Whutamigonnado with you, Snickers??

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(((Dre)))

I really feel for you - such a lousy predicament and lack of support ...

Do the vets have email? You could write to them telling them what you want. If that's not possible then I can't see any other way round this other than your taking a day off work, going in to the practice yourself, camping out at their reception and making it clear to them that you're not leaving their premises until you get the information you need.

I am very pleased that Snickers is eating and that she's back home with you.

Sending prayers that you'll find a way to get the answers - and maybe the other vets near you.

:bighug:


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
(((Dre)))

I really feel for you - such a lousy predicament and lack of support ...

Do the vets have email? You could write to them telling them what you want. If that's not possible then I can't see any other way round this other than your taking a day off work, going in to the practice yourself, camping out at their reception and making it clear to them that you're not leaving their premises until you get the information you need.

I am very pleased that Snickers is eating and that she's back home with you.

Sending prayers that you'll find a way to get the answers - and maybe the other vets near you.

:bighug:


Mogs
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Well it's not as bad as all that. They don't voluntarily give out the results and info, but you won't get it without asking either, which my wife always forgets to do. And only if I go in there and ask questions myself, I won't find out anything. It's just she has to go to the vet while I'm at work. I make it a point to tell the vet what kitty is and isn't doing and be sure to check for this and that. My wife basically just drops kitty off and goes home. I know she cares for Snickers, it's just not her forte to ask anything. But that ain't helping things either. It also didn't help when they wouldn't let me see her yesterday. "Doctor says she's doing fine and she'll call you later". Snicky is doing better, thanks for your concern. And I am sorry your kitty went to the bridge. Hoping to meet all of mine there, including my ferals we took care of and lost.
 
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Glad Snickers is home and doing ok, this is all so frustrating and I can't believe that a vet would admit a cat, treat them and fail to give any information on what the problem is and what to look out for at home. Since you are not getting much out of them I would write, a real letter addressed to the senior vet that they can't ignore, requesting copies of all her records and results, you paid for it so you should be entitled to it. Phoning or speaking to the front desk clearly isn't working.

My vet is very different, and nothing seems to be too much trouble for them, I can phone for advice any time (not that I need to very often) and they work in partnership with owners.
 
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Alexi said:
Glad Snickers is home and doing ok, this is all so frustrating and I can't believe that a vet would admit a cat, treat them and fail to give any information on what the problem is and what to look out for at home. Since you are not getting much out of them I would write, a real letter addressed to the senior vet that they can't ignore, requesting copies of all her records and results, you paid for it so you should be entitled to it. Phoning or speaking to the front desk clearly isn't working.

My vet is very different, and nothing seems to be too much trouble for them, I can phone for advice any time (not that I need to very often) and they work in partnership with owners.
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That sounds like my vet. If you have an emergency situation, One of the 2 vets will meet you at their office. I know of several times one of the vets will come to your house to put down a cat, dog or even your horse. I have been going to them since 1983. These are kind loving people that know almost everyone in our small town. If they run into something that needs a specialist, They send them to the local University that has a vet school. I just wish my doctors were as good as these vets.
 
I don't think you need to quit your job. I don't know what you do that doesn't allow you to take an hour once in awhile to take care of something. It's not like your doing it every day. If not I would call in sick if I had to.

I would make an appt with vet for consult,tell them a head of time you want the records so they are ready. Go in talk with them get the records then go back to work.

You are not getting anywhere. You need to take the bull by the horns.
 
Alexi said:
Glad Snickers is home and doing ok, this is all so frustrating and I can't believe that a vet would admit a cat, treat them and fail to give any information on what the problem is and what to look out for at home. Since you are not getting much out of them I would write, a real letter addressed to the senior vet that they can't ignore, requesting copies of all her records and results, you paid for it so you should be entitled to it. Phoning or speaking to the front desk clearly isn't working.

My vet is very different, and nothing seems to be too much trouble for them, I can phone for advice any time (not that I need to very often) and they work in partnership with owners.
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It almost seems like we're troubling them by bringing her in there sick. I guess that's why they told my wife last time, well, we're all out of options for her. Nothing else we can do. But they sure took my $250 though.
 
Woodsywife said:
I don't think you need to quit your job. I don't know what you do that doesn't allow you to take an hour once in awhile to take care of something. It's not like your doing it every day. If not I would call in sick if I had to.

I would make an appt with vet for consult,tell them a head of time you want the records so they are ready. Go in talk with them get the records then go back to work.

You are not getting anywhere. You need to take the bull by the horns.
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Well in my job I just can't take off at a moments notice, and when kitty gets sick, we don't waste any time getting her to the vet. My wife works part time so it falls on her to do the heavy lifting.
 
My buddy and his wife clean their office a few times a week. They also use them for care of their St. Bernards. They can't say enough good things about them. Maybe they care more for dogs and horses than kitties?
 
Here's Snicky resting comfortably at lunchtime today. She seems to be doing good but I keep a sharp eye on her habits.
20160926_122200.jpg
 
So glad to see Snickers at home and comfortable. She look very similar to one of my special heart kitties, Buzzie, who passed away almost 17 years ago. :bighug:
 
We've sure had our ups and downs with her. I put her blanket on the floor for her, it used to be in her corner of the couch but she doesn't jump up anymore.
 
Glad to hear Snickers is at home and doing better, Dre. Lovely picture.

DreMeister said:
I put her blanket on the floor for her, it used to be in her corner of the couch but she doesn't jump up anymore.
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Might be neuropathy or discomfort. B12 methylcobalamin (e.g. Zobaline) would help with the former and IIRC Cosequin can help with joint issues (also omega 3 supplementation - Moxxor do very small capsules).

:bighug:


Mogs
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Well Snickers had a traumatic few days. My step-daughter came down along with her 1 1/2 old son. My cat does not like anything out of the ordinary, she is not a "kid friendly" cat. We put her stuff in our bedroom, but she spent most of the time hiding under the bed. She wouldn't come out to eat much either. Hard to give her shots that way, plus she needs to eat more than she does because she's still losing weight. The visitors left today, and she's cautiously coming out again. She wants to make sure the little two-legged tornado is gone. She has eaten a little more though. I don't like her being upset, but I guess I can't ban people from coming over.
 
She is doing better this morning. It compounds things because she is sick. Little grandson doesn't realize why kitty runs from him. She actually didn't wake us up at all last night. She's not eating a whole lot right yet, but at least she's eating. The other day she did something I've never heard before, she was laying on her blanket in the bedroom and purring so loud I could hear her in the kitchen. I checked on her, she just laid there purring very loudly. Ever heard of that? On a side note, I got my little grey & white feral kitty to roll over so I could pet her belly. She purrs like a diesel! I would like to get her tame so I can get her fixed and bring her into the house eventually. I wanted to get a pic of her this morning to show here but she ate and took off before I could get her. She'll be back at lunch time for some lunch meat.
 
DreMeister said:
The other day she did something I've never heard before, she was laying on her blanket in the bedroom and purring so loud I could hear her in the kitchen. I checked on her, she just laid there purring very loudly.
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By and large cats purr for two reasons:

1. when relaxed and content.

2. to self-comfort when something's up.

Any other odd clinical signs or anything unusual going on that day, Dre?

Sending scritches for Snickers and :bighug::bighug: for her kitty poppa.


Mogs
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This was not a relaxed purr. I had heard when they don't feel good they purr like that. I haven't noticed anything other than her water intake is lower than what it was but then she was suckin' water like a well pump. She hasn't purred like it since Thursday when I heard it. She's still recuperating from the grandson's visit. Here's a pic I just took of my feral, Little Grey II, with Momma coming into view. I was getting ready to feed them lunch meat.
little grey II.jpg
 
Also I'm not happy with the syringes we get at the vet. They keep changing them and the new ones have a slimmer and longer needle, I have bent 5 of them trying to give her insulin. Of course then I hafta throw it away, with expensive Lantus trapped inside. Where can I get some good ones at?
 
DreMeister said:
I have bent 5 of them trying to give her insulin
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There was a thread on here a while back discussing duff batches of needles where the point is blunt.

I suggest you post a thread on Health asking for suggestions about good syringes. (I'm in the UK and I use BD Microfine U100 0.3ml Demi syringes. Short, pretty consistently sharp needles but you need to check the syringe markings carefully because sometimes they can be w-a-y off.)

Have you checked ketones for Snickers? I know you've got issues with BG testing for her. If you're not already doing so I'd start measuring the amount of water you put down every day so that you'll get to spot any overall trends in consumption for the brood (not ideal but better than nowt), and keep a regular check on Snickers' hydration levels.

ETA - to be on the safe side I'd recommend doing a full home urinalysis just in case the recent stress might trigger any urinary tract problems (e.g. stress-induced cystitis).

Did you ever get the hard copies of the test results? I reckon you might be wise to give that another go.

:bighug:


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
There was a thread on here a while back discussing duff batches of needles where the point is blunt.

I suggest you post a thread on Health asking for suggestions about good syringes. (I'm in the UK and I use BD Microfine U100 0.3ml Demi syringes. Short, pretty consistently sharp needles but you need to check the syringe markings carefully because sometimes they can be w-a-y off.)

Have you checked ketones for Snickers? I know you've got issues with BG testing for her. If you're not already doing so I'd start measuring the amount of water you put down every day so that you'll get to spot any overall trends in consumption for the brood (not ideal but better than nowt), and keep a regular check on Snickers' hydration levels.

ETA - to be on the safe side I'd recommend doing a full home urinalysis just in case the recent stress might trigger any urinary tract problems (e.g. stress-induced cystitis).

Did you ever get the hard copies of the test results? I reckon you might be wise to give that another go.

:bighug:


Mogs
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I have not gotten the test results yet. I need to do that this week. Last time we had her in there they said there was no ketones. They said ketones would make her lose appetite and throw up. I have strips here but need to either catch her peeing or use the gravel everyone talks about. I tried to stick one there when I had a rare opportunity to see her peeing, but she sat on it and pushed it into the litter, so it had litter and crud stuck to it rendering it useless. Snicky thanks you for the skritches.
 
DreMeister said:
Last time we had her in there they said there was no ketones.
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On that day.

Ketones can appear at any time. And build up very quickly. Snickers has a history of DKA and is therefore much more vulnerable to throwing ketones. It really is something you need to test for daily, Dre - doubly so because you've not been able to get Snickers to accept home BG testing and you have no idea of how high her blood glucose levels are. She's sick, her BG status is unknown. She's a ketone kitty. You need to test to protect her.

They said ketones would make her lose appetite and throw up.
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I despair of your vets.

Ketones may be present for a bit of time before a cat starts showing clinical signs of ketosis/DKA. Daily urine testing (especially when a kitty's off colour) increases the chances of detecting the build-up of ketones as early as possible and getting immediate treatment to flush them out of the system before the cat gets really sick.

Try isolating Snickers with her litter box for a while and put some plastic wrap over the litter in one of her 'favoured' spots in the box until you get a sample. The plastic wrap should catch enough urine for you to be able to run a ketone test. Some members here use a long-handled spoon to catch a sample when the cat is peeing. If you use urinalysis strips that include tests for both glucose and ketones it would also give you some bit of a better idea of Snickers' glucose regulation status.


Mogs
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I honestly think my wife is stressing our kitty out! She does fine with me when it's just us here. My wife has yelled at her trying to get her to eat. I told her, don't yell at her, she doesn't understand what you're saying. She will eat when she wants to. My wife worked tonite, kitty was here with me, I fed her, she ate, I gave her shot, she ate some more, and now she's sleeping. I'll find out this weekend, my wife will be out of town for 4 days. In the past when my wife was gone for a few days, Snicky gets energetic, does thing she hasn't done in a while, eats good, and doesn't wake me up at night or throw a fit when I inject her. It does sound like my wife's antics are stressing Snicky out. I know this can't be good for her delicate health. Hell it's stressing me out too!!!
 
I'll see this weekend how she acts with just me here. On a side note, I noticed her pooping today, it's not diarrhea, but it's not hard either, and it looks like toothpaste coming out, and mustard yellowish instead of brown. Any clues as to what's causing this?
 
The poorly-formed, yellowy poop could be indicative of a GI issue (e.g. bacterial infection), liver issue, or pancreatitis. Vet exam and stool sample analysis is needed as soon as possible.

Is the poop whiffy? If whiffy, how whiffy?

Does it look any way marshmallowy?

Have you fed a different brand of food lately?

Have you started feeding a new batch of Snickers' regular food?

Does Snickers eat Friskies food? (There has been a report of a bad batch here over the last few days.)


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
Article on poop colour:

http://www.medicinenet.com/stool_color_changes/article.htm


Mogs
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How are you? Hope this evening find you good. Well I got a closer look at her poop, it's not poofy, it's got about the same consistency of toothpaste and comes out like that. It is also light brown, not yellowy like I first thought. We haven't really changed food, but when she won't eat I give her whatever she will eat, not always good for her. She's doing good since mama is away. Last nite I slept on the couch, and woke up when she was climbing back down the arm after sitting there looking out the window. She only does that when my wife isn't here. She's been somewhat subdued, but she is eating and right now waiting for me to cut up some boiled chicken I just made. I do think my wife gets Snicky's nerves edgy. Yesterday when she was leaving, she told me as soon as kitty heard the garage door opening, she fired off under the bed, thinking she was going to the vet! Even if my wife babys her, I still think she's edgy because my wife is just here. Guess I better kick my wife out.
 
DreMeister said:
What's that?
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I think she meant to say Feliway ;)

"
What is Feliway for cats?
When a cat feels safe in its environment, it will rub its head against furniture, walls or the bottom of the curtains, leaving substances called facial pheromones. Feliway is a synthetic copy of this pheromone and is proven to reassure and comfort cats, helping them to cope with changes in their environment.'
 
Well, my wife called this morning to see how Snicky was doing. I said, just fine. She's eating good, she's upstairs now on the bed sleeping, and Friday night she was up on the couch looking outside. She said, "well she doesn't do that when I'm there!" I said maybe that should tell you something. You're driving her nuts and stressing her out. I just take my time with her and don't hound her to eat when she doesn't want to. She's content right now. She said maybe she should stay gone, I said not with MY car you ain't!
 
Tuxedo Mom said:
I think she meant to say Feliway ;)

"
What is Feliway for cats?
When a cat feels safe in its environment, it will rub its head against furniture, walls or the bottom of the curtains, leaving substances called facial pheromones. Feliway is a synthetic copy of this pheromone and is proven to reassure and comfort cats, helping them to cope with changes in their environment.'
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I see. She doesn't rub much anymore, but does to my hand when I pat her head. My outdoor ferals do that too, they rub my hand when I bend down to pet them.
 
Critter Mom said:
Given that it's the missus that takes Snickers to the vets I guess that might very well make Snickers' think of her as 'bad cop'.
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Ahhh, very interesting observation, Mogs. Especially with how much Snick has been going to the vet lately, that association could clearly be an issue, especially since it sounds like Mama is stressed out at the vet too (?).

Since Dad can't go to the vet with Snickers, how to help break that cycle? Feliway sprayed in the carrier first, then...extra low carb treats and praise from Mom upon returning hone?
 
Yeah, I've heard from my wife before when she has to take Snicky to the vet.....How come I always have to do it!! I say, maybe it's because you work about 15 hrs a week scattered over 3 days, yeah, I'd say you have more time than I do. As soon as my wife starts closing doors so she can't run and hide, she starts howling profusely. Even when she was at a low point, hiding, not eating or drinking anything, and I thought she was a goner, she still put up a helluva fight when we put her in the carrier!
 
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