- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
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Hi everyone
I posted a few weeks ago about a cat I had just adopted but was asking about a completely different thing. Those of you who answered were very helpful! Thank you!
Since then I took her to the vet. That was about two weeks ago. When I adopted her she was very skinny with oily fur. I was told by the people at the shelter she had just gotten over a URI and had a sensitive stomach. They gave me some of the food she had been eating and said she had to gain some weight and was getting better. I wasn’t given any vet records from the times she was treated for her infection. (Is this something they were supposed to give me? They gave me records of her immunizations and testing they do for all cats that end up at the shelter.)
They had only given her dry food so I got some canned food of the same brand and label (Hills Sensitive Stomach and Skin).
After about a week and a half I noticed she did have a sensitive stomach or at least she had soft stools.
I took her to the vet and told them everything I knew. The vet diagnosed her (without any tests) with possible IBD and an infection and gave her antibiotics and a prescription food for digestion.
They gave my cat one pill and after that I could NOT get her to take any. I mashed up the pills and put them in her food but she would NOT take them. After wasting a few trying different methods with no success, it was a weekend, so I decided to wait until I could contact the vet. She seemed a little bloated and tired over the weekend as well so I became so worried I almost considered taking her to the emergency, though it did seem pretty extreme based on her symptoms being mild. She was still eating and drinking too... The next day she was back to normal.
I read information about the antibiotics metronidazole as well and the possible side effects really scared me. Maybe she had been feeling unwell over the weekend because of the one pill she took? Is it possible for cats to show side effects after just one?
After some thought I wondered if it was possibly not such a good idea to just give her a medication without tests being done. I was going to get a second opinion but she seemed to be doing much better and also gaining a little weight. I decided to wait and see how she was doing without causing her more stress right away going for another vet trip.
For the next week or two she seemed perfectly fine with no diarrhea. She’s active and begging for food as well. I wondered if maybe she had been adjusting to the new canned food I had gotten her as well as adjusting to her new home. Since I had brought her to the vet so soon after adopting her, I didn’t even get a chance to learn her real habits. Also wondered if her symptoms after the vet visit could have been the result of me introducing the little bit of prescription food. I stopped giving her that as well to see how she’d feel.
This morning, almost two weeks after the vet visit, her diarrhea is back and the only change was that she tried a very small piece of chicken two days before...
Now I am wondering if I made the wrong choice by waiting to contact a vet right away and feel so bad!
I then researched more about metronidazole and learned it’s often used to treat giardia.
I don’t remember the vet mentioning that word at all but maybe they did and I missed it? Giardia seems to be something that involves a lot of cleaning and even bathing your cat which makes me wonder why the vet didn’t give me more information on that if it’s what they thought my cat had. I should have asked more questions but was feeling a little uncomfortable at the time. I don’t know why.
Wondering if I should go to another vet for another opinion and to request a test to be done.
Also feeling horrible for my kitty and guilty about things. She really has been doing a lot better until this morning with the diarrhea.
I don’t think the vet I took her to was bad. I was just wondering why they didn’t recommended any tests. Reading the possible horrible side effects of the medication made me feel worse about the lack of testing, but now I am confused as to what I should do next. Should I try to give her the medication and follow up with the same vet or go to another one for a different opinion? The vet I went to is pretty far away as well because it was recommended to me by a friend. There is a vet much closer I’m considering. So there is another advantage to taking her to the other one.
If I do go to another vet what questions should I have prepared? Should I tell them I’m going to them for a second opinion?
If I go back to the same vet what should I tell them?
Is it normal to prescribe meds to cats without any form of testing?
Really leaning towards going to a different vet because of all the reasons I mentioned (no tests done, distance, etc.) but feel weird going in as a second choice without following up with the first. Is that weird to do?
Thanks for any advice
I posted a few weeks ago about a cat I had just adopted but was asking about a completely different thing. Those of you who answered were very helpful! Thank you!
Since then I took her to the vet. That was about two weeks ago. When I adopted her she was very skinny with oily fur. I was told by the people at the shelter she had just gotten over a URI and had a sensitive stomach. They gave me some of the food she had been eating and said she had to gain some weight and was getting better. I wasn’t given any vet records from the times she was treated for her infection. (Is this something they were supposed to give me? They gave me records of her immunizations and testing they do for all cats that end up at the shelter.)
They had only given her dry food so I got some canned food of the same brand and label (Hills Sensitive Stomach and Skin).
After about a week and a half I noticed she did have a sensitive stomach or at least she had soft stools.
I took her to the vet and told them everything I knew. The vet diagnosed her (without any tests) with possible IBD and an infection and gave her antibiotics and a prescription food for digestion.
They gave my cat one pill and after that I could NOT get her to take any. I mashed up the pills and put them in her food but she would NOT take them. After wasting a few trying different methods with no success, it was a weekend, so I decided to wait until I could contact the vet. She seemed a little bloated and tired over the weekend as well so I became so worried I almost considered taking her to the emergency, though it did seem pretty extreme based on her symptoms being mild. She was still eating and drinking too... The next day she was back to normal.
I read information about the antibiotics metronidazole as well and the possible side effects really scared me. Maybe she had been feeling unwell over the weekend because of the one pill she took? Is it possible for cats to show side effects after just one?
After some thought I wondered if it was possibly not such a good idea to just give her a medication without tests being done. I was going to get a second opinion but she seemed to be doing much better and also gaining a little weight. I decided to wait and see how she was doing without causing her more stress right away going for another vet trip.
For the next week or two she seemed perfectly fine with no diarrhea. She’s active and begging for food as well. I wondered if maybe she had been adjusting to the new canned food I had gotten her as well as adjusting to her new home. Since I had brought her to the vet so soon after adopting her, I didn’t even get a chance to learn her real habits. Also wondered if her symptoms after the vet visit could have been the result of me introducing the little bit of prescription food. I stopped giving her that as well to see how she’d feel.
This morning, almost two weeks after the vet visit, her diarrhea is back and the only change was that she tried a very small piece of chicken two days before...
Now I am wondering if I made the wrong choice by waiting to contact a vet right away and feel so bad!
I then researched more about metronidazole and learned it’s often used to treat giardia.
I don’t remember the vet mentioning that word at all but maybe they did and I missed it? Giardia seems to be something that involves a lot of cleaning and even bathing your cat which makes me wonder why the vet didn’t give me more information on that if it’s what they thought my cat had. I should have asked more questions but was feeling a little uncomfortable at the time. I don’t know why.
Wondering if I should go to another vet for another opinion and to request a test to be done.
Also feeling horrible for my kitty and guilty about things. She really has been doing a lot better until this morning with the diarrhea.
I don’t think the vet I took her to was bad. I was just wondering why they didn’t recommended any tests. Reading the possible horrible side effects of the medication made me feel worse about the lack of testing, but now I am confused as to what I should do next. Should I try to give her the medication and follow up with the same vet or go to another one for a different opinion? The vet I went to is pretty far away as well because it was recommended to me by a friend. There is a vet much closer I’m considering. So there is another advantage to taking her to the other one.
If I do go to another vet what questions should I have prepared? Should I tell them I’m going to them for a second opinion?
If I go back to the same vet what should I tell them?
Is it normal to prescribe meds to cats without any form of testing?
Really leaning towards going to a different vet because of all the reasons I mentioned (no tests done, distance, etc.) but feel weird going in as a second choice without following up with the first. Is that weird to do?
Thanks for any advice