Hey guys, I'd like to hear you opinions on my cat's illness and her experience with the vet.
My 9 year old cat, Aeris, went to the vet on Tuesday because she'd gone off her feed because of what appeared to be an upper respiratory infection. The vet gave her antibiotics and recommended bloodwork, then told me to call back in a couple of days if she still wasn't eating or drinking enough. I spent the next couple of days constantly trying to get the her to eat and drink, with minimal success, although, oddly, she did seem to be feeling better. When the bloodwork came back, the vet told me she'd like to keep her overnight for observation and to give her dextrose through an IV, because her liver numbers were going a bit off and she appeared to be slightly anemic from some sort of internal bleeding they couldn't locate, though everything else seemed normal. (Hemoglobin at 18, when it should be at 22-25, I think.)
I assumed that, since she was there for observation, someone would be with her, but I got a call this morning that she had chewed off her IV catheter and it had been lost in her vein so they'd need to do surgery to get it out. Obviously, this won't help with the anemia. The vet said that she understands money is tight for me right now, and, because it was "nobody's fault", she would donate her time so that I wouldn't have to pay a huge bill for that surgery, though I'll probably still have to pay for x-rays and the gas anesthetic, etc. She encouraged me to take the cat home once she's recovered from this surgery and continue providing my own supportive care, as I was before this disaster, as the cat obviously won't tolerate the IV and she doesn't want the possible liability that caring for my cat on the premesis represents.
So, my questions: Does this seem fair to you? I'm trying not to overreact, but I feel like they failed in their responsibility to professionally monitor and provide supportive care for my pet, which was the entire purpose of the overnight stay.
And has anyone had a cat with mysterious internal bleeding after a sinus infection along with loss of appetite? She had a pin and plate put in her leg a couple of years ago (part of why I'm currently a bit poor), but the leg seems to be giving her no pain, and no one else thinks it's a factor. It's very strange, but she does seem to be getting better, she's just not eating or drinking as much as we'd like. I've been giving her Pedialyte by syringe to help with the dehydration, and I'll continue that along with the feeding as needed over the weekend.
Also, more generally, what brands of wet food are best for your pet? I've seen a lot of conflicting information out there, and my previous vet told me that vets receive next to no nutritional training and they honestly just recommend whatever company gives them the best sponsorship.
Thanks for any advice or insight you can offer; I really appreciate it!
My 9 year old cat, Aeris, went to the vet on Tuesday because she'd gone off her feed because of what appeared to be an upper respiratory infection. The vet gave her antibiotics and recommended bloodwork, then told me to call back in a couple of days if she still wasn't eating or drinking enough. I spent the next couple of days constantly trying to get the her to eat and drink, with minimal success, although, oddly, she did seem to be feeling better. When the bloodwork came back, the vet told me she'd like to keep her overnight for observation and to give her dextrose through an IV, because her liver numbers were going a bit off and she appeared to be slightly anemic from some sort of internal bleeding they couldn't locate, though everything else seemed normal. (Hemoglobin at 18, when it should be at 22-25, I think.)
I assumed that, since she was there for observation, someone would be with her, but I got a call this morning that she had chewed off her IV catheter and it had been lost in her vein so they'd need to do surgery to get it out. Obviously, this won't help with the anemia. The vet said that she understands money is tight for me right now, and, because it was "nobody's fault", she would donate her time so that I wouldn't have to pay a huge bill for that surgery, though I'll probably still have to pay for x-rays and the gas anesthetic, etc. She encouraged me to take the cat home once she's recovered from this surgery and continue providing my own supportive care, as I was before this disaster, as the cat obviously won't tolerate the IV and she doesn't want the possible liability that caring for my cat on the premesis represents.
So, my questions: Does this seem fair to you? I'm trying not to overreact, but I feel like they failed in their responsibility to professionally monitor and provide supportive care for my pet, which was the entire purpose of the overnight stay.
And has anyone had a cat with mysterious internal bleeding after a sinus infection along with loss of appetite? She had a pin and plate put in her leg a couple of years ago (part of why I'm currently a bit poor), but the leg seems to be giving her no pain, and no one else thinks it's a factor. It's very strange, but she does seem to be getting better, she's just not eating or drinking as much as we'd like. I've been giving her Pedialyte by syringe to help with the dehydration, and I'll continue that along with the feeding as needed over the weekend.
Also, more generally, what brands of wet food are best for your pet? I've seen a lot of conflicting information out there, and my previous vet told me that vets receive next to no nutritional training and they honestly just recommend whatever company gives them the best sponsorship.
Thanks for any advice or insight you can offer; I really appreciate it!