Should I go to a vet for procedures like this one or not?

Renne

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I know I'm supposed to deworm my kitten before the vaccination and regularly afterwards and I thought I could do that at home. I watched some videos and cats seemed totally fine with the procedure. It's supposed to be easy, just give her some supposedly tasty liquid!

But today I did it for the first time and it wasn't good. The kitten became really scared at first and then she started meowing non-stop, eyes full of fear and desperation, as if I was making her suffer horribly. She's never meowed like that before, it almost broke my heart. Afterwards she was wary around me and didn't purr no matter how much I tried to stroke her on her favorite spots to calm her down.

In a while she went to sleep, slept for a few hours and seemingly forgot about it. Now she purrs like normal when I stroke her, but still has no appetite and doesn't want to play. Those, however, are likely side-effects of the dewormer, so I can't say for sure if she's still stressed or not.

I don't want my kitten to stop trusting me and to stop feeling safe! Should I go to a vet every time I need to deworm her, so that she becomes scared of the vet and not myself? Or do you think it's fine and she's always going to forget about it and trust me again (I heard that cats have short memory)? Afaik all people do such procedures at home.
 

verna davies

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Most people give their cats worming tablets at home, some cats are fine with it, others put up a bit of a fight. What did you use? Maybe because it was a liquid, she didnt like it. There are tablets that work well, can be hidden in a pill pocket ( like a treat) and the cats are not aware they have had a tablet.
 
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Renne

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Most people give their cats worming tablets at home, some cats are fine with it, others put up a bit of a fight. What did you use? Maybe because it was a liquid, she didnt like it. There are tablets that work well, can be hidden in a pill pocket ( like a treat) and the cats are not aware they have had a tablet.
It was a liquid medication administered via an oral syringe that came in the same package. I'm not aware of what a pill pocket is, but thank you I'm going to google it right now! Previously I'd had bad experiences with giving tablets to cats I had before, that's why I asked for a liquid for this kitten, but apparently that was a mistake. It actually takes longer to gradually administer a liquid than to administer one single pill!

It's intresting that whenever the kitten is scared outside of home she acts very subdued and you can do whatever you want with her. That's why I've never heard her meow so desperately before. Vets never had a problem with her, whatever they did. My mother joked that it's worth taking her out just to administer her treatments without issues - not to a vet, but just outside. She actually might be right, but of course I'd like to find a better solution.
 

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ara11

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If you can afford it, Im a fan of going to a knowledgeable vet. You don't want to be both loving nurturer and the torturer plus if something goes wrong, its on you forever. These are living creatures and while we might experiment on our selves, we shouldn't on something so helpless. This is coming from someone who lost a cat from infection and heart problems, as well as has another cat still living under the threat of recurrent cancer post surgery, so you can take or disregard my opinions since I obviously need a vet in my life..
 

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She’ll be ok and forget about it in due time - lots of cats don’t like being pilled or given medication and might give you the cold shoulder afterward for a bit, but it won’t last long. You can also try giving an extra tasty treat after the meds. If you’d be more comfortable going to the vet you obviously can but I don’t think you have to worry about making her deathly afraid of you if you do it at home.
 
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Renne

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This is coming from someone who lost a cat from infection and heart problems, as well as has another cat still living under the threat of recurrent cancer post surgery
Oh my god! I'm so sorry for your cats. I hope everything will be well with the one that's alive!

Hearing about cats suffering always reminds me of my own wrongdoings towards them :( When I was a child I supposedly gradually killed a cat by hugging her too much every day, and killed at least one kitten in the same way. That's what my parents told me 30 years later. And the last cat we had, we fed her real bad, mostly chicken bones, she was extremely thin, and I used to yell at her. Well at least about those cases I can say that I was too young and didn't know how to behave around cats and it wasn't my responsibility to feed them. It doesn't alleviate guilty feelings, but at least I know the responsibility is shared and the bigger part of it belongs to my parents.

But I'm also responsible for abandoning two cats more directly. When I was already 20 our cats would meow like crazy asking for tomcats, and one day I was so fed up that I told my mother to take them out to the streets. Somehow my mother always listened to what I said, even when I was young, so she told my father to take the cats out, and he did.My father always listened to my mother. When I grew up I realized what I did and I don't think I'll ever stop feeling guilty. I didn't allow myself to have a cat for a long time because of guilt, and now that I have this kitten I'm determined to be very caring and make its life fantastic.

She’ll be ok and forget about it in due time - lots of cats don’t like being pilled or given medication and might give you the cold shoulder afterward for a bit, but it won’t last long. You can also try giving an extra tasty treat after the meds. If you’d be more comfortable going to the vet you obviously can but I don’t think you have to worry about making her deathly afraid of you if you do it at home.
It's good to hear that cats actually forget such incidents! But I have an extra question: if they forget negative interactions easily enough, does that mean that they forget positive interactions, as well? That's sad.
 

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Oh my god! I'm so sorry for your cats. I hope everything will be well with the one that's alive!

Hearing about cats suffering always reminds me of my own wrongdoings towards them :( When I was a child I supposedly gradually killed a cat by hugging her too much every day, and killed at least one kitten in the same way. That's what my parents told me 30 years later. And the last cat we had, we fed her real bad, mostly chicken bones, she was extremely thin, and I used to yell at her. Well at least about those cases I can say that I was too young and didn't know how to behave around cats and it wasn't my responsibility to feed them. It doesn't alleviate guilty feelings, but at least I know the responsibility is shared and the bigger part of it belongs to my parents.

But I'm also responsible for abandoning two cats more directly. When I was already 20 our cats would meow like crazy asking for tomcats, and one day I was so fed up that I told my mother to take them out to the streets. Somehow my mother always listened to what I said, even when I was young, so she told my father to take the cats out, and he did.My father always listened to my mother. When I grew up I realized what I did and I don't think I'll ever stop feeling guilty. I didn't allow myself to have a cat for a long time because of guilt, and now that I have this kitten I'm determined to be very caring and make its life fantastic.


It's good to hear that cats actually forget such incidents! But I have an extra question: if they forget negative interactions easily enough, does that mean that they forget positive interactions, as well? That's sad.
That’s an excellent point about they forget the bad but what about the good? I think they remember much.
Your compassion toward me and my cats showed how much you evolved from your cat childhood past. I think you will be a fantastic cat mom and will do what you can for your precious baby.
 

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My vet normally gives me the dewormer to take home and give to the cats and dogs myself (probably because I have multiple). It is good to get the dewormer from the vet though, they can do a fecal sample to make sure you are getting the right kind for the worms the cat has. I did try liquid dewormer once with my current kittens and I hated it, I mixed it in some wet food but was unsure how much dewormer they actually ate and how much just got pushed around on the plate (they didn't lick the plate clean). The other option, and by far the easiest, is topical dewormer (it's called Profender and you can only get it from the vet or with a vet precription), it's a gel you dab onto the skin between the shoulder blades.
 

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I am still not sure why you didn't go to a vet to pick up some de-wormer. It is usually in the form of a vanilla pudding and most kittens will lick it right off your fingers.
 
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Renne

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I am still not sure why you didn't go to a vet to pick up some de-wormer. It is usually in the form of a vanilla pudding and most kittens will lick it right off your fingers.
Actually I did, and on their suggestion I bought that liquid medication! :(
 
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Renne

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When they had a chance to charge you for their's?- okay.
I bought it in their vet shop. But now you've given me a chance to vent my frustration ;)

I'm not going to ever go to that clinic again, and for good reasons. When I asked for a first-ever check-up for my kitten to make sure it's healthy, they didn't seem to know what to do. They just weighted her and gave her back to me. Yeah, knowing a kitten's weight is all the check-up a kitten ever needs, for sure...

I actually went there again hoping that I just happened on an unexperienced vet, but another one didn't seem to know how to do a check-up, either. She seemed confused when I asked for a check-up and asked what I mean by that. I said that at least taking a kitten's temperature would be a start :). So she took her temperature and that was it. Worse yet, I told her that my kitten has many brown dots in her ears (and she occasionally scratches her ears), and rather than taking a swab for diagnosing her she told me that it's dirt and that I should clean her ears. I asked if she really can tell dirt from possible health issues like ear mites just from looking, and she said yes. Then she cleaned my kitten's ears in a very rough manner, and the kitten couldn't stop scratching them for hours afterwards. I regret that I allowed that.

Later I phoned to three other clinics asking questions and at least by phone they sounded more competent, and I have an actual ear swab scheduled.
 

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I bought it in their vet shop. But now you've given me a chance to vent my frustration ;)

I'm not going to ever go to that clinic again, and for good reasons. When I asked for a first-ever check-up for my kitten to make sure it's healthy, they didn't seem to know what to do. They just weighted her and gave her back to me. Yeah, knowing a kitten's weight is all the check-up a kitten ever needs, for sure...

I actually went there again hoping that I just happened on an unexperienced vet, but another one didn't seem to know how to do a check-up, either. She seemed confused when I asked for a check-up and asked what I mean by that. I said that at least taking a kitten's temperature would be a start :). So she took her temperature and that was it. Worse yet, I told her that my kitten has many brown dots in her ears (and she occasionally scratches her ears), and rather than taking a swab for diagnosing her she told me that it's dirt and that I should clean her ears. I asked if she really can tell dirt from possible health issues like ear mites just from looking, and she said yes. Then she cleaned my kitten's ears in a very rough manner, and the kitten couldn't stop scratching them for hours afterwards. I regret that I allowed that.

Later I phoned to three other clinics asking questions and at least by phone they sounded more competent, and I have an actual ear swab scheduled.

Checking kittens and puppies should be a no-brainer for any vet, but I am glad that you are shopping around.
 

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ITA with jefferd18 jefferd18 . You need to fire that vet. A competent feline specialist might be worth the money and there's an article about how to find one around here somewhere.

My vet does NOT routinely deworm kittens! I was asked if I wanted to drop off a stool sample so they could check. The practice recommends a yearly check, or I could bring in a sample at any time if I was concerned. I've had cats all my life and have NEVER been told to deworm them when they didn't even have worms.

My Tacy got worms once. They looked like little grains of rice in her stool when I scooped the litter box. It wasn't serious at all.

ITA with [USER]@ara11[/USER] that you're going to be a fantastic cat mom who actually deserves such a precious and unique little tortie, but you may also be vulnerable to situations like this. Please let us help.

I'm glad you're getting that ear swab. Ear mites are miserable. Poor little sweetie---she's lucky you've got her back.
 

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Are you sure the liquid medication was to use orally? All dewormers I personally know are either pills to use orally, or liquid spot-on treatments that are meant to apply topically on their neck.

Anyway, I suggest topical dewormers like Stronghold / Revolution. Profender also protects against tapeworms, the other two does not. I apply it on my cat while she's eating smelly food she doesn't often eat - she gets distracted with the food. And separate the hair there sometimes at normal times too so she won't suspect of something weird happening when you do so to apply the spot-on treatment.

How often should be the routine for deworming really depends on the circumstances and location. Like if a cat is indoor-only, no other pet in the house, and they didn't get fleas... personally I would go without a dewormer and only do if I saw a symptom of possible worms like not gaining weight, or low belly, or diarrhea. If they go out and/or get fleas, it's better to routinely deworm or get their poop tested for worms. Getting the poop tested is the best but if the cat goes outside and the poop test is expensive, dewormer every 1-3 months might be the best option in the circumstances. (They usually get worms through fleas or other cats' poop. The risk factor is different in a location that is warm longer time in the year as there are more fleas around. And some worms are more common in one location than the other. A local GOOD vet will be your best guide.)
 
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Renne

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My vet does NOT routinely deworm kittens! I was asked if I wanted to drop off a stool sample so they could check. The practice recommends a yearly check, or I could bring in a sample at any time if I was concerned. I've had cats all my life and have NEVER been told to deworm them when they didn't even have worms.
Afaik it's the usual procedure to deworm kittens before vaccinating them. Another clinic I phoned told me the same. The reason is that worm infestation lowers a cat's immune system effectiveness, and vaccination might not be very successful. They also said that they can't guarantee to always locate worm signs in a stool sample, so the sure fire way to make sure they aren't present is to deworm.

And I actually found something in her stool! It looked like a whitish 'thread' (a tapeworm?). It didn't look like anything she might've eaten, but I took a photo just in case to ask a vet later. There was only a single one.

ITA with [USER]@ara11[/USER] that you're going to be a fantastic cat mom who actually deserves such a precious and unique little tortie, but you may also be vulnerable to situations like this. Please let us help.
Thanks! :hugs:
 
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Renne

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Are you sure the liquid medication was to use orally? All dewormers I personally know are either pills to use orally, or liquid spot-on treatments that are meant to apply topically on their neck.
Yep the oral syringe came in the same package, and naturally I read the instructions ;)

The reason I didn't use a brand dewormer like Stronghold is that I bought it when she was still 2 months old (and now she's still only 2.5). I was told that there's a limited amount of dewormers that are safe for small kittens. Anyway, the one I bought seems to be good, I just shouldn't have chosen the liquid version.

I suspect that she some fleas at first, because she was scratching her ears and neck, and at first I used a flea liquid treatment applied externally. That didn't help, however, still scratching, and then I found 'dirt' in her ears, so maybe the ear mites or something alike is causing it. Still, I did find something resembling a tape worm in her stool once I gave her a dewormer, and tapeworms are known to be transmitted by fleas.

The reason some vets recommend deworming 4 times a year for in-door cats is because you can bring fleas on your boots from the streets, and cats really like to interact with their owner's boots. Mine sure does.
 

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Oh my god! I'm so sorry for your cats. I hope everything will be well with the one that's alive!

Hearing about cats suffering always reminds me of my own wrongdoings towards them :( When I was a child I supposedly gradually killed a cat by hugging her too much every day, and killed at least one kitten in the same way. That's what my parents told me 30 years later. And the last cat we had, we fed her real bad, mostly chicken bones, she was extremely thin, and I used to yell at her. Well at least about those cases I can say that I was too young and didn't know how to behave around cats and it wasn't my responsibility to feed them. It doesn't alleviate guilty feelings, but at least I know the responsibility is shared and the bigger part of it belongs to my parents.

But I'm also responsible for abandoning two cats more directly. When I was already 20 our cats would meow like crazy asking for tomcats, and one day I was so fed up that I told my mother to take them out to the streets. Somehow my mother always listened to what I said, even when I was young, so she told my father to take the cats out, and he did.My father always listened to my mother. When I grew up I realized what I did and I don't think I'll ever stop feeling guilty. I didn't allow myself to have a cat for a long time because of guilt, and now that I have this kitten I'm determined to be very caring and make its life fantastic.


It's good to hear that cats actually forget such incidents! But I have an extra question: if they forget negative interactions easily enough, does that mean that they forget positive interactions, as well? That's sad.
I’m not sure how much we truly know about the cognition and feelings of cats, but I have always heard that positive reinforcement works better than negative reinforcement does for cats, so it’s possible that link is stronger for them. Also do consider that you do a lot of positive stuff for your cat all the time - petting, feeding, playing with them, just hanging out, and all that stuff far out weighs the 30 seconds of being forced to take a pill
 
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