Did I Make a Mistake?

[txcatlover94]

I posted on here last week about my cat who's been sick ("What's Wrong With My Cat??") and am worried I might have made a mistake.

After not getting a diagnosis from his regular vet, I decided to try a different vet for a second opinion, hoping to get some light shed on his problem. I like our regular vet and he's been very patient with us and even stayed after hours one day to talk to us and go over X-rays. It's just my cat was getting worse and I thought maybe he had missed something and I also wasn't confident that he was going in the right direction. I'm worried though I made a mistake and might have burned bridges with our regular vet. Was it a mistake to go for a second opinion? Do vets even care when clients do this?

I wouldn't worry about it if the vet we went to today had said anything different or been a wonderful experience but she didn't and it wasn't so now I feel like a complete idiot and a heel to boot!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello, I don't know if they care or not, but you needed a second opinion, and got one that confirmed the original diagnosis. You absolutely should NOT feel badly about this. Does your original vet even know? If so, he probably appreciates your concern for your cat that you would go to that extra step and expense.

However, more importantly, how is your cat? Will you go back to your original vet? If you like him, I personally would do so. There were no bridges, frankly.

Think of it this way. I have two vets working for Poppycat, one's a house call vet and the other runs a brick n mortar clinic. They of course know of each other, and I ensure each has all the information.

Point being, we're all a team for Poppycat.

 

[txcatlover94]

Hello, I don't know if they care or not, but you needed a second opinion, and got one that confirmed the original diagnosis. You absolutely should NOT feel badly about this. Does your original vet even know? If so, he probably appreciates your concern for your cat that you would go to that extra step and expense.

However, more importantly, how is your cat? Will you go back to your original vet? If you like him, I personally would do so. There were no bridges, frankly.

Think of it this way. I have two vets working for Poppycat, one's a house call vet and the other runs a brick n mortar clinic. They of course know of each other, and I ensure each has all the information.

Point being, we're all a team for Poppycat.

He knows now because the vet we saw today called his clinic and I think discussed with him the X-Rays taken the other day. I feel really bad for just not being upfront about it. If anything, he was probably glad I was bugging someone else!

Yes, we'll continue using our original vet. Actually, the vet we saw today prescribed medications that are not the best and that's something that our original vet hasn't done.

My cat is hanging in there, thanks for asking! Still hardly eating but we're trying an appetite stimulant and cerenia, so really hoping that will help. I do think a lot, if not all, of what he's currently experiencing has to do with not eating. If we can get him to eat, I think we would see improvement.

 

[FeebysOwner]

You have every right to get a second opinion. And, if nothing else, it got you a second similar opinion for your own peace of mind. There is no telling if/when a vet will take offense to having one of their clientele get a second opinion. But you know - it is what it is, and hopefully most vets understand. You really have to consider the demeanor of one who cannot accept it. If they are thinking clearly, without prejudice, appreciating that you are only doing the best you know how to do for your baby, they should 'get over it'.

 

[Furballsmom]

This may have something, if you haven't seen this already;
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

 

[Alldara]

I wouldn't think that the vet would be offended. Professionals often share information on private groups via the internet etc. Sometimes they can learn things from new cases and what other vets and specialists do.

We go to an all cat clinic here and the vets are very up front that they communicate and ask one another's opinions. When diagnosing Magnus's murmur, two vets checked his heart to confirm.

Even when I called to transfer Nobel's records everyone was respectful and kind.

 

[Antonio65]

In my experience, my vets have always got a bad feeling when I went somewhere else for a second opinion without telling them prior to.
On a couple of occasions it was my vet who advised me to have a second opinion, either by sending me to another vet they know, or by saying to me that I could have had a second opinion from a vet of my choice.

In my experience, when I went to another vet without saying anything, the old vet got offended.
On one single occasion we completely broke our relationship and she doesn't even want to see me anymore.

 

[txcatlover94]

This may have something, if you haven't seen this already;
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Thank you! Yes, I've been going down it and trying some of the tips. Unfortunately, my cat is VERY stubborn and none of the tips seem to be working so far. I bought him a bag of Friskies today because when he was young he was addicted to it (it's like candy for cats apparently). I gave him some and while he still only ate a little bit he did get excited about it.

 

[txcatlover94]

You have every right to get a second opinion. And, if nothing else, it got you a second similar opinion for your own peace of mind. There is no telling if/when a vet will take offense to having one of their clientele get a second opinion. But you know - it is what it is, and hopefully most vets understand. You really have to consider the demeanor of one who cannot accept it. If they are thinking clearly, without prejudice, appreciating that you are only doing the best you know how to do for your baby, they should 'get over it'.

If anything, he's probably rolling his eyes but we still plan to take our pets to him and I think he'll be fine. I just wish I would have been a little more upfront about it!

 

[txcatlover94]

I wouldn't think that the vet would be offended. Professionals often share information on private groups via the internet etc. Sometimes they can learn things from new cases and what other vets and specialists do.

We go to an all cat clinic here and the vets are very up front that they communicate and ask one another's opinions. When diagnosing Magnus's murmur, two vets checked his heart to confirm.

Even when I called to transfer Nobel's records everyone was respectful and kind.

That's true and I doubt he's offended. I just wish the vet wouldn't have called him yesterday because it's not like I had decided to stop using him, so I would rather he just not known about it. I'm sure I'm way overthinking that though! I do think I should have been upfront about it, it's just really hard for me to tell them I'm getting another opinion.

 

[txcatlover94]

In my experience, my vets have always got a bad feeling when I went somewhere else for a second opinion without telling them prior to.
On a couple of occasions it was my vet who advised me to have a second opinion, either by sending me to another vet they know, or by saying to me that I could have had a second opinion from a vet of my choice.

In my experience, when I went to another vet without saying anything, the old vet got offended.
On one single occasion we completely broke our relationship and she doesn't even want to see me anymore.

I agree I probably should have said I was getting another opinion, I just have a really difficult time doing that. I don't think he'll be offended or refuse to see our pets, it's just a bad look on my part.

 

[Alldara]

Thank you! Yes, I've been going down it and trying some of the tips. Unfortunately, my cat is VERY stubborn and none of the tips seem to be working so far. I bought him a bag of Friskies today because when he was young he was addicted to it (it's like candy for cats apparently). I gave him some and while he still only ate a little bit he did get excited about it.

Have you calculated his calorie count of what he should be eating? It should be approximately 10 to 30 calories per pound depending on activity level (and body shape. Calories are always an estimate).

Then you can have a goal number at least.

Honestly, I know your vet doesn't want to do anything that doesn't treat the underlying condition...but I've known a number of cats that had this acute problem and it was solved with a temporary appetite stimulant. I think something happens with the food and it turns the stomach off but everything becomes fine otherwise.

 

[txcatlover94]

Have you calculated his calorie count of what he should be eating? It should be approximately 10 to 30 calories per pound depending on activity level (and body shape. Calories are always an estimate).

Then you can have a goal number at least.

Honestly, I know your vet doesn't want to do anything that doesn't treat the underlying condition...but I've known a number of cats that had this acute problem and it was solved with a temporary appetite stimulant. I think something happens with the food and it turns the stomach off but everything becomes fine otherwise.

No, at this stage I'm just trying to get him to eat! We started him on Mirataz yesterday but it didn't seem to make him want to eat any more than he has been, we'll see what happens today.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Sometimes if there is any level of nausea involved Mirataz won't be as effective since it only has a very mild impact on nausea. It's like making a cat that is nauseated feel hungry at the same time! I think the nauseousness will win out every time! Not all cats that are nauseous vomit, so you can't base whether he feels sick on whether or not he is vomiting.

If he doesn't start to eat better on the Mirataz very soon, you might ask the vet about an anti-nausea med in addition to the appetite stimulant.

 

[txcatlover94]

Sometimes if there is any level of nausea involved Mirataz won't be as effective since it only has a very mild impact on nausea. It's like making a cat that is nauseated feel hungry at the same time! I think the nauseousness will win out every time! Not all cats that are nauseous vomit, so you can't base whether he feels sick on whether or not he is vomiting.

If he doesn't start to eat better on the Mirataz very soon, you might ask the vet about an anti-nausea med in addition to the appetite stimulant.

I agree! He's on one (Cerenia).

 

[FeebysOwner]

Thank you, he's on one (Cerenia).

Cerenia doesn't really last longer than about 24 hours, especially the injection form. Hopefully, the vet also gave you some pills too!

 

[txcatlover94]

Cerenia doesn't really last longer than about 24 hours, especially the injection form. Hopefully, the vet also gave you some pills too!

Yes! He originally had the shot but is on the pills now.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I hope he starts eating for you!!

 

[catsknowme]

My experience with awkward professional situations is "least said, soonest mended" but you can always ask if everything is still copesetic. Have you asked your vet about prescribing ondansetron (Zofran) to quell the nausea? Using Good Rx pet, it should be less than $20 if you fill at a chain pharmacy.

 

[Timmer]

You did the right thing by going. I think of it this way - if this were a human child, would we even be worried about what the other doctor thought? We are entrusted with these little lives to care for, and it sounds to me like you are doing a wonderful job of it, so hang in there.