Should I Dump This Vet?

bootsm

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We just moved to NYC and found a vet with good reviews. Most of them were more about good bedside manner than actual health though. Anyway, my cat (who has HCM and hyperthyroidism) has seemed way better since we moved. Put on weight, more alert and active. We took him for his usual blood test though and they said he had kidney disease, which we kind of suspected.

The issue is though the vet has been kind of blase in getting him better. We have new food for him but that's about all they suggested. Of course then I did my own research (looked at Tanya's site too) and found there's other things I can do. Anyway I asked her about supplements etc and she gave me all this info. It was overwhelming and I remember Tanya saying that it was important to give treatments at the right stage. I tried to get clarity from the vet about what to do when but she just said to do all of it, supplements, injections, etc. He's doing really well right now so I'm not sure what he needs and not getting guidance. And her attitude as well is "do it or not, he's old and you tried." She also said it was ok for my other cat to eat the kidney food "because she's old (she's 12) and will probably need it soon anyway."

I also saw in one of the reviews that they put a cat down because of hyperthyroidism. That seems strange because it's manageable!

Anyway, I don't know if I'm being over sensitive but they actually had the best reviews that I saw so a bit worried to try someone else. I'm kind getting a fatalist vibe is all.
 

kashmir64

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In my opinion, any vet who says it's ok for a healthy animal to eat a prescription diet from another animal, should be dumped. The k/d diet does not have the amount of nutrients (or whatever you want to call them) for a healthy non k/d animal. The prescription diet is specialized for a reason.
 

babiesmom5

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While good bedside manner is important, what is most important is being proactive for the benefit of your cat. I had a cat with HCM, Hyperthyroidism, and Diabetes, and with good Veterinary care, she had good quality of life until almost 20 years old.

From reading your description, I would not be entirely comfortable relying upon advice of this Vet. She sounds too "blase" for me. You have to go with your "gut" feeling. In this case, I would continue to look around, ask others for referrals.

Tanya's site is good. I would sometimes read something on there, then ask my Vet who welcomed insightful questions gleaned from my own research.

You have to be your cat's own best advocate with a Vet...just as you have to be for yourself with a human doctor.
 

cat princesses

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I agree with the above responses. For me, the relationship with the vet is critical - it's a partnership between you the owner and them working in unison. Tanya's site was absolutely invaluable to me when my cat was going thru her renal issues. They are the pillar for CKD support - I trusted most of the long term members and really valued their advice. If you don't think you're meshing well with the vet - move on. To me it's a red flag. You need to feel comfortable with the care they are providing - they work for YOU so if you don't like where it's going move on. I always request copies at each apt of blood work results etc, whatever tests that get run, I immediately get a copy for my files. This way, you have all the records and you can move on quickly to someone else without skipping a beat.
 
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bootsm

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Thank you all. Proactive is exactly the word, I'm not feeling that, more like a disregard because of his age. I'm looking for another vet
 

cat princesses

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Perfect! I'd try looking up clinics in your area and maybe reading reviews. I think you can always set up an interview first and meet with them and ask questions about how they approach treatment and see if you get a better vibe from someone else. Best of luck!
 

zygote

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I'm also in NYC and sent you a message. It can be overwhelming to find a vet here because there is too much choice! But whoever you go with, I hope you find a better match that will fight for your kitty.
 
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