Horatio is at the vet

Well, I had a feeling we had been way too lucky for waay too long. It wasn't difficult to get Horatio into the pet taxi today. He was actually in the pet taxi when I went downstairs, but of course came out to be pet. I put my favorite shirt of his in there and some cat nip, he went into investigate and I shut the door. He was OK for a minute, but once the taxi started moving, he was back to that tormented cry of his. He would cry for a little bit, we'd talk to him and he'd quiet down. Poor thing was shaking like a leaf. At the vet's office, the young vet tech came in to try to weigh him and such, he wouldn't come out of the taxi. When he did, he cried and climbed the walls until he found the sink and sat there and continued crying. Another vet tech came in, big gloves and a towel, they just threw the towel over him and carried him to the lab. 10 minutes of hearing him cry from the other room and the vet going, "It's OK, it's OK..." The vet came back to the room and told me there is no way anybody's touching him today and she doesn't want to risk the staff's health etc. I understand that. She said she usually doesn't like to neuter before a physical exam but if I wanted to we could bring him back tomorrow for a neuter. I begged and said it would be a lot easier if we didn't have to repeat this ordeal all over again and if there is any way they can get him in today, I'd be grateful. The doctor was really nice, she said she'll make a special case exception and get him in today. They will use a "gas box" to put him under and when they do, they'll do all the testing and shots before they neuter. She said she does not want him to spend the night there and I said I didn't want him to either. So, we will call at 5 p.m. to see if he'll be ready for pick up at 5:30. I feel so terrible for scaring him like this. I just want to cry. I hope to God his poor little kitty heart doesn't give out from terror or the "gas box" which to me sounds like a torture chamber.
Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers this afternoon.

The "gas box" is not so horrible. In fact, it could be the very best thing for him. Think of it like this. They put him into a sealed cage. He's not being held down or handled or forced to do anything. He is just sitting in this box. then they take a measured amount of gas, like what you get in the mask at the dentist's office, and pump it into the box. He doesn't even realize he's being sedated. He's sitting there, and then he's getting relaxed and sleepy and then he' out. It will be ok, hunny.

This is the least stressful way for them to initially sedate him, both for him and for the handlers. Let us know what they say when you cal, and how he's doing after pick up.

He will be fine and will be happy to be back at home with you. I am so glad your vet let you leave him there, imagine trying to get him back into a carrier tomorrow. Getting him neutered and getting his shots, he is off to a good start for his new life with you.

I had to have this done for a feral that needed surgery, so I know the agony you feel.

I'm so sorry it didn't go smoothly, but please don't fret over the gas box. I have a 13 year old that still has to be sedated in the gas box every time he goes to the vet - they can't do a proper exam without the sedation. They usually ask me to put him in it and I've watched the procedure many times. The first time I saw it, I too was horrified as if I was putting him in a gas chamber, but it was really OK. Eightball fights for a bit to get out of the box then the gas starts to work and he falls asleep. It doesn't take but a minute. When he wakes up he's so relieved to see me that he doesn't relate me to what he's gone thru.

He'll be VERY groggy when you bring him home later today. If there is anything you don't want him to jump on in your basement, see if you can barricade it for tonight as you don't want him to try to jump on top of things. Don't be surprised if you see him stagger walk when you bring him home.

You've just done the best thing this boy has had done to him in his entire life.

Our now very socialized Billy kitty wails like we're killing him any time we crate him to take him to the vet. So many kitties do. It's what cats do best - hit that pitch that plays our heartstrings!

I'm sure all went well. for a quick recovery!

FYI - all of our kitties get very, very lovey while under the influence of the anesthesia and pain killers or whatever it is when they come home. They're always just so relieved to be out of the vet office! And as Amy pointed out, they're often very wobbly.

I hope everything is ok for Horatio when you hear back from the vet!!! We had some weebles and wobbles when we brought home Hercules and GiGi from being spayed and neutered but all was well after a couple hours and they quickly went back to their normal cat-titudes!!!!

Good news everyone! Horatio checked out negative for FIV and feline leukemia! He did have fleas, ear mites and tapeworm, so got treated for all of that, plus got a courtesy bath:-) They also vaccinated him for rabies and distemper/FVRCP. We were sent home with a tablet and a half of Drontal, which they said to try to force feed over the next 24 hours... Not looking forward to that at all, any tips would be appreciated on that. He looked groggy on the way home, but darted out of the pet taxi immediately downstairs. I'm putting all of his bedding in for a hot wash in the laundry again, because they said they only gave him the adult flea medication (something called Capstar) so I'm going to try to kill the eggs if any in the bedding. We will have to get Frontline for everyone later this week, but they were out this evening.
All things considered, you guys were right, sedating him in the gas box was probably the best way to go, but I thought he might die and the thought of accidentally killing him while trying to save his life was miserable.
But he's OK, looks very clean, more beautiful than ever. I will go down there and start reading a book -- The Little Prince comes to mind.
The worst is over right?

The worst is over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any medication for fleas, ticks, internal parasites, whatever only kills the adults. And because it's possible there are fleas now in the basement, using the Frontline is basically imperative, though that should do the trick now that the capstar has gotten the worst of it. (And, of course, washing the bedding and the t-shirt - you'll have to sweat up another one for him!).

The drontal is for the tapeworm. Tomorrow stop at a pet store and get PILL POCKETS!!!! Here is what they are: http://www.amazon.com/Pill-Pockets-C.../dp/B00061MVT6 I'm surprised the vet didn't carry them! All the vets around here sell stuff like that. There is the rare cat for whom these don't work, but it is sure worth the try, because when you're new at pilling, it's not fun.

The way we do it, if you have to resort to this is as follows:

When kitty is eating, drop down on the floor behind him, on your knees, butt on your heels, feet together, knees out in a "V." When you go to pill a cat, they naturally back up. This gives them no where to go. I'm a righty, so I describe it from that perspective. I hold the pill in my right hand between thumb and forefinger. I hold the cat head firmly in my left hand, and I put my left index finger at the back of the mouth and push - the mouth opens, I take pill (that is in right hand), push it in through the opening (but at the back of the mouth - I'm half way there already), and push the pill over the hump in the tongue. You can stand up and let go.

Your finger might have gotten a little chomped, but not hard enough to break the skin. You may want to practice the motions, because the faster you do it, the easier it is. Just be confident, and it's scarier than it turns out to be.

Very good news. And whether you believe it or not, he knows you are doing this for his own good.

No need to force feed the Drontal. Crush is and sprinkle sparingly on something wet and stinky - mackeral tuna, herring. Anything he really loves. Use just a bit though, not a full serving. You don't want him leaving any of the food on the plate.

Washing all the clothes is a good idea, too. If he can stand it, vaccuum the basement, too. It will pick up whatever little vermin may be on the floor...

Well done getting him and and done today. He may not know you are his Hero, but you Are!

Aww hurray for Horatio! Im so glad that the worst for him is tape worms fleas and ear mites!!! And hes so fresh and so clean!!! Good luck on the pills though. I only ever had to give liquid meds and I just mixed it in wet food and fed it....

Originally Posted by LDG

The worst is over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The way we do it, if you have to resort to this is as follows:

When kitty is eating, drop down on the floor behind him, on your knees, butt on your heels, feet together, knees out in a "V." When you go to pill a cat, they naturally back up. This gives them no where to go. I'm a righty, so I describe it from that perspective. I hold the pill in my right hand between thumb and forefinger. I hold the cat head firmly in my left hand, and I put my left index finger at the back of the mouth and push - the mouth opens, I take pill (that is in right hand), push it in through the opening (but at the back of the mouth - I'm half way there already), and push the pill over the hump in the tongue. You can stand up and let go.

Click to expand...

I use this technique with my cats and I have done feral cats this way. The only thing that I will add is to the sentence that I bolded above - my thumb is on the opposite of the mouth from the index finger, and I use both by finger and thumb to open their mouths. Your thighs hold him from wiggling out left or right.

If he doesn't fall for pill pockets (and mine don't do that), nor crushing the tablet in stinky food (I have some that don't fall for that also), and you have to resort to pilling him directly, ask your vet for a pill gun. It's sort of like a rubber plunger where you insert the pill into the end and push the top of it to squirt it in their mouths. You save fingers that way.

This is wonderful news and yes, the worst is over!! Imagine that a week ago he was outside, now he is getting used to life indoors, has been neutered, got a good vet check, and now will adjust wonderfully to his new home. You have done such a great job with him!

Ahhh, bringing back memories of doing this to my feral...
Yes, the worst is over! Good job!!

My mama cat was true feral and she was very fierce. So, I bought welder's leather glove and I always wore thick fleece and layers under it.
I got scratched and bitten, but never serious.
I ruined few of my favorite shirts this way though...

You kitty will come to trust you and you will get used of this also. Both factors will make everything easier.

How is he doing today?

We were all so worn out yesterday, I didn't get the chance to post an update. Last night, I was pretty worried about Horatio, as the minute let him go out of the pet taxi, he ran and hid in the basement. I thought, oh, boy, here goes all the trust we've built. But as I read your posts about how loving cats get under the influence, I kept checking on him, reading aloud periodically. Finally, right before midnight he came out. His meow was much quieter, but he wasn't complaining at all. He let me pet him for about 45 minutes. I checked on his surgical area, he looked pretty sore. He was not interested in food at all, so I decided to wait until today for the Drontal feeding. This morning, my hubby fed him a pretty small breakfast and I brought him a can of tuna this evening. Somehow, after all that Horatio had been through yesterday, I didn't feel like we should force-feed the tablets. I crushed it all up, put it in with 1/3 of a can of tuna and took it downstairs. He ate about half of it so far. I am not giving him any more dry food tonight, so hopefully he'll finish the rest. Here's a question, though, do they base the dosage on the cat's weight? I called the vet today to see if they got a weight and age on him during the exam. They said he was about 2 years old, which I thought so, too. But on the weight, they said they weighed him in the taxi, it totaled 20 pounds. Without Horatio, they claimed the taxi was 9.8 lbs. I can guarantee you this cat is not 10.2 lbs. with his hair wet. I'm not trying to make excuses for him eating only half of the Drontal-laced tuna, but what if they did prescribe too much? Wouldn't that be bad? They gave him a tablet and a half, is this usual?
Overall, he is doing amazingly well. My hubby tried to spend some time with him earlier today and said Horatio wouldn't come to him, but this evening when we went down together, Horatio kept asking for pets from both of us. I left the two guys alone for a while and my husband said Horatio didn't want him to leave He loves us! We love him. He is our little angel.

I just absolutely love stories like this! He is such a lucky guy!

I am sorry I don't have any advice about the dosage, but if you are concerned, I would just call the vet again.

After a bit of Internet research, I confirmed my suspicion. The dosage for Drontal is one tablet for a cat that weighs 4-8 lbs. 1 1/2 tablet for a cat that weighs between 8-12 lbs. Horatio is not over 8lbs., as someone who carried him from our porch to the basement, I'm sure of this. I looked up side effects for overdose, they said salivation, vomiting & diarrhea. I thought Horatio was salivating a bit when we pet him earlier tonight. Hubby says don't worry about it. I just think that diarrhea would be too much for a poor little cat who's healing from neutering. But I guess I'll check the litter box in the morning. I will also call the vet in the morning. It's just a little frustrating, because we didn't get to talk to the actual vet when we picked him up. My research also confirms that our other two indoor cats could get tapeworms if they ingested the fleas... Frontline is imperative, for sure, for everyone's health! So much to do, so little time & resources. I just want to make sure all my furry friends are safe from disease and overdose side effects...

I was panicking too much last night, but feel better today after getting Dr. Linda on the phone. Horatio never finished the tuna overnight and didn't have any more symptoms of possible overdose. He probably ate maybe half of the dosage. Dr. Linda said just keep an eye on the litter box. She said if we are unsure, we can always bring another stool sample in in two weeks and have it tested. It's amazing how much calmer one feels after talking to the vet for 15 minutes. As far as the healing process from neutering, she said Horatio should be fine now. So, we will be ready for socializing once everyone gets Frontline. Horatio is still being his sweet self. As soon as I can I will get pictures to post here, so you can see his pretty, loving face, too.

Glad to hear that things are going well for you.

Of all the internal parasites, tapeworms, IMO, are the least worrisome to me in terms of ill effects on their well being (e.g. there are a lot worse parasites to worry about). Tapeworms are also very easy to diagnose without a stool sample, as more often than not, you'll see them in the litter or you'll see them exiting your cats body. I've not had a cat get ill from Drontal and there are some of mine that have to take 2 tablets. We live in flea country, and even with Frontline type products, pets are prone to get tapeworms here. All of mine need to be dosed during bad flea years (hopefully all this freezing over the winter will give us a year off from fleas).

I'd love to see a picture of him!