Cross after vet visit

[madcatladyforever]

My lovely 19 year old girl had radioactive iodine treatment for a massively out of control thyroid last year, she had terrible diarrhoea on the pills and looked skeletal.
It's a gentle non invasive treatment so I thought ok lets do it because she's still very happy with life and if it gives her another couple of happy years then great.
All worked out great and she's ben top of the world, eating, playing, happy and cuddly. She put all the weight she lost back on and loves going out into the garden.
She was supposed to have a series of blood tests following that treatment but my thinking was why? She's 19 I'm not letting her have the treatment again if it's failed so why subject her to invasive blood taking if she's happy and well and eating and putting on weight.
Anyway I kept getting reminders endlessly by phone and email to say I really must get a check so took her off for just the one blood test thinking it would be ok.
Well it wasn't she bit, growled, hissed, scratched and generally went feral so the vet said they were keeping her in to sedate her and do the tests under sedation, I wasn't thrilled because last time she had a general anaesthetic she was inches away from being PTS.
They rung me later that afternoon to pick her up £400 later because of admission costs and she was in a right state, loads of fur shaved off, kept bleeding from the blood letting sites on her leg and chest, looked properly pissed off and was so drunk she couldn't stand up, it took her all evening before she could properly stand without falling over, I had to carry her to the litter tray a few times.
Even this morning she isn't right.
I feel so guilty and horrible putting her through this, it was my instinct to let her be and now she's in this state and minus a ton of fur which will take ages to grow back.
But that's it now, no more tests, no more pills nothing. I just hope she gets over this Poor kitty.

[Toddlerteaplease]

Poor you. I think I'd have said no when they mentioned sedating her though. I'm pissed off with my vet, for deciding that an old eye injury that cheddar has had, since before I got her two years ago. Is causing her discomfort and still healing. When a previous vet told me it was old and not a problem. Eyedrops. No boosters and another appointment next week.

[madcatladyforever]

Oh dear poor Cheddar. It is never ending isn't it!!!

Luckily Buns has recovered now but that's it no more blood tests or treatment other than antibiotics or pain killers.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I think I’d do the same.

[caringcarer]

I wanted my kitten speyed at 5 months during lockdown. First vet told me he could not operate as not matter of life or death. Vet agreed to Spey at 6 1/2 months but would only do midline. I would have preferred a flank spay as smaller op. My kitten came home unable to stand up, slept through 16 hours, Ate and drank a little then collapsed again. I had to carry her to litter tray. Then she slept all day again. She was only able to walk on day 3. I told vet how sleepy she was. Her sister went in for same of 3 days later and came around after 4 hours at home. I am convinced vet gave first kitten too much anaesthetic.

[Want2beme]

madcatladyforever, hope she's much better today

Toddler, when I took my latest stray, (now not a stray), to the vet with an eye problem, he told me it was an old injury and nothing could be done about it, and he'll fine.

[Toddlerteaplease]

Exactly what I was told @wantobeme

[madcatladyforever]

@caringcarer Yes i think the vet gave Buns way too much sedation, she has never been this wobbly before. I'm glad your baby manahed to recover ok.

@want to be me She's pretty much back to normal now thank goodness but I've learned my lesson.

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

Harry was like this a couple of times after sedation/GA at his last vet. It turns out on both occasions he'd been given ketamine. When we changed vet the new one put no ketamine on his notes and I've mentioned it when he's been sedated but luckily they don't use it.

He had a dental a couple of weeks ago and was absolutely fine when we got him home so I definitely believe it was the ketamine, despite his previous vet telling me it was because of his kidney disease (very early) or heart disease (which he doesn't have).

[Lonecatwithkitten]

@caringcarer I just want to answer a couple of your lockdown situation points.
The RCVS advised all vets that during lockdowns neutering were only to occur if not doing them compromised animal welfare and that we should only carry them out if our practice could cope - different practices interpreted this differently.
The use of ketamine, during lockdown Propofol the most commonly used anaesthetic in both humans and animals was in very short supply as it was in use for those people on ventilators. The veterinary profession was asked to keep use to a bare minimum and hence ketamine was more widely used to preserve propofol for human use. Ketamine anaesthetics also tend to be oxygen sparing and we were asked to preserve oxygen supplies for human use.
Flank v. Midline spay. The UK is the only place in the world where flank spay is routinely used. Whilst the flank spay is a smaller whole it is a more painful procedure as it cuts muscle whereas midline spay goes between the muscles, so in truth the midline spay is the least invasive approach.

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

That's interesting to read about the use of ketamine @Lonecatwithkitten, I must have been lucky that my vet took notice and didn't use it. I'm presuming ketamine anaesthetic is a cheaper option which would have fitted with the previous practice using it!

[caringcarer]

@Lonecatwithkitten, vet insisted on doing midline as l had male cat awaiting neutering. I told vet I had kept male kitten separate through lockdown so female kittens were not pregnant but vet refused to believe me. Neither female kitten was pregnant.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

@PinkSparklyPussyCat actually ketamine is more expensive, but it has lots of good properties just not the same one as propofol. Ketamine combined with three other drugs is the recommended protocol for early neuterings though not everyone follows the international cat care recommendations.
Personally I think kitten quad is superior to propofol for neuterings, yes you get dissociation, but it has superior pain control and does not need to be given intravenously so there is no need for firm restraint.

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

That's interesting Lonecat. I'm surprised as I've since found out a few things about the owner of the previous vets (in the press and from people who knew him) that make me think he wouldn't spend any more than the minimum he could get away with

[Toddlerteaplease]

Snorg had Ketamine when she had pancreatitis, she was absolutely stoned! We use Ketamine at work. We love it!

[madcatladyforever]

The poor girl is very subdued, I'm not sure what happened at the vet but she has been hiding in the cupboard ever since and gets hysterical when I shut the cupboard door.
She very cuddly with me when I get home and go and pick her up but where she used to spend all evening with me she now hides in the cupboard, I really don't know what to do.

[TheSparklyPussycat]

As I'm sure you know, cats hide in dark places when they are poorly. Hopefully she'll emerge when she feels better.