Questions to ask vet

[Amy ♡ Cozmo]

Hi there! I've just joined, and just learned how to post on here. ♡ I was reading the newcomers faq section, and Q1.5 has a link for questions to ask your vet. But that link doesn't seem to work. Are those listed anywhere else? My first appointment is this morning and I'm terrified. Reading everyone else's posts has been so helpful.. thank you

 

[Christie & Maverick]

Here you go...

https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/vet-interview-screening-topics-check-list.156663/

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Mentioning the internet doesn't go over well with most doctors.
Be gentle but firm about your plans to test and do curves at home as well as getting your supplies from somewhere possibly cheaper.
Lastly is food. Vets make extra money selling "prescription" food (it is a business and not a charity) so maybe back off on that for now and get better advice here later.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

I'm guessing this isn't your first cat and these are general questions and comments for any cat owner.
Over the years I've had a lot of Wellness Tests done on cat and dogs. It's a vague statement and getting a straight answer is never easy. There should be a basic set of tests and a few more questions we should be asked depending on recent behavior, eating habits etc. Plus it's never the vet you hand your cat over to and sometimes not even a tech.
I always get their nails clipped while I'm there anyways because cats will put up with a lot of pain before it becomes obvious. Next is a quick dental check, something I think is a no-brainer but not everyone agrees. A small problem now can turn into an abscess later and upper abscesses can get bad enough to infect parts of the eyes and brain. Sorry for stating the obvious.

 

[SashaV]

Mentioning the internet doesn't go over well with most doctors.
Be gentle but firm about your plans to test and do curves at home as well as getting your supplies from somewhere possibly cheaper.
Lastly is food. Vets make extra money selling "prescription" food (it is a business and not a charity) so maybe back off on that for now and get better advice here later.

Just a stupid question from me.
Is your prescription food actually on prescription?

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

The word prescription is not right. It's a recommendation. Most vets have this built into their business model and make some extra money off of it.
Often it's the right thing to do depending on your vet. Andy and Marco (non-diabetics) had frequent urinary tract infections and when we switched them to Hills SO the problems stopped. Andy went missing for 88 days and lost almost 1/2 his body weight so he was put on a kitten weight gain formula. There's no prescription needed, I can walk into any vet and buy it.
My problem is with big box stores that make medical claims they're not authorized to make. Weight loss is generally the biggest lie. Most (not all) cats who get overweight, not obese, are going to stay that way. They've been wild animals for a million years and now we keep them inside with nothing to hunt for.
Before there were holistic or grain free foods I had two brothers that ate Safeway Low Ash canned food, basically pig slop in a can. One lived to 17 and the other to 23. Sometimes it's more genetics and good luck than overpriced food.
There is no such thing as a stupid question here, we're all in the same leaky boat.