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- Feb 19, 2001
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Either Friday or Saturday evening ( I can't remember which now) I had given Bacardi her pill. Not 30 minutes later, she began to pant and breathe rapid shallow gasps. Her respirations shot from 26 to 108 in a matter of seconds. She was drooling and shaking and I was totally panicked. As I was on the phone trying to get past the answering service to talk to my vet, Bacardi started crying and her cries were non-stop and wrenched my heart. I have never in my life heard more plaintive and searing cries from a cat. She was constantly crying non-stop for almost an hour. I had to carry her upstairs to the cat room and sit with her while waiting for a call-back, because the other cats were also getting upset.
In retrospect, I know she was aware that something was horribly going wrong with her body and she was panicked and confused and alerting me to this horrible change happening. I tried to keep my breathing even and just held her wrapped in a towel, until finally a vet called me back. The vet was the head of the clinic, and he had never seen Bacardi but when I told him the symptoms, he knew about feline hyperesthesia and asked what meds I was giving her. When I told him, he informed me that I wasn't given the proper meds for her! I was stunned- he told me to induce her to vomit, then once she did give her some grasses to settle her stomach.
Later I talked with Sandie (from this board) by phone and she was so helpful as well, talking me down off my meltdown mode, and helping fill in the gaps of what the vet didn't tell me. Not only was the pill not the correct one, but the dosage was to high as well.
I thought I had found the right vet. He excels with my horses and my dogs, but now I am loath to take Bacardi in to this clinic. Instead, I am going to take her to another vet who specializes in cats only specifically internal medicine and see what he has to say.
I thought my cat was having a heart attack and when it was all over I comforted her as much as she would allow and swore to her I would never give her another pill without knowing what it was, what it would do, what it was for. I have never been so scared and rattled in my life when it comes to animals and if that vet even decides to bill me for the meds, I am going to tear up his bill and visit him leaving with him a piece of my mind.
In retrospect, I know she was aware that something was horribly going wrong with her body and she was panicked and confused and alerting me to this horrible change happening. I tried to keep my breathing even and just held her wrapped in a towel, until finally a vet called me back. The vet was the head of the clinic, and he had never seen Bacardi but when I told him the symptoms, he knew about feline hyperesthesia and asked what meds I was giving her. When I told him, he informed me that I wasn't given the proper meds for her! I was stunned- he told me to induce her to vomit, then once she did give her some grasses to settle her stomach.
Later I talked with Sandie (from this board) by phone and she was so helpful as well, talking me down off my meltdown mode, and helping fill in the gaps of what the vet didn't tell me. Not only was the pill not the correct one, but the dosage was to high as well.
I thought I had found the right vet. He excels with my horses and my dogs, but now I am loath to take Bacardi in to this clinic. Instead, I am going to take her to another vet who specializes in cats only specifically internal medicine and see what he has to say.
I thought my cat was having a heart attack and when it was all over I comforted her as much as she would allow and swore to her I would never give her another pill without knowing what it was, what it would do, what it was for. I have never been so scared and rattled in my life when it comes to animals and if that vet even decides to bill me for the meds, I am going to tear up his bill and visit him leaving with him a piece of my mind.