Vet says "put him down;" Need your advice

Oh my goodness, what a scare this must have been! Thankfully it's over, and Charlie is doing well!

This vet really scares me...such a shady diagnosis and odd care tactics puts up a big red flag! For a cat to be diagnosed with "possible rabies", and allowed to return home where if he could be rabid and infect family/ other pets is very scary, and I'm so suprised to hear this! In my opinion, I would contact your state's veterinary board and report this. I understand vets can make mistakes, but the way your conversations sounded with her make me nervous, and if she was suspecting rabies and was unsure, I'm suprised she didn't send the cat to a refferal clinic, or emerg, etc to get a proper diagnosis!

Thank god this is all over now, and I'm very happy to hear you'll be moving on to a new vet! Hopefully blood work and other diagnostics can help confirm whats wrong with Charlie!

All the best, and thank you for holding back on euth. There are times when you know it's the right decision, and other times when you have to think with both your head and your heart.

Hi Jim,

As another Boston member of CatSite.com, I am anxious to know who your vet was. Can you please send me a private message whenever you have a moment?

We don't have a lot of rabies in Boston, as you know, so I'm stunned that your vet would make that assumption so confidently. I was stunned by your story in the first place — and then to see that you're in my neck of the woods...

I'm really glad Charlie is in your capable hands and was saved from that vet's "expertise."

I am so glad you got extra info and are looking for a new vet, and most of all that your kitty is doing well Keep us updated and show us a picture of him soon!

I know the vet's name.

It's "Clueless in Boston."

I'm angry that a vet would take such a cavalier attitude toward such a terrible disease, and even more so that they would take such an off-hand attitude toward a cat that someone obviously loved.

I have had a cat with Feline Vestibular Symdrome. He was almost walking on his front feet with his butt in the air.

It did clear up. The symptoms can be bizzare.

Wonderful news he is doing well.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

I know the vet's name.

It's "Clueless in Boston."

I'm angry that a vet would take such a cavalier attitude toward such a terrible disease, and even more so that they would take such an off-hand attitude toward a cat that someone obviously loved.

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Thank you for expressing my feelings so accurately.

Originally Posted by farleyv

I have had a cat with Feline Vestibular Symdrome. He was almost walking on his front feet with his butt in the air.

It did clear up. The symptoms can be bizzare.

Wonderful news he is doing well.

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Hi! When you say it cleared up, do you mean he stopped having the dizzy episodes? How many episodes did he have? It's really a horrible experience if you don't know what's happening. I thought he was dying.

Thank goodness Charlie is ok! I'm pleased your going to go to another vet as well.

Now we need to see a picture of the handsome Charlie?!

Originally Posted by jim2006

Just spoke with the vet. It was like pulling teeth, but I finally got her to say that she thinks it's unlikely that Charlie has rabies. THANK GOD! And why did they have to bring me so close to making a decision to ethanize him? So here's the lesson, folks. When your animal becomes suddenly ill and you're forced with a decision to euthanize, WAIT!

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When I was a teen, my first cat was hit by a car, had a dozen injuries or so, broken bones. They said surgery would help him, but it would by nicer to put him down, and cheaper. Like money is more important. My mom couldn't really afford it, so we went around to our friends for help, and a charitable organization paid for his surgery.

He recovered fully after that, with only a slight limp, and lived another good 8 years with us before we had to part ways (we had to give him to another family when my mom was hospitalized, and he had a happy life with them.)

Always err on the side of life. That is my belief.

Warning - these pics were taken with an el cheapo camera. It doesn't even have a view finder.



Every time he heard the camera click, he mistook it for the laser pointer, which makes a similar sound, and looked to the floor for the light.





He loves to sit on my desk because that's where I spend a lot of my time. I manage to work around him somehow.





His second most favorite spot is the window.



Here you can see where the vet opened him up to clean his abscess.

He may not be the best looking cat you ever saw, but he's very loving, real perky, and I think he's pretty smart, too.

Awww....Charlie is beautiful! He looks so sweet! And just look at those Mighty Ears!

You rescued him as a stray, you said, right?

Mine know the sound of the laser too. I only have to touch it.

Your Charlie is a handsome fellow, all right! Gentle head skritches to your boy.

Not the best looking? Are you kidding? He's a bee-yoo-tee-ful boy!!

Glad he is on the road to recovery and you have ditched that vet!

Charlie is a gorgeous boy im glad to read hes on the mend

Originally Posted by otto

Awww....Charlie is beautiful! He looks so sweet! And just look at those Mighty Ears!

You rescued him as a stray, you said, right?

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I'll tell you the story of that. I heard him crying in the middle of the night in the dead of winter. The cry was plaintive, so I went looking. You know how some cats will ask for help and then run away when you approach. That was Charlie. Makes me think maybe he was born feral. Anyway, two weeks later, I'm walking down the hall in my apartment building, I turn the corner, and he's sitting at someone's door begging to be let in. I knock on the door but they don't know anything about him. They say he was put out by someone else down the hall, so I go knock on their door. They didn't know anything about him. Now, I've only had one pet my whole life, another cat. His name was Peter. (I know, Peter? I wanted to give him a name that made him more human than feline.) He lived to be 19. When he died - of old age, I bought him a stone and a plot. And I balled - real hard. That was 17 years ago. I didn't want the responsibility of another pet because they're like children - you can't throw them away if they become inconvenient. But that night, I adopted him on the spot, which kind of surprised me, given how long I had held out on getting another pet. Interesting, huh? Anyway, we're all happy now. The other night was scary because I thought he was dying. But thanks to this forum and all your help, I know he has an ear infection, and I'll get that treated tomorrow. I think he's going to be okay. Thanks again, everyone.

It's a lovely story. Jim you were Chosen, there is no other way to look at it.

I am very sorry for the loss of your beloved Peter (which is a great name for a cat) but 19 years is a testament to the love and care he received from you.

May you and Charlie have a long and happy life together.

By the way, the vet thought he was only 6 months old. So he would have been just 4 months old when I found him. I also got him neutered while he was in the hospital. That was a difficult decision. I had regretted doing it to Peter. But it's not reasonable to have an indoor cat that's not neutered. And they say neutered cats live longer, which I think is true.

Jim, why would you regret neutering a cat? It's the right thing to do for the health of the cat, both physically and psychologically, and certainly the responsible thing, as you don't want to be responsible for creating thousands of unwanted kittens.

So I'm glad you did, and hope you always will.

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Originally Posted by otto

you don't want to be responsible for creating thousands of unwanted kittens.

So I'm glad you did, and hope you always will.

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Absolutely, I would not want to be responsible for bringing kittens into the world that would never be cared for. That would be horrible.