abdominal ultrasound in cats

[Elena]

Binky is going for his abdominal ultrasound. I keep getting told different things about fasting before the ultrasound. One lady said no breakfast, another said nothing after midnight. He doesn't need sedation. What i'm worried about is his liver function is already off ALP 94. They say to drop him off at 9am and the ultrasound people should be their in the morning but someone said it could be 2pm but really who knows, they close at 5pm so who knows how long they will keep him waiting. My question is when did you stop feeding your cat before their ultrasound? How long should they fast? And if i do stop feeding him after midnight and they don't get the ultrasound done until 2pm is that too long for him to go with out eating? I know i may be over thinking this but we lost 2 cats in a 5 month period so i'm really stress, Binky is our last cat we have left.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

Is Binky diabetic? If not then you should be fine with not feeding after midnight. That's what I had to do when my cats have had an ultrasound

 

[Elena]

Is Binky diabetic? If not then you should be fine with not feeding after midnight. That's what I had to do when my cats have had an ultrasound

No he's not, I was worried he was but checked his sugar and it was 73. Our beloved Perkins was diabetic, his pic is my avatar. I see we both had black cats.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

I see we both had black cats.

Witn, stands for "We're In Trouble Now",was my 2nd diabetic kitty. I lost her in 2006 when she was 19. Mischief was another black cat I had who lived until she was 15. I love black cats.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

When Sheba had an abdominal ultrasound she didn’t fast at all. I stayed with her while she had it.

 

[babyg]

Mine also did not fast for her ultrasound.

 

[Elena]

Witn, stands for "We're In Trouble Now",was my 2nd diabetic kitty. I lost her in 2006 when she was 19. Mischief was another black cat I had who lived until she was 15. I love black cats.

Me too, we lost our Beloved Perkins he was 11. Binky is the last cat we will ever have. I can't take anymore heart ache and these vets price are outrageous. Two vets visits and my mom's care credit card is already maxed out so no more animals for us ever.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

these vets price are outrageous

So it's not just me? The ultrasounds are the one thing in particular that make me grind my teeth. This is why.
Marco has had microscopic amounts of blood in his urine forever, almost immeasurable, that have become almost an object of curiosity for our vet. He has no other health problems. So far the consensus is thin bladder walls. Yesterday he had his standard 'once every four months' ultrasound and I don't even know why I keep doing this. Both our clinics know we'll do whatever it takes and sometimes I wonder if they're subconsciously overdoing everything.
A standard 5 out of 7 day work week minus 10 statutory holidays and another 10 vacation leaves 240 days/year. The travelling ultrasound tech charges $550 Cdn/$423US so if she can squeeze in four tests/day she's grossing $528,000 / $407,000 per year. Take that to six per day (she's the only ultrasound tech who does animals) and it's $792,000/$610,000. The machine is expensive to lease and she's a trained radiologist but this all seems excessive to me.
When we say forever we mean it but for the past few years it feels like we're just bending over and taking it and it's taken all the joy out of a multi cat household. We'll always have cats but we don't go looking for one eyed, three legged cats at the shelter anymore.
It's not just that. Supply chain issues and fuel costs are not a good enough reason for all the BS we're going through.

 

[Elena]

So it's not just me? The ultrasounds are the one thing in particular that make me grind my teeth. This is why.
Marco has had microscopic amounts of blood in his urine forever, almost immeasurable, that have become almost an object of curiosity for our vet. He has no other health problems. So far the consensus is thin bladder walls. Yesterday he had his standard 'once every four months' ultrasound and I don't even know why I keep doing this. Both our clinics know we'll do whatever it takes and sometimes I wonder if they're subconsciously overdoing everything.
A standard 5 out of 7 day work week minus 10 statutory holidays and another 10 vacation leaves 240 days/year. The travelling ultrasound tech charges $550 Cdn/$423US so if she can squeeze in four tests/day she's grossing $528,000 / $407,000 per year. Take that to six per day (she's the only ultrasound tech who does animals) and it's $792,000/$610,000. The machine is expensive to lease and she's a trained radiologist but this all seems excessive to me.
When we say forever we mean it but for the past few years it feels like we're just bending over and taking it and it's taken all the joy out of a multi cat household. We'll always have cats but we don't go looking for one eyed, three legged cats at the shelter anymore.
It's not just that. Supply chain issues and fuel costs are not a good enough reason for all the BS we're going through.

Oh it's not just you....last year we tried to save a sweet older cat with teeth problems, long story short and 1400 hundred latter the cat passed away and we were stuck with the reminder every month when we had to make the credit card payments. I will never have another animal as long as i live. Of course if i see a animal in need of help i will call a rescue to help the cat. No more trying to do it all ourselves. Vet care is way to expensive, it cost more than human care.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

cost more than human care / I will never have another animal as long as I live

You're missing out on Canada's wonderful "free" healthcare system. The problem here is every moron who hits his thumb with a hammer is in emergency while you twiddle your thumbs with a real emergency. I've had five MRI's that I actually needed and paid for parking only. I'm eternally grateful for that but last year things went sideways. I take Clonazepam for anxiety and after a friend committed suicide I asked my doctor's receptionist for my next batch a few days early. I chose my words carefully and said I was sad without using the 'd' word. Within a few days I had calls from the local mental health people, then some other group, then one of the eight neurologists who failed me completely years ago and missed an obvious but really obscure condition. He thought it would be a good idea in the middle of a pandemic that I have another MRI just because. After all that it was agreed that I was indeed sad but not "sick" enough to qualify for some "medicine".
Yesterday I had my booster and said something about syringes and diabetic cats which led to the very young woman giving me the shot to ask whether she should get a cat and did I know who Garfield was. She had zero idea that cats could live past ten (my record is 23) or that having two teeth pulled could cost $1,000. I think I talked her out of it. It just burns my bum that "forever" has lost all it's meaning.