little orphan Molly had her first vet visit today....and HELP!!

[mom2raven]

So I estimated my little orphan kitten to be 7 weeks old on Tuesday. So I had scheduled her first vet visit for today. I planned on getting her first shots, making sure she is a girl, and making sure she is healthy and all that.

First...the vet weighed her and she is only a pound, so they decided that she is only 6 weeks old and no shots. I know she is older than 6 weeks because I have had her for 6 weeks and she was around a week old when I got her, and just opening her eyes. But oh well, I can handle waiting on the shots.

Second...her feline luekemia test came back negative so that is good.

Third...she has ringworm. Ack. My children have had very limited contact with her and my other cats ignore her but still a concern. The vet ordered a special shampoo for her.

Fourth...and totally unexpected...she has a severe overbite. The vet said that is probably why she never took a bottle. She may never be able to eat dry catfood. That is a bummer, that is what I feed the other cats. She also may need to have her bottom canine teeth extracted later on, there is a concern about them cutting into her mouth.

So I feel bummed. My husband is not going to be happy about the expense. I was quoted $40 for this vet visit, I payed $120.00. And that did not include any shots or the special shampoo the vet ordered.

So in 6 weeks I can do her first set of shots, then in 5 months her spay, then someday a teeth extraction?

Poor Molly.

 

[catsallaround]

I had a kitten open its eyes at 3 days old and one at 10 days who died had them still closed. Was he concerned that even for 6 weeks shes so little(or is she proportionally ok looking?)

Was 40 JUST the exam fee? and then the leuk test and ringworm diagnoses more?

If possible maybe the spay can be put on hold till the adult teeth are in and its decided and do it all as one. I hate to suggest that cause cats in heat slip out but maybe something to consider. and if cost is an issue the extractions on an already out cat would be not much compared to bringing her in 2 times

Good luck with the ringworm!

 

[Willowy]

She's tiny for her age! She should be almost 2 pounds by now. But orphans are usually behind a bit behind on growth. I had a 2 orphan kittens who were badly malnourished before I got them. I fattened them up with canned Fancy Feast kitten food mixed with kitten formula (if she doesn't like it mushy you can just mix the formula powder with the food) but they still didn't grow much until they were older. They're normal size now.

I have one cat with a pretty bad overbite. He eats fine (kibble and canned), the only problem is that he drools. And he's chipped his canine teeth, he'll probably need them removed eventually. But so far he hasn't needed any extractions. You might want to get a second opinion on that; some vets try to take advantage.

 

[mom2raven]

maybe she is so small because she has trouble eating?

She is eating pate style canned food. She kind of slurps it up.

Otherwise she is healthy.

I forgot to mention too, she has beautiful green eyes. That surprised me, both my other cats have yellow eyes...in fact every cat I have ever had has had yellow eyes.

 

[mom2raven]

Was 40 JUST the exam fee? and then the leuk test and ringworm diagnoses more?

QUOTE]

The quote was for the exam and first shots. We didn't do shots. The bill shows a twelve dollar charge to check her with a purple light for ringworm.

...12 dollars for a black light basically. Plus a culture for ringworm and a blood draw for the feline lukemia test. Yikes.

 

[Willowy]

FeLV/FIV tests are expensive. Even buying wholesale they cost $25-$30 each. So a vet will charge more than that. . .yeah, it can really add up. Charging that much for using a black light is crazy, though.

Did they de-worm her? My mini kitties didn't start to grow until they were fully de-wormed (took a few rounds for them).

 

[darlili]

well, the way I look at it, it's the black light and the vet's expertise I'm paying for. I mean, I have a black light at home (I suspect it's not quite the quality of that used by vets), but not the education or experience.

But, the pocketbook still hurts, I agree. My guy's last urine test was $40, but of course, that included getting the sample, the lab, and professional review. I was still eating ramen that weekend.