Question:
Hi, I'm new to the forum and will do the introductions,etc. but I have a question about my cat and can't get into my vet for another week! I'll try to give as much background info as I can.

Smokey is 12 and a half years old, I've had him since the day he was born and he is my buddy. His mother passed away about two months ago and he seemed fine until the last few days. I had him at the vet about two weeks ago for his shots and a wellness exam and he was fine then.

A few days ago, he started shaking his head and scratching at his ears, etc. so I started treating him for ear mites. He does seem better with that, but his ears and head still look bad. I put anti-biotic ointment on them, but he just licks it off and I didn't want him to be sick from that. He usually likes to spend the days outdoors, but he hasn't wanted to go outside lately and I'm thinking from some of the small spots under his fur that he might have gotten into a catfight and the spots are from another cat's claws.

He now seems lethargic and just wants to stay in small quiet places. He is eating and drinking and going to the litter box. He is on special food for the crystals that would block his bladder, has been for a long time. He was at one time treated for hairball blockage and so I treat him twice aweek with a hairball remedy.

Soooo, I've tried what I know to try, and the vet can't get me in till next Monday. Anyone have any other suggestions for me, please?

Thanks,
Diana

Answer:
your cat is ill. Why would your vet put you off until Monday? Find another vet or an emergency vet clinic that will see him right away. A cat that is lethargic and hiding is not well. No one here can diagnose over the internet. Please don't wait until Monday.

Answer:
Thank you, that's what I thought too. I do that right now.

Diana

Answer:
Glad to hear you're taking Smokey to the vet ASAP. A cat that seems lethargic and wants to hide in small quiet places definitely is not well. Please keep us posted.

Answer:
I would definitely try to get him into the vet's as soon as possible. What kind of medication are you using for ear mites???? Is it over the counter meds? or prescription from your vet? A good sign is that he is eating and drinking, but if you think he might of got into a cat fight he could end up developing an abscess which could make him sick. I would definitely call your vet clinic back and ask to have the vet call you, although he may not give you advise of the phone (which is normal, b/c he wouldn't want to give the wrong info), he may tell you to bring him in sooner than the receptionist would.

Good luck with Smokey!

Petlover007

ps; and if he is urinating he obviously doesn't have flutd... which u r familiar with...

Answer:
Okay, I got him into the only other vet in town, and he said he could tell I had been trying to get his ears taken care of, but that he had an infection, and that he wanted to run some other tests on Smokey. He did say that he expects everything to be okay, and that made me feel better. I told him that my regular vet couldn't get me in for a while or give me some kind of antibiotics for his ears, but that I just couldn't see waiting that long and he said he was glad I went ahead and came in.

So, they are keeping "mokey" overnight to start him on antibiotics and run blood tests, etc. It's going to run about a thousand dollars, but mokey is my baby, so it's worth it to me if he will feel better.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks you guys,
Diana

Answer:
Thanks for the update and do hope mokey gets good test results.

Answer:
That is great you got him into the vets, but I don't understand a 1k vet bill, that is absolutely ludacris. I would find out what kind of tests he is planning to run????!!!!! It shouldn't cost you more than a couple of hundred dollars to run kidney/liver tests. If that is all clear then I would proceed, but he is eating and drinking. I would ask him for antibiotics and some earmite medication and wait and see. This is the problem with vets and y they get a bad rap , b/c this is clearly a case of doing way too many tests on a cat that is eating and drinking. Or ask him to run a Feleuk/FIV test.

Anyhow, just from experience that sounds a little too much. Is your cat vomiting? Does he have yellowing of the eyes? ears? Check his capillary refill by pressing on his gums and see how fast they turn back to the normal colour.

Good luck!

petlover007

Answer:
Does the price have anything to do with the mite stuff you used? Maybe the cat needs an IV or something to flush out toxic mite juice? $1000 usually means an emergency situation..

Answer:
Well, it cost me $1900 just to get a diagnosis on my cat. They did bloodwork ($150), X-rays ($165), ultrasound ($350), and endoscopy ($900). The rest was for overnight stay, fluids, meds during stay, doctor vists, etc. It can add up very quickly! But I would think my example is an extreme case, so it wouldn't hurt to ask for a cost breakdown as typical routine bloodwork, ear exam, overnight stay, and medication would normally run more around $300 or so. I'm not familiar enough with the possible tests he is going to run to say for sure though obviously.

Anyway, I'm so glad to hear you were able to get your baby into another vet and that it sounds like this vet is more responsive! I hope they are able to find the reason for Mokey's problems! I wish you the best of luck!

Answer: