is this a possibility? Heartworms can cause sudden death. >Thanks yngver, that is actually very helpful. I am going to research this. You're welcome. One place to look is http://www.heartwormsociety.org/FelineHeartwormInfo.htm If you decide it sounds as though it could have been heartworm, it may be some comfort to you to know that often when a cat goes into crisis from acute infection, it can be so sudden and so serious that nothing can be done to save the cat. So if that was the case, there was probably not much you or the vet could have done. Even when heartworm infestation is known and the cat is being monitored at a clinic when in crisis, many times the cat cannot be saved. Again, I'm sorry for the loss of your cat. >> >I suppose its possible. I don't recall ever being spoken to about >> >heartworms in cats. I always thought that it was just a dog thing. I [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >suspected >> >> heartworm. Is this a possibility? Heartworms can cause sudden death. |
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