Too many meds!

     All my cats are due for a treatment of Revolution ASAP, but...

One of them (Gon-nee) has to be treated for an ear infection.  She'll be getting Enrofloxacin (Batril) orally for at least 2 week (probably more), along with Mometamax ear drops.

She also needs to be spayed ASAP.  This will involve anesthesia.

     My idea is to apply the Revolution, before we get another flea infestation (They are from hell, I swear).  Then, wait 4 days to start Gon-nee on the antibiotics.  I bought probioitcs for her, and some for the rest too.   my cats.

      I prefer not to have her spayed with an infection, and antibiotics in her.  I could do a 12-14 day regiment, and have her spayed a week later, if the ear looks ok.  Anyone know if this is a good plan, and if the infection is only slight, should I spay her or wait until it is fully cleared up?   

     I do flush her ears with Chlorhexiderm solution and swab them out after 5 minutes for now.  Some of them are still a little skittish from the Jul 4th fireworks (more like June 24th, still continuing just a little here).   I'm using aromatherapy, extra treats, and a lot of extra love, among other stuff.   

     About the ear flushing, is .3ml enough?  Too much?  She is a 5 lb dwarf.  Came from a litter of 3, all runts,  She was the only one to survive, even though I took the very best care of them.

     I thank you all for your time and consideration.  Give your cats an extra pet for me.    

Hi Felophile and welcome to the forum !

I have to ask you...is all this (except the spay)...a DIY project ?

With these conditions and with these meds (especially Baytril).......I would want a competent cat-Vet managing all of this.....which is why I'm a bit surprised by the questions.

 I have a vet (vets, it's a big facility, so your vet's name will be "pot-shot"), but I don't think he's so great.  I go for convenience, and am looking for someone better I can get to.  I'm in PA, I swear I was about to take a bus to NJ to go to Lyndhurst animal hospital to get a /proper/ check-up for Gon-nee (a runt), before she had a growth spurt.  The vets here are, um, sub-par, so I want other peoples' input.

Honestly, I'd rather not discuss things with him (or more likely the office staff, who are NOT vets).  I don't trust myself to not go ballistic over stupidity there (yet again).  I _will_ find a better vet, somehow.

Oh, I'm a little new to the area, and have no car.

Well, I asked because it did sound like you were doing all of this without a Vet's direction....

'Seasoned' people in the cat community well know that vets are not created equal. Many find that the best ones are found at cat-only clinics, and, the best of those are doctors who have many years of practical experience (often these are the owners).

You could look around for a cat-only clinic - or try this: The American Association of Feline Practitioners's website has a 'Find a Vet' page.....pay attention to the directions after this link:  http://www.catvets.com/cat-owners/find-vets-and-practices     Select "More Options".....for "Practice Type", choose Feline-Only......do not check the red "Cat Friendly" bar.

As to your looking for direction here on how/whether or not to prioritize/stage these drugs, I'm very hesitant to weigh in.

For one thing, you've been given Baytril.....this is a very effective drug for deep-seated infection....it's also a drug that can be very dangerous for cats if it's incorrectly dosed - there are warnings about this - overdosing can result in blindness. You've indicated that she weighs only 5 pounds, so she's a small (and now) delicate cat. You really do need competent veterinary direction here.

And, she has an ear infection which continues to go untreated.....this is a very serious situation. On top of this, you seem unsure just how "serious" this infection is.

You may not think much of those Vets and staff...but...the diagnosis and the meds came from that doctor. Unless you can access another (but, competent) Veterinarian quickly, I could only suggest that you re-contact the prescribing Vet and review the protocol that was given (what to give first, second and when to start what). I would strongly advise you to ask that s/he double-check the dosage for the Baytril.  To do this correctly, the exact weight of the cat is needed and then the absolute maximum dosage is 5mg/kg of body weight:

Weight of Cat        Once Daily Dosing Chart (5 mg/kg/day)
5 lb (2.27 kg)                           1/2 x 22.7 mg tablet

https://www.drugs.com/vet/baytril-enrofloxacin-antibacterial-tablets.html

Click to expand...

Honey, you have to get moving on this...........

       I was quite offended by the replies I've gotten thus far.  Then I realized you all see me as a newbie.  I have been rescuing/helping cats in general since I was barely in high-school, and am now pushing 50.  That's 30+ years of experience.   I have done plenty of research, esp. concerning the Baytril.  How do you think I formulated a plan to begin with anyway?

       The vet prescribed the Baytril and Mometamax.  The drops are reasonable, but here are the directions for that nasty Bayril...

Enrofloxacin (generic Baytril), 22.7mg, qty 12.  Give ONE by mouth daily

       Like hell I'm about to do that!  Is it because you told me?  No, sorry, I read several papers on it, from different points of view.  Also, there are no feline specialists within 45 miles from me, I checked that over a year ago, TY.

       I am on SSI, barely enough income to survive, but I still do as much as I can for the cats, including the ones on the streets.  I have no car, and I don't have any real friends here, because I have no respect for my neighbors.  They are terrible animal caregivers, and some even hurt their kids, and many more, each other.  I am slowly trying to make friends with a family down the street that seem normal.  

       To put it short, I live in a ghetto without rent subsidization of any sort.  Why do I stay?  One reason is that cats are welcome in this house.  The bigger reason is that there is such a feline overpopulation problem, and help is needed here.  They don't have much help.     The inbreeding brings me to tears often.  There's a guy up the street, living in a condemned house, pretty much encouraging this problem.  I've heard he had (has?) dogs there too.  

       The local SPCA won't bother with it unless there is "proof".  Maybe telling them animals are being kept in a condemned structure would get their attention.  Maybe not, they are truly awful.  I had a batch of eleven kittens (long story).  Only 3 were males, and one didn't make it a whole month.  I was going to leave the remaining two with them, before there could be even more kittens.  I was just about to sign something, and suddenly said "May I see the cat room first?", which they let me do.  I won't go into detail, but I vomited, took the boys back home, and became more aggressive with my re-homing efforts.

       I'd have you know, this batch was a real handful, and I do know what I'm doing for the most part.  

       I cured a pink-eye outbreak with minimal topical prescription medication.  Then, there was the mange, (many had clear signs of ear mites as well).  After I cured that naturally and holistically (made the "medication" myself), I had the vet check 2, just to be sure the mites were gone, which they were.  Remember that I told you these vets are not the best?  

       He went to take the skin scraping for the mange from the bare skin.  I fell just short of slapping him.     I'm not sure if I expressed my feelings towards his competence directly (eg. telling him he's not fit to be a vet), but I did yell at him very angrily.  "Why are you looking there, when there are obviously no mites there?  Move about half an inch from the bald area to where the hair is that they would be attacking NOW, not last [flip]ing week!"  Yes, I swear like a sailor, and have already edited this post many times.  

       Now, the flea outbreak was the killer.  To this day I am wiping diatomaceous earth off of places it needs not be.  I thoroughly doused the cats and the house.  *If anyone needs to know the detailed procedure, drop me a line.  It works on all insects but is a lot of work at first.  Upkeep isn't so bad at all.*  I did decide to use flea bombs (tough call) in the basement, after sealing off all areas it could leak into the apartment from (and warning the nice guy in the other apartment upstairs).  Long story, but I figured out a way to keep all the cats & kittens not yet re-homed outside for a few hours safely too.  

         I have 0% assistance.  I have a bare-bones income.  I am disabled.  Nonetheless, I overcame all these issues and more for these precious feline friends.  So I ask you all, please, do not treat me as if I am an inexperienced idiot, thank you.  

       If I wanted to be judged, I'd have called a veterinary hospital or some such place.  I posted here because I just would have liked to hear from anyone else who has ever been in this position.  Or, at the very least, just some moral support.  

       Come to think of it, I know of two place I might be able to call for advice,  I am often in angst that I cannot get to them in person.  Then, I remember they are in places where cats have a lot of help, and I am not.  I can help myself.  The cats can't.  I must stay here, for now, there is much to be done.  If I had more money, I could do all that is needed, and move on.  I'm working so hard on earning more money, I just hit a lot more roadblocks than most people.  Not gonna let that stop me!  When I feel I can't get any further, I just look into the eyes of one of my "perma-cats".  I go further.    

I don't have a whole lot of experience in what it appears you are dealing with. I'm also not entirely sure I follow what is going on that you are treating - is it just fleas? And are these ferals that you plan to have TNR'd? I DO happen to know (from others' experience here, including someone whose cat went blind and ultimately died after the vet prescribed too high a dose) that Baytril overdosing happens very easily. I'm actually not too keen on it to be honest, that is pretty much all I can offer. What exactly was the Baytril for anyway?

I'm glad you are working with a vet. I'll admit, I was a little worried when I read the first post! Even a seasoned person should always work with a vet, which is sounds like you know. I've had cats my whole life, and my vet is also very well aware that I know how to handle some things, but also knows I will not hesitate to bring them in if I have an inkling it's needed.

       The Baytril is for an bad ear infection.  I've purchased the pills, but am loathe to administer them, even with the correct recommended dosage (which I was not given).  I can't contact my vet now until Monday, but I may be able to contact someone else.  There must be something else that will work, Clavamox is good.  I know that in humans, Tetracyclin targets the head/throat, perhaps this could be an option for a cat.  Must research.  

       I worked "with" vets when I had good ones.  Now, I use vets an an as-needed basis.  The only reason I went for the mange checkup was because my mother freaked out, fearing for her dog.  She would not allow me near her home.  So, I got the paperwork to show her.  I knew they were gone, from careful observation, but, well, sometimes I think I should have just taken the opportunity to sever her from my life.  She knows I know what I'm doing.  At worst, I would have had to go to her home daily to treat the dog, and apply DE where necessary.  I even told her I can cure it.  I give respect where it is due, I expect it in return.  I lead a disappointing life, LOL!    .

       There may be a few fleas around, because they are due for their Revolution.  I see slightly more scratching than usual.  If I were to do all except the one with the ear infection, they would naturally all jump in her, just making things worse.  If I wait until her treatment for the ear is finished to administer Revolution to them all at the same time (as one should), there would probably be another flea outbreak.  As for the spaying, I will ask the low-cost clinic exactly what kind of anesthesia will be administered, and ask it it would be safe with the Baytil (more likely something else).  

       I'm not just using the clinic to save money, I can go to vets that take SPCA certificates for a third of the price.  I've had 4 females spayed here, and tried 3 different vets, and the clinic.  I was most satisfied with the results from the clinic.  

       I have no TNR cats at this time.  Am hoping to get more soon.  I am in a position to let them rest in my home (they can have their own room!).  I just have to keep saving up every penny I can.  I just learned that there are a few people in the immediate area that put out food for strays.  I am going t try to form a coalition, or something, so we can keep track of them, and perhaps group-fund spay/neuterings and other necessary health care.    

       Why is it always me who gets responsibilities dumped in my lap, or has to take the initiative for things other people care about too?  

       I hope you all will wish all of us luck.