The "DO NOT USE" Drugs List at the vet's office, what's yours?

Meeko got very sick from the shot so we had to stop them.
We even tried the shot with allergy meds hoping she would not get sick but she got very sick again.
So we had to stop them
I wonder if the Purvax would be ok for Meeko since nothing is added to it
Both my sphynx get those shots.

Regarding the Convenia shot, I just don't like the way my girls respond to it. They sleep for about a week and half almost continuously, and to me, that's more stressful than them being sick! It's so unnatural! I would much rather give them meds everyday for 2 weeks than have to deal with a sluggish, drunk-like cat. Besides that, I haven't had good results medically with them. As a previous poster mentioned, they didn't seem to work except putting them into a sleep induced almost coma!

As for the steroids and the vaccine, every single time Hannah's had the FVRCP shot, she's come down with a massive URI. The last one lasted almost a year and she developed a secondary pseudomonas infection that could have killed her! Since her herpes manifests itself as the "R" part of the shot, I refuse to have her vaccinated for that again. If I could get the shot without the "R", I'd do it.

Steroids cause the herpes virus to replicate and can cause major flare ups. We've been down that road before, too. Thanks, but no.

Originally Posted by stephanietx

Regarding the Convenia shot, I just don't like the way my girls respond to it. They sleep for about a week and half almost continuously, and to me, that's more stressful than them being sick! It's so unnatural! I would much rather give them meds everyday for 2 weeks than have to deal with a sluggish, drunk-like cat. Besides that, I haven't had good results medically with them. As a previous poster mentioned, they didn't seem to work except putting them into a sleep induced almost coma!

As for the steroids and the vaccine, every single time Hannah's had the FVRCP shot, she's come down with a massive URI. The last one lasted almost a year and she developed a secondary pseudomonas infection that could have killed her! Since her herpes manifests itself as the "R" part of the shot, I refuse to have her vaccinated for that again. If I could get the shot without the "R", I'd do it.

Steroids cause the herpes virus to replicate and can cause major flare ups. We've been down that road before, too. Thanks, but no.

Click to expand...

Ok... I guess each cat reacts differently... Bugsy has had both, no problems with either one. I hate steroids due to other side effects, but not due to Herpes...
Anyways, Thanks!

I have had fights here with two vets regarding Metacam. The attitude is - Oh but it is the cat version, it's OK. I was able eventually to get my own vet to agree after showing him several research papers, but the Shelter vet dismissed me altogether. And Bonaparte has an allergy to Revolution - I can only use Frontline on him, so I tell the vet at each annual exam.

For my girls, no Metacam or Ketamine. Also adjuvent free rabies shots only (I used to avoid rabies shots altogether, but there has been such an increase in rabies in my area, I can no longer do that.) For Cleo, I have to be extra careful with Flagyl (metronidazole) as her liver function tests go practically off the charts....but it's the best thing we've found to treat her IBD issues. We test her liver function before, during and after Flagyl, to keep an eye on her, and we use Denosyl to help maintain/regain healthy liver function once she's done.

If any of my cats need anesthesia, I would be very happy to pay more to have them use Sevoflurane (anesthetic inhalation agent) which is slightly more kidney friendly than Isoflurane (I would prefer Desflurane even more, but very few vets have the heated/pressurized vaporizer anesthesia machine needed to administer it.) I would request Propofol as an induction agent, instead of Ketamine, because it works faster, and is much more kidney friendly. And I would request constant blood pressure monitoring and IV access during the entire procedure, to prevent hypotension, and further kidney damage.

When Wrinkles was altered a few weeks ago I gave the vet a list of meds not to use.
I paid almost $400 hundred for the surgery.
It was worth it.
Wrinkles is a sphynx and they are sensative to alot of meds.
I had the blood tests done before the surgery.
The vet also monitors everything and uses I.V.s.
Induction was with Propoful and some other meds.
The gas was Isoflurine.
You may think I am crazy but I would never use a clinic or a pound to alter my cats.
I rather be safe then sorry.
The pound and clinics here do not monitor the pets and use the cheapest stuff they can use.
You get what you pay for.

Oh my, I ahd no idea that Metacam was dangerous, Fudge was gven it after she had her leg amputated. Thankfully she is ok but its awful that you can't even trust your own vet. Thankyou for making me more aware. x

Originally Posted by mews2much

When Wrinkles was altered a few weeks ago I gave the vet a list of meds not to use.
I paid almost $400 hundred for the surgery.
It was worth it.
Wrinkles is a sphynx and they are sensative to alot of meds.
I had the blood tests done before the surgery.
The vet also monitors everything and uses I.V.s.
Induction was with Propoful and some other meds.
The gas was Isoflurine.
You may think I am crazy but I would never use a clinic or a pound to alter my cats.
I rather be safe then sorry.
The pound and clinics here do not monitor the pets and use the cheapest stuff they can use.
You get what you pay for.

Click to expand...

The only problem with that is if you adopt a shelter or pound animal and they WONT release them w/o being altered... you are at their mercy and at the mercy of the vet's competency... been a problem here with the AC we're trying to improve. Not the drugs used, but the shoddy "workmanship" on the spays especially.

Can I ask what the problem is with Ketamine? Mine have not had surgery (since they were neutered) but I would like to know in case they need something in the future.

I've heard about the Metacam problems and that is on my do not use list, but would like to know about Ketamine if I need to add that. Do most vets use it as first choice?

Ketamine has been around a long time, and most vets are familiar with it's use. It's relatively inexpensive to use, and most vets are aware of it's benefits and risks. Propofol has been around for about 20 years in human anesthesia medicine. I don't know when it was introduced to the veterinary community for anesthesia induction. It is quite a bit more expensive than Ketamine (at least in the O.R. where I work, so I am assuming it must be more expensive in a veterinary practice.)

I prefer to not use Ketamine because it can cause a significant increase of bloodpressure, elevated heart rate and respiratory depression. CRF cats often have elevated blood pressure to begin with, and Cleo also has a heart murmur. Ketamine is also contraindicated in pets with liver disease, and kidney disease. It is metabolized slowly, so it has a prolonged action. It can also cause seizures. I would prefer something much faster acting, much shorter acting, more kidney friendly, and causes so many fewer side effects, such as Propofol.

http://www.petplace.com/drug-library...ket/page1.aspx

http://cats.about.com/cs/anesthesia/...standing_2.htm

My vet does not use Ketamine. However, I'm going to add it to my 'Do Not Use' list. The vet staff already thinks I'm nuts because I won't allow them to give them Metacam, steroids, grains, and I feed partially raw.

Tolly has a very serious herpes viral infection that is controlled with l-lysine.

He is not on a grain free diet, he does very poorly on grain free, with weight loss that he can ill afford, and dull coat. Eating foods with barley and rice does not cause him to have herpes flare ups, nor did the three year RCCP shot. He no longer gets it, because it makes him sick in another way, he becomes lethargic and won't eat for two days after, and vet and I feel he no longer needs the shot.

The stress of going to the vet can bring on a herpes flare up with a cat so prone, I'm not convinced the vaccine can cause a flare up, but can't swear to it, just because it doesn't cause a flare up in Tolly doesn't mean other cats are not sensitive to it in that way.

Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

Ketamine has been around a long time, and most vets are familiar with it's use. It's relatively inexpensive to use, and most vets are aware of it's benefits and risks. Propofol has been around for about 20 years in human anesthesia medicine. I don't know when it was introduced to the veterinary community for anesthesia induction. It is quite a bit more expensive than Ketamine (at least in the O.R. where I work, so I am assuming it must be more expensive in a veterinary practice.)

I prefer to not use Ketamine because it can cause a significant increase of bloodpressure, elevated heart rate and respiratory depression. CRF cats often have elevated blood pressure to begin with, and Cleo also has a heart murmur. Ketamine is also contraindicated in pets with liver disease, and kidney disease. It is metabolized slowly, so it has a prolonged action. It can also cause seizures. I would prefer something much faster acting, much shorter acting, more kidney friendly, and causes so many fewer side effects, such as Propofol.

http://www.petplace.com/drug-library...ket/page1.aspx

http://cats.about.com/cs/anesthesia/...standing_2.htm

Click to expand...

Because of it's effects on blood pressure and heart rate, Ketamine can also cause heart failure and even instant death in cats with cardiomyopathy. And since there are so many cats out there with undiagnosed heart conditions, like HCM, it's just not a risk I'm willing to take - especially with so many safer options available.

Originally Posted by BrookeSphynx

Because of it's effects on blood pressure and heart rate, Ketamine can also cause heart failure and even instant death in cats with cardiomyopathy. And since there are so many cats out there with undiagnosed heart conditions, like HCM, it's just not a risk I'm willing to take - especially with so many safer options available.

Click to expand...

Thank you both for explaining about ketamine. I will definitely add it to my Do Not Use list.

I think I'm going to add the Convenia, long acting antibiotic shot, to my do not use list for my cats. I read recently that cats allergic to penicillin should not have Convenia.

Since none of my cats can tolerate clavamox, (which is penicillin) that would mean they should not have the shot.

Originally Posted by AlleyGirl

Can I ask what the problem is with Ketamine? Mine have not had surgery (since they were neutered) but I would like to know in case they need something in the future.

I've heard about the Metacam problems and that is on my do not use list, but would like to know about Ketamine if I need to add that. Do most vets use it as first choice?

Click to expand...

My first abyssinian died from Ketamine reaction. He was 5 years old. He did not die right away and was going in and out of a coma for days. When it first happened he was rushed back to the vet and kept under constant treatment for the last days of his life. The last day I visited him he was acting really strange and he didn't know it was me. Tommy passed away that night and that was one of the hardest deaths I have had to deal with. It happened 6 years ago and I still cry when I think about him. From now on if any of my cats have to have anesthetic I only allow ISO.

Originally Posted by AlleyGirl

Can I ask what the problem is with Ketamine?

Click to expand...

Thanks to this board I advised my vet to use an alternative anesthesia for ketamine when we had Gizmo neutered. We did use isoflurane and had no problems whatsoever. Here is an article about a recall of ketamine:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...scol011310.DTL