6/16 ChrisFarley (OTJ), vet prescribed eye steroid

[Melanie and Smokey]

Well, it seems I am going to be joining the camp with vets who don't work well with diabetic cats Took Chris in because he has been having a very leaky eye for about a month. Vet couldn't see anything wrong with it, could be viral, clogged tear duct... Since we'd tried tobramycin, she wants to try neomycin. I point out that he is a diabetic in remission and a steroid isn't good for him and she just looks at me, no response, and tells the tech to get it ready for him. She was never this way with Smokey who she treated for diabetes for over 3 years. I don't get it. NOTHING else could be prescribed. The other owner vet at the practice has actually said that we shouldn't use the neo if we suspect it might be viral because it can set the virus more so the symptoms don't clear up. Its like, because they didn't treat Chris and Cecil during their diabetes treatment (both fosters under other vets until remission) they don't really think they are real diabetics or they just don't care.

So. It looks like we have the choice of seeing if Chris's body can over come this, or fighting with the vet tomorrow. Cecil had an ear med with a steroid that he rose the first few days and then went back to normal numbers. Doubt I can hope for the same for Chris.

 

[Vyktors Mum]

I vote fight, but hopefully you don't have to because she was just having a bad day and has reconsidered her ridiculous position over night. Or maybe you can see the other owner vet instead?

With the mouth issues that Vyktor's been having the usual first port of call would usually be steroids but even as his vet was telling me this he said but that's not an option for Vyktor with his history of diabetes. We then both went off to research other options.

Why would this vet risk turning him back full blown diabetic with a steroid treatment when she doesn't even know what's causing the problem

Scritches and vines for ChrisFarley

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Ugh!

Perhaps you could suggest that since the 2 vets at the clinic are giving you conflicting information that it's time for them to refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist or at the very least, set up a conference all with one at a time when you can be there.

 

[Melanie and Smokey]

Thankfully with food Chris came back down last night and was 88 this morning. We will see if we can control it by doing the meds a bit after eating so his body is in insulin producing mode. His eye did look better last night.

This makes me sad. We have been going to this clinic for 18 almost years. Our vet was only practicing for 2 months when we started seeing her. The boys aren't that old, Cecil only 3, too many years left for every appt to be a fight.

6/16
AMBG (we keep all our charts on the same schedule so his AMBG is where his shot used to be)
+4 neomycin
+5 92
PMBG 123
+3 85
+ 5 neomycin
6/17
AMBG 88
+1.5 neo

Perhaps you could suggest that since the 2 vets at the clinic are giving you conflicting information that it's time for them to refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist or at the very least, set up a conference all with one at a time when you can be there.

Sadly, the ophthalmologist they refer to is a traveling dr that comes to town and my experience with him has not been good. Didn't spend even 5 minutes looking at my cat, made his diagnosis based on the fact that my cats came from shelters. No additional diagnostic tests to confirm it (I'd had multiple previous negatives on one of his guesses). And prescribed a 28 day coarse of harsh meds that ALL the cats in my household HAD to take despite me telling him not all of them would be able to take them.

When he comes to town, they set him up with appointments scheduled every 10 minutes. The techs do all of the eye testing before hand, he just looks at the sheets, glances at the cat - diagnosis, onto the next one. I can request a referral to the University 4 hours away, but some of the departments are a crapshoot. I walked out of the referral appt for Smokey when she went out of remission and we got an Internal Medicine student regurgitating the paragraph she found in her textbook on diabetes.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Cornell University's cat clinic will do phone consultations. That may be a good option. They are very reasonably priced.

 

[Melanie and Smokey]

Though he is creeping up a bit at times, Chris is managing to maintain normal numbers Oddly, after I missed last night dose of the neo because I worked pretty late, this morning was one of his higher numbers. Still coming down well after he eats.
His eye has stopped leaking, there is some flakes around it so there is still some discharge, but seems to be getting better.
Haven't had much time to do anything this week. We are in the late stages of building our new house and spent too many hours dealing with decisions on that that I didn't even get to work until after 5 most days.

 

[Melanie and Smokey]

Cornell University's cat clinic will do phone consultations. That may be a good option. They are very reasonably priced.

I am really surprised at this. Just read recently about a vet getting in trouble for doing online consultations. Apparently it is against licensing in most states to give veterinary advice without a physical exam.