I’m feeling so stressed today. My Mickey is only 4 years old and during his dental today he had to have 13 teeth extracted. It was a nightmare to get him in his carrier. I managed to get him in after chasing him throughout my condo for a while but there is always the risk of me not being able to get him in his carrier which is why I only take him to the vet when it’s absolutely necessary. As if the stress from getting him in his carrier and the $1,500.00 dental isn’t enough the vet recommended I bring him back in 2 weeks not only to check if his gums are healing but to double check his kidney values because his urine is just a little dilute. Mickey shows no symptoms of kidney disease. He does not have increased thirst, he eats like a pig. He urinates like a normal cat. I can’t help but wonder if the vet is trying to get me to spend more money I can’t afford. Mickey already had blood work before his dental and she said his creatinine levels were borderline high but could just be due to him not having anything to drink that day. She said the same thing for my other cat Bella on her exam day. During Mickey’s dental his urine test was another borderline with his just a little bit dilute urine and now she wants a third test??? I told her Mickey gets extremely stressed going to the vet, it’s hard to get him in a carrier and I can only bring him in if absolutely necessary. So then she said I can get a special litter called Kit 4 Kat and bring in a urine sample but then if that shows just a little bit dilute it will have to be retested. Sounds like a way for me to keep spending more money and doing more vet stuff and keep on being stressed without a definite answer. Also how can I get a urine sample when I have 2 cats who use the same litter boxes? I wonder if my vet is overreacting and I wonder if it would make me a bad cat owner if I don’t do anything if I don’t see any symptoms of kidney disease and I just don’t take him to the vet again until next year for a wellness exam. All this stress isn’t good for Mickey and it’s not good for me and my other cat Bella is hissing at him because she doesn’t recognize him. No wonder when my employer asked me if I really need to take 2 days off work I said yes, I really do.
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Mickey’s Dental
- Thread starter moggiegirl
- Start Date
Hi!
What did you decide to do?
I have a vet-trip stress head kitty too. You might consider a calming product to use in and on the carrier and the car seat, and cover the carrier with a lightweight towel. It seems to help when they can't see. Or ask the vet for gabapentin.
Try cat music at home to try and help them calm down, and sometimes an application of vanilla can help to make them smell the same, or take your other cat along to the vets.
You could contain him for a day or so with a litterbox to collect the sample.
What did you decide to do?
I have a vet-trip stress head kitty too. You might consider a calming product to use in and on the carrier and the car seat, and cover the carrier with a lightweight towel. It seems to help when they can't see. Or ask the vet for gabapentin.
Try cat music at home to try and help them calm down, and sometimes an application of vanilla can help to make them smell the same, or take your other cat along to the vets.
You could contain him for a day or so with a litterbox to collect the sample.
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- #3
I might get judged for it but I ram not going to do anything. The cat is 4 years old and has no symptoms of kidney disease. If he does have kidney disease at age 4 it’s an ill fated life for him and if I see signs of kidney disease I will take him to the vet. The vet told me if I do the urine test and it shows a little bit dilute, borderline level I will have to retest it. So it looks like all stress and no answers if I choose the vet’s path of crossing her Ts and dotting her Is, spend more, worry more and we may not have definite answer for you. As far as I’m concerned the only thing wrong with him is his teeth if I don’t see symptoms of kidney disease and I would hate to put my poor cat through more and agony than he has already been through. It affects my other cat and my mental health too.
Along with my suggestions above, be sure and have fresh water in a clean fountain or two to promote drinking and feed wet food.
Those two things plus veterinary health checks, while not guarantees, are your best defense.
Those two things plus veterinary health checks, while not guarantees, are your best defense.
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- #5
He is on 100% wet food. I may try the fountain again but the last time I set it up they wouldn’t drink from it. They prefer the water bowl.
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Please take him in in two weeks to have his gums checked. 13 teeth removed is quite a lot. You would feel horrible if something didn't heal right or got infected and you skipped the check-up where that could have been detected. You are free to refuse the urine re-test if that's something you don't want to pursue at this point. But please don't neglect his mouth recheck because you feel pressured about the urine tests.
In the meantime, you have two weeks to leave his carrier out and seed it with treats as often as you can attract his attention. Two weeks isn't a whole lot of time for this desensitization training, but it's a start. And this won't be his last vet visit even if you only take him in for regular check-ups. You want him to get comfortable seeing his carrier and going inside it. If he only ever sees it is when you have to chase him, snatch him, and stuff him into it for a scary vet trip, he's going to see it as a source of stress. The vet stress will start when he sees the carrier. But if you leave it out for him and constantly reward him for going inside it on his own (the treats!), the carrier will be one less thing he'll stress out about for vet visits. Combine this with "cat rock" (Home | Music for Cats | David Teie) and he may surprise you with how much calmer vet trips can be.
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I wish to amend this. You will reward him frequently at first to establish the behavior. But intermittent rewards will work better in the long run especially when combined with jackpotting. Every rare now and then, instead of one or two treats, you'll give him a whole mess of treats--jackpot! He will return to the carrier more often looking for the next jackpot. Jackpots must be rare or they lose their effect.
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- #8
His carrier has been out when not taking him to the vet. He sleeps in it sometimes. I will try to reward him with treats for going inside it sometimes. I’m sorry but I do not wish to cause him any more stress and agony than he has already been through and you have no idea how agonizing this has been for him so I will not be forcing him in the carrier for another vet visit unless I see something is wrong. If you want to judge me as bad so be it. I will be taking him to the vet again probably January of next year. His kind of dental issues do need regular examinations.
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- #9
Okay I think you will be pleased to know that I did schedule a vet appointment for Saturday April 10th to have his gums checked and while I am there I might as well have his kidney values tested but after that I am done taking him to the vet this year. The vet said I can give him a double dose of Gabapentin since a single dose didn’t work. One of the vet assistants was nice enough to drop off some Feliway in front of my door since she knows I take Uber, don’t have a car, don’t use public transportation during Covid and don’t live far from the clinic. The Feliway will help my cats smell the same.
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- #10
Also just for the sake of talking to my cats even though they don’t understand I tell Bella in a soft voice “You should be nice to Mickey. He really is your son, the same cat you love. He had 13 teeth pulled. You should have some compassion. Stopped hissing and being mean.” I say this while petting her. She’s not listening.
