Jan Radar (GA)
Member Since 2015
It's been a very long time since I've posted here but I wanted to spend a few minutes today and give you all an update on our extra sweet kitty. 
In recent months we have had many struggles to keep Radar eating with some sort of consistency. Often, this fall, the only way to make sure he got enough calories in a day was to use a syringe to help him eat. He is always very helpful
as he jumps onto the counter and supervises the mixing of the warm water with the food and licks the syringe before we even start the process. It's like he "knows" we are trying to help him feel better and he approves of our methods.
Recently, he's been showing the subtle signs of being in pain and we've been using Gabapentin with good success. Two weeks ago, he basically stopped eating on his own. We made an appointment with the vet practice we've been using for the last two years and asked the dr on duty to look at his mouth after explaining the symptoms observed at home. The vet said no, there's nothing there that would cause him to stop eating. We did bloodwork which, of course, gave no answers about what's going on and I took him home. By the afternoon, he was obviously in great pain and quite miserable. He was glassy eyed and drooling, wouldn't let me touch his face and refused to lay his head down on one side. I called the vet's office and was told to give him Gabapentin every 8 hours to manage the pain. They had an opening for a dental the next week and I took the appointment.
We somehow made it through the weekend and dropped him off for his dental hoping they would find the cause of his suffering and take care of it.
I'm always a wreck on dental days and when the vet phoned I answered with heart pounding. She informed me that he was not cleared for surgery. She took a chest xray and started him on iv fluids and antibiotics because she thought he had pneumonia. If he continues to not eat, she told me, then he will need to be transferred to the ER vet hospital as an emergency patient to get a feeding tube put in. So as soon as I was able, I went to the clinic, picked him up and took him to the ER because I needed another opinion and felt that opinion alone would be worth the price of the ER exam. I was pretty scared, but I knew that this particular ER was known for being the very best in the city so I tried to remember to breathe while driving to the hospital. When the ER vet came in, she basically told me that she did a physical exam, carefully listened to his breathing and she didn't think he had pneumonia. She was "underwhelmed" by Radar's Xrays. In that moment, I didn't know what to think. 
I was certainly happy that I'd chosen to get another opinion. 90$ well spent. The vet spent the time to show me the xrays and explain them, gave me an antibiotic and sent us home with instructions on how to monitor his breathing and how to judge if he needs to return to the ER. Although Radar is not a fan of being pilled twice or more times a day, he improved significantly as each day passed. He still needed help eating and help to manage the pain but it was very manageable and he never showed me any signs of breathing difficulties.
While Radar was recovering and napping, I was online researching vet offices and doctors. As soon as things opened up again after the holiday, I was on the phone and did surprise visits to the lobbies of possible vet offices. Yesterday, I packed Radar up and took him to a cat only practice where I met the vet on duty. She was impressed with my color coded spreadsheet, had obviously studied his records and listened carefully to my concerns. When she examined Radar, she assured me that his breathing is completely normal. No wheezing or crackles. (yeah!) Then she opened his mouth. It took her under 20 seconds to tell me that he needs a dental asap because there are 3 teeth that clearly need attention. He is scheduled for next week. I think I may have found a vet to work with... although we didn't really talk much about his diabetes, my human meter, or how I make dosing decisions. I guess we'll just have to see what unfolds in the coming weeks. One thing is for sure, the old vet practice will not be seeing us any time soon.
Wow this post is much longer than I'd planned. Once I started typing the story of our recent adventures, there was no stopping the words from tumbling right out of me onto the page... I must say that I feel better having typed it all out.
In recent months we have had many struggles to keep Radar eating with some sort of consistency. Often, this fall, the only way to make sure he got enough calories in a day was to use a syringe to help him eat. He is always very helpful
as he jumps onto the counter and supervises the mixing of the warm water with the food and licks the syringe before we even start the process. It's like he "knows" we are trying to help him feel better and he approves of our methods. Recently, he's been showing the subtle signs of being in pain and we've been using Gabapentin with good success. Two weeks ago, he basically stopped eating on his own. We made an appointment with the vet practice we've been using for the last two years and asked the dr on duty to look at his mouth after explaining the symptoms observed at home. The vet said no, there's nothing there that would cause him to stop eating. We did bloodwork which, of course, gave no answers about what's going on and I took him home. By the afternoon, he was obviously in great pain and quite miserable. He was glassy eyed and drooling, wouldn't let me touch his face and refused to lay his head down on one side. I called the vet's office and was told to give him Gabapentin every 8 hours to manage the pain. They had an opening for a dental the next week and I took the appointment.
We somehow made it through the weekend and dropped him off for his dental hoping they would find the cause of his suffering and take care of it.
I'm always a wreck on dental days and when the vet phoned I answered with heart pounding. She informed me that he was not cleared for surgery. She took a chest xray and started him on iv fluids and antibiotics because she thought he had pneumonia. If he continues to not eat, she told me, then he will need to be transferred to the ER vet hospital as an emergency patient to get a feeding tube put in. So as soon as I was able, I went to the clinic, picked him up and took him to the ER because I needed another opinion and felt that opinion alone would be worth the price of the ER exam. I was pretty scared, but I knew that this particular ER was known for being the very best in the city so I tried to remember to breathe while driving to the hospital. When the ER vet came in, she basically told me that she did a physical exam, carefully listened to his breathing and she didn't think he had pneumonia. She was "underwhelmed" by Radar's Xrays. In that moment, I didn't know what to think. I was certainly happy that I'd chosen to get another opinion. 90$ well spent. The vet spent the time to show me the xrays and explain them, gave me an antibiotic and sent us home with instructions on how to monitor his breathing and how to judge if he needs to return to the ER. Although Radar is not a fan of being pilled twice or more times a day, he improved significantly as each day passed. He still needed help eating and help to manage the pain but it was very manageable and he never showed me any signs of breathing difficulties. While Radar was recovering and napping, I was online researching vet offices and doctors. As soon as things opened up again after the holiday, I was on the phone and did surprise visits to the lobbies of possible vet offices. Yesterday, I packed Radar up and took him to a cat only practice where I met the vet on duty. She was impressed with my color coded spreadsheet, had obviously studied his records and listened carefully to my concerns. When she examined Radar, she assured me that his breathing is completely normal. No wheezing or crackles. (yeah!) Then she opened his mouth. It took her under 20 seconds to tell me that he needs a dental asap because there are 3 teeth that clearly need attention. He is scheduled for next week. I think I may have found a vet to work with... although we didn't really talk much about his diabetes, my human meter, or how I make dosing decisions. I guess we'll just have to see what unfolds in the coming weeks. One thing is for sure, the old vet practice will not be seeing us any time soon.
Wow this post is much longer than I'd planned. Once I started typing the story of our recent adventures, there was no stopping the words from tumbling right out of me onto the page... I must say that I feel better having typed it all out.
Sounds like quite an ordeal with the former vet. And that your caregiver's intuition was spot on. Thank goodness it looks like you've found a good vet. Paws crossed for a good dental.
