Strange behaviour with valium

neit

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My 14-year-old cat has a huge mat over about a third of his back...I've spent the last two months getting as much of it cut away as I can.  He got in something sticky, and bathing him made it worse.  Water makes the mat tighter.  

Tonight in desperation I gave him a 5mg valium, hoping it would calm him enough that we could use trimmers or I could cut the rest of it off.  Instead, it's made him very angry, even though he can barely walk.  

I've kept him hydrated, and he's safely in a cat carrier for now (he tried his best to claw and bite me earlier).  Is there anything else I should do until the valium wears off?

Also, is there any other option for the mat on his back other than taking him to a vet to get him shaved?  Funds are limited right now or I would have done that when he first got the mat.

Thanks!
 

denice

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Valium can cause what is called a paradoxical reaction in cats just as it can in humans.  It can cause excitement instead of the sedating effect.  I don't know about safe dosing but from what I found on the internet I think this may have been a larger than usual dose.  From what I found the usual dose is .25 mg per pound which would be 2.5 mg for a 10 pound cat https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090205111229AAaXFBK

As far as the mat goes if your kitty won't allow the clippers without sedation then you may have to have the vet do it.  I know I am starting to have the same issues with my 13 year old cat with longer hair and a thick undercoat.  Cats aren't as thorough with the grooming as they get older.  I am considering getting her a lion cut two or three times a year.
 
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neit

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Denice,

Thanks for your response...you said basically what I feared.  I know about the paradoxical reaction in humans, and in other animals...I just wasn't expecting it in this cat.  I chose his normal sleep time on purpose, and made sure he'd eaten an hour or so beforehand and had plenty of water...the things he does normally before one of his long naps.

But, as usual, this cat (Neit, not a coincidence!), never fails to surprise.  He was, after all, born in my closet to a mom that wasn't my (official) owner.  :)  We just woke up one morning and found out she decided our house was safer than her own.

He's been in his carrier for two hours now, and hasn't even napped.  I let him out for a few minutes, and he is very unsteady on his legs - even so, he tried to chase his sister, and fell off an end table.  He's in the carrier until he won't hurt himself.  <sigh>

I looked up the valium dosage before giving him anything.  He's about a 14-pound cat, with long hair and a triple-coat.  The undercoat is VERY thick and heavy, which is why I can't get under what's left of that mat.  So while I knew the dosage was a tad high, I was hoping that would actually work to my advantage.  The amount I found on one website to put him in essentially twilight sleep was 4 mg.  Since half a pill wouldn't be enough, I went with the whole 5mg.

I'm afraid his skin under this massive mat is now pretty tender.  I was hoping someone might know of some conditioner or oil that I could use to un-mat it; I suspect no such thing exists.  I'll keep hoping someone posts something useful, but biting the bullet and going to a vet or groomer may be the only thing we can do.
 
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