Help Sick/Traumatized Cat after vet appointment

[whiskersthecat]

Hi,

I have a twelve year old cat who I adopted from the humane society when she was two. For the past few (maybe 5) years she has struggled with chronic ear infections. Our vet suggested an application of Otic Armor every three months which appeared to be helping, until now.

Kitty went for her treatment this past wednesday and came home completely miserable shaking her head and not allowing us to touch any part close to it. She has never had a reaction like this to the OticArmor before. Does anyone have any experience with this?

The vet doesn't allow you to go into the room with your cat for its treatment so I worry she has been traumatized some how as she has been hiding in our basement  (which she hasn't done since we brought her home ten years ago) and doesn't even want to come out to eat. I worry bringing her back to the vet will only give her more anxiety... 

Thanks in advance  

 

[Kieka]

I would call your vet and explain what happened. See if the vet can explain what may be happening by phone. I would guess either there was a problem with the drops application location, change in drop formula, an infection was developing and the drops agitated it, trauma when applying drops..... a call to the vet would ease your mind and give you an idea of what to expect. Another option would be a different vet to see if they can tell what happened or why she is acting that way. Something is wrong so if she isn't acting better within a day or two I would take her either back to your regular vet or another vet for a follow up. If she hasn't eaten in 24 hours that is considered an emergency as cats become at risk for complications when they don't eat (their bodies aren't effective processing fats and livers are built differently) and you would need to see a vet ASAP.

Personally, I don't like it when the vet takes them into another room and usually insist that whatever is being done is done under my supervision. I have gotten some push back before but if there is a logical reason I don't push it (x-ray machine in back and not allowed in the room, trimmers in back and they don't like hair in the exam room, etc). If it is something like their needles are in the back then I ask that they bring the needles into the exam room. They can laugh at me all they want when I have left but I like the peace of mind of making sure nothing is happening that shouldn't. I don't as much at my current vet because they only have one vet and two techs on duty at any given time and I know them all well. I can also hear what is happening in the back from the exam and waiting rooms (its an old converted house).

 

[stephanietx]

I once had a kitty with chronic ear issues. Turned out to be allergies, ear wax buildup, and a yeast infection. I had her ears flushed while she was sedated for a dental and then the vet used BNT ear gel. It's a thick ointment that the vet puts in the ear, down the canal. Over a period of 2 weeks, the medicine is absorbed into the ear and kills the infection. It's a bit messy, but worth it to keep ear problems at bay. I then started giving her a daily antihistamine and that took care of the ear problems.

 

[whiskersthecat]

Was your cat's allergy a food allergy or an allergy to something else in the environment? Was the antihistamine prescribed by your vet? 

 

[stephanietx]

She had airborne allergies and my vet told me to give her Claritin, in a kitty dose

 

[solomonar]

Finding the allergen would be nice, since would be so simple to just avoid it. Or, in extreme case, to apply de-sensibilisation (I know is possible in humans, so I assume it is possible in cats as well). "Airborne" is something very fuzzy to me.  

I fully agree with @Kieka  comments above: it the cat does not eat for 24 hrs - that is a vet emergency, no matter how the cat gets to this situation.

Sometimes cat find comfort  in familiar places, objects - that could help feeding.