Being Sent In Circles At The Vet...

[bathedinshadow]

This might seem a little long winded, I just want to get in all the details. Last summer, my 11 year old kitty had to have some teeth extracted. She's never done great at the vet, but nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. However, after the surgery, her stress levels in regards to the vet, skyrocketed. She would spend the entire day after a basic check up, hiding. This then turned into her peeing in the car on the way there. Which turned into having to sedate her to take her. She is VERY difficult to medicate. Not only that, we live in a loft space, so it's wide open with no doors. Meaning, if she takes off, it's hard to grab her again and we can't isolate her in a room. Except for the bathroom, which she never goes into. Last time I gave her the gabapentin (sedative), she puked it up. I'll reference this stress in a bit.

Almost immediately after having surgery on her teeth, she began scratching her ears like crazy. I assumed she got fleas or mites or something at the vet. We have no other pets and she is strictly indoors. I took her to the vet for the follow up after the extraction and mentioned the scratching. No fleas. No mites. They assume food allergy. The timing seems weird to me, but I begin the daunting task of trying to figure out what she is allergic to. I'm reluctant to buy foods that are specified to be "hypo-allergenic" from the vet, because those brands are generally not high quality food and the only thing that makes them hypo-allergenic is limited ingredients ore hydrolyzed proteins. The former, you can buy higher quality food elsewhere. However, I could not get her to stop itching. So I agreed to give her their food. She's been on kangaroo now for over 4 months. Plenty of time for her body to rid itself of any food allergies. She still itches. I do not believe she has a food allergy at this point. There is no way she has ever had kangaroo in the past. This is the 4th novel protein I've tried. I highly doubt she went from zero allergies to suddenly being allergic to all proteins? Plus, she only scratches her ears.

With that said, we have moved onto more concerning issues. I took her to the vet in april/may to have a full panel ran. And because she had seemed lethargic. They came back and told me that her thyroid levels were approaching the borderline range. At 37 (if anybody understands the numbers). However, because she was not feeling well, sometimes that can lower the levels and give you a false result, and her levels may actually be higher than that. They recommended coming back in 6 weeks to test again. Another stressful event... which seems to traumatize her more and more each time. The results came back at 39. So higher. However, again, being stressed can cause them to be lower than the actual levels. The recommend again to come back in 6 weeks. We do this. They are at 40. I'm getting concerned that she is hyperthyroid and it seems to me, the earlier you treat it, the better. They of course want me to come back in 6 weeks and run the tests again. This is EXTREMELY stressful for her (and in turn me). Furthermore, she has some other symptoms of being hyperthyroid and they seem to be getting worse. She wakes up at 4am and begins pacing and meowing until I get up for work at 7. It's nonstop. The only break I get is when she is eating for a few minutes or going to the bathroom. These are the GOOD nights. The bad nights, start at 1am. I literally slept less than an hour last night. I have made the vet aware. I have taken her to the vet, but they just doing seem to do anything. I go to a cats only vet. They have a good reputation. The only other cats only vet is an additionally 30 minute drive. Something I just don't think she can handle. The clinic I go to has 3 different vets. I've seen all of them. So there is a level of a "different" opinion. But because nothing is obvious, and they don't know her... they just shrug it off and tell me to come back. I don't want to keep putting her through this. Never mind how expensive this all is. I literally pay more for her food a month, than I do for my own. Top it off with $200-$400 bills every 6 weeks. All to be told to come back again... I'm frustrated.

My kitty is typically very laid back. She's a ragdoll. She's easy going, and relaxed. So for her to be nervous at all, is abnormal. But they are comparing her stress levels to the way other cats behave when they are stressed. Which I'm sure is more exaggerated than my very calm/relaxed cat. Or rather, typically relaxed.

She just did something this morning that she has never done before. She pee'd on a pillow. Now this pillow was in the car during the last vet visit. She pee'd in her carrier on the way back from the vet (extremely stressed - and on the sedative). We had a pillow under her carrier in case, and a little bit got on it. This pillow was sitting on the floor because I was going to get rid of it. I don't know if she pee'd on it because she could smell the little bit that got on there from before, or if something is wrong. You can see why I'd be reluctant to take her to the vet to "find out." When I probably will walk out paying $300 for tests again, all of which she has had recently. One of which she JUST had... only to stress her out more... and told to come back.

I really need some help figuring this out. I don't know who to turn to.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I'm wondering if a lot of this is pure anxiety. It really does sound like it. And stress can certainly cause itching in cats. In fact, it is a very common cause. I'm hoping that this might be the case, simply because it is a fairly easy fix, and you have a vet that you like and trust. I'd hate to have you try to change...although, if you don't get some solid answers soon, you may have to.

Now, for the anxiety...if you don't want to go the Prozac route at first, you can try chamomile tea. Yes, chamomile tea. Buy a box of tea bags from the grocery store, and brew a cup. Chill it in the fridge, and administer 1-3 teaspoonfuls up to 3 times a day. You could actually double that amount if she is a larger Ragdoll. They tend to be on the heavier side. Give it via syringe. The nice thing about chamomile is that it calms without sedating. The reason I say to buy the bags from the store is that ALL commercial tea bags are German chamomile, and that is safe for cats. Much of what grows in gardens is the English variety, which is toxic to them. OH...you can also swab her itchy ears with the stuff. It's a great soother of all manner of skin "ouchies" in man and beast!

 

[silkenpaw]

One solution I see to the thyroid question, at least, is to have a vet come to the house to draw the blood. Her stress should be less.

The allergy question. I have a cat who's allergic to grasses and pollens, not food. Before she had been on allergy shots for a while, she would scratch open her neck. Just the neck. I'm sure she itched all over but the neck was easy to reach and once you get started, it just snowballs, because wounds itch as they heal... Anyway, I think you should get your kitty allergy tested. Maybe by the same housecall vet.

Good luck, you sound like you have your hands full. Do let us know what happens.

 

[bathedinshadow]

Thanks for the replies... I've been continuing to wait and watch. I don't know.

I'm wondering if a lot of this is pure anxiety. It really does sound like it .......... you have a vet that you like and trust.

I really don't know why she would be anxious at home. She certainly is at the vet though. Unless surgery over a year ago was that traumatic? Things are calm at home, and she tends to scratch mostly at night. And as for trust, I have a hard time trusting ANY vet. They all have too many companies in their pockets by selling their food in my opinion.

One solution I see to the thyroid question, at least, is to have a vet come to the house.....

I've considered this. I've only found one vet that would do this (not my vet). However, it takes 1 vet and two of her nurses to get blood from her. She flips around like crazy (on a sedative). Part of the appeal to having her be at home, would be so that I wouldn't have to sedate her (also a task within itself - one I couldn't accomplish last time). But, we live in a loft space though, and if she did manage to break free, getting her out from hiding spaces would be difficult. The only room with a door is a bathroom and I don't think all of us could fit in there. Not sure if causing stress IN the home is better?

The allergy question. I have a cat who's allergic to grasses and pollens, not food.....Anyway, I think you should get your kitty allergy tested.

My vet told me that allergies tests are pointless as they are inaccurate at best? She offered to do it, but said they don't come back conclusive. Maybe I'll read up on it more. Although it seems to happen all year long. It's been going on for 13 months now. It tapers a little bit here and there, but always present.

Good news about the peeing on the pillow though... it seems to be a one off thing So I'm guessing she just smelled she had been on it before. Got rid of it and there hasn't been any more issues with that.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I really don't know why she would be anxious at home. She certainly is at the vet though. Unless surgery over a year ago was that traumatic? Things are calm at home, and she tends to scratch mostly at night.

IF this is anxiety, there may not be a discernable "reason" for it. Cats, like humans, can have anxiety disorders that arise more from brain chemistry than from actual situations. Not saying that this is it, but it is worth considering, at least.

Should this continue, and get worse, you might consider (if possible) taking her to a University with a Veterinarian Medicine School. This is not generally cheaper than a regular vet, and can be more expensive. The advantages are that they are practising cutting-edge medicine, with the very latest in techniques, equipment and diagnostic tools. Nor are they "in the pockets" of food manufactures. Just a thought.

 

[DreamerRose]

The vet school is a good idea, but you need a second opinion regardless. Not giving you thyroid medicine after running the test several times is too much. They should have given you meds right away.

I don't think the anxiety about going to the vet will stop. Mingo is the same way after a vet handled him too roughly on his second visit, and every time he goes, it gets worse.