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Cat with ear infection - terrified of vet after bad experience - what to do

17 replies

tkdrift · 16/04/2024 20:02

I recently changed vets and took my cat to the new surgery. The vet noted that her ears were full of wax and needed a flush. They also took blood tests to check for allergies and swabs to check for infections.

She's utterly terrified of vet visits and I always find it so stressful, but told myself it was for the best. Dropped her off at 8am, still hadn't heard anything by 330pm so rang the vet for an update. Usually - and as is the case with every vet I've been with - I get a call early afternoon to update me, so I was a bit worried. Turns out they'd had an emergency and hadn't started our cat's procedure. So she had been there alone and unfed all day and no-one had called me.

Finally picked her up at 6. She has been a shadow of herself since. Terrified of everything, really nervous, not eating very much. I feel awful. The vet has called to say that she has some allergies and a very bad ear infection. We have drops but she bolts every time I go near her at the moment. She's so on edge all the time, barely eating, I don't think I can add to that fear by holding her down to put drops in her ear.

The vet wants her back in for her post op check - I can't do it. I know she needs treatment but she's also old. She's 11 and just so so scared after this procedure - more than she ever has been. I can only assume that it's due to her having been left hooked up to a drip for 8 hours, conscious, before undergoing her treatment.

I will move vets - regardless of whether what they did was the right or wrong thing I don't trust them anymore, but in the meantime she still has this ear infection. What do I do? What would you do? Can she have an antibiotic injection instead of the drops?

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 16/04/2024 20:39

My cat had a nasty ear infection when I first got her, she had two weeks of drops. The vets said that drops were the best treatment. (Had a disagreement with the rescue who wanted an injection) it cleared up eventually. But then she had chronic inflammation. So is back on different drops. Although we are on a weekly maintenance dose.
Problem is that she doesn't trust me at all not to pin her down and shove things in her ears. It's really difficult, as I hate holding her for it. And wish she trusted me more, but I have to do it for her own good,

Toddlerteaplease · 16/04/2024 20:39

Could you get some sedation to give before the vets.

tkdrift · 16/04/2024 20:47

@Toddlerteaplease that's exactly it. She doesn't trust me at all now and I can't get near her. I stand no chance of being able to do this twice a day. I feel perhaps that an injection might be better than nothing.

Sedation is an excellent idea. I might ask the vet and see how that would work. Thank you.

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 16/04/2024 20:50

My girl is actually very good. Once I've got her. But she's not daft and knows exactly what the bottle
Looks like and runs a mile.

Puppylucky · 16/04/2024 20:52

Our cat has to be sedated before a vet visit. They prescribe Gabapentin, which he has a dose of in his food, a couple of hours before his appointment. It knocks him out, so that they can treat him, but the effects linger for a day or so ( he's very sleepy/stoned). It also means all vet visits have to be preplanned - so couldn't work in an emergency but it's at least a partial solution.

Vergeofbreakdown23 · 16/04/2024 20:58

Give her lots of cuddles and fuss over the next day or two - she has an ear infection which you didn't know about until now so getting her settled down again first and delaying starting the anti biotics for a day or so isn't going to hurt her.
If she doesn't settle, speak to whichever vet you're going to go to and explain you need a sedative to bring her in and then ask if they can give her an injection of anti biotics.

Right now just concentrate on giving her lots of love - cats are BRILLIANT at making us feel so guilty but honestly, they're pretty resilient too ❤️

tkdrift · 16/04/2024 21:10

Thank you all for your kind words. I'm going to find out about the sedative and a jab. I'm really glad I asked you guys.

OP posts:
Canthave2manycats · 16/04/2024 21:22

My new rescue came complete with ear mites and runny eyes. I was told that he'd had cat flu as a kitten and his eyes were always runny. I wasn't prepared to accept that so I've spent loads trying to get him sorted (and because his pet insurance hadn't kicked in, now his eyes aren't covered!).

He's been on eye drops since he came and he was on eardrops for ages too, and he's been with us for three months. He hates it but we have to do it. I did ask the vet for an antibiotic injection last time after he failed to get miladdo to swallow a tablet the time before! He hides under a chair if he twigs what's about to happen but it's in his best interests!

He had his antib injection which was to last 2 weeks, 21/2weeks ago and his eyes are pretty clear! Fingers crossed!

Scampuss · 16/04/2024 21:27

Aww, poor girl ☹️

You do just need to be confident, quick and firm with anything they don't like. Do you have someone else at home so you can work together? It's much easier if one restrains and one does meds.

And 11 isn't old for a cat!

Canthave2manycats · 16/04/2024 21:29

Scampuss · 16/04/2024 21:27

Aww, poor girl ☹️

You do just need to be confident, quick and firm with anything they don't like. Do you have someone else at home so you can work together? It's much easier if one restrains and one does meds.

And 11 isn't old for a cat!

Yeah, meant to say that too, 11 isn't that old! My last boy lived to be 20+!

mathanxiety · 16/04/2024 22:11

Scampuss · 16/04/2024 21:27

Aww, poor girl ☹️

You do just need to be confident, quick and firm with anything they don't like. Do you have someone else at home so you can work together? It's much easier if one restrains and one does meds.

And 11 isn't old for a cat!

Tell that to my cat...

I had to buy welding gloves, a cat harness/ hammock, a clothes rack to clip the harness thingy to, AND disguise ground up gabapentin in tuna to get at Dcat's ears and trim the claws she kept scratching her infected ear wound with.

DS and I managed to clean out her infected ear (yeeeeuch) with a bag of cotton balls dipped in a cleanser for cat ears, disinfect it, administer AB drops plus ear mite drops in both ears just in case, and hoped for the best because there was no way any of us wanted to repeat the performance.

She put up a good fight even with the gabapentin, and proceeded to nearly strangle herself trying to rip off the cone I had put on her while trussed up.

Canthave2manycats · 16/04/2024 22:42

mathanxiety · 16/04/2024 22:11

Tell that to my cat...

I had to buy welding gloves, a cat harness/ hammock, a clothes rack to clip the harness thingy to, AND disguise ground up gabapentin in tuna to get at Dcat's ears and trim the claws she kept scratching her infected ear wound with.

DS and I managed to clean out her infected ear (yeeeeuch) with a bag of cotton balls dipped in a cleanser for cat ears, disinfect it, administer AB drops plus ear mite drops in both ears just in case, and hoped for the best because there was no way any of us wanted to repeat the performance.

She put up a good fight even with the gabapentin, and proceeded to nearly strangle herself trying to rip off the cone I had put on her while trussed up.

My old boy was a loving lapcat at home but he turned into the devil incarnate when we went to the vet! It was even on his notes... He calmed down a little when he was dying for one appointment, and at the next the vet said, "he's back to his feisty self"!! He was 20+ when he died!!!

mathanxiety · 17/04/2024 02:39

This reply has been withdrawn

Message withdrawn - duplicate post

AliceOlive · 17/04/2024 02:52

When mine are stressed like that I can still distract them with a bit of play. Feather toy or whatever. They’ll sit and watch and get a bit more relaxed. Gabapentin is a huge help. I would absolutely ask for a shot instead of pills. Good luck. Having a sick kitty is so stressful for both of you.

fieldsofbutterflies · 17/04/2024 15:45

I had to give ear-drops to a semi-feral kitten last year. The only way to do it was to burrito him into a massive towel, hold him tightly between my legs and get the drops in as quickly as possible. I basically got everything I needed ready in the bathroom, grabbed the cat, burrito'd him, got the drops in, wiped them out then stood back and let him run off.

It was so stressful and he needed them three times a day. He never got used to it but I got quicker and more confident as the days went by.

Toddlerteaplease · 17/04/2024 15:51

Blimey Penelope is an angel compared to some of the cats on here!

Canthave2manycats · 18/04/2024 01:00

Toddlerteaplease · 17/04/2024 15:51

Blimey Penelope is an angel compared to some of the cats on here!

Cat (so named because he turned up after our three cats had all died in the space of 11 months and we weren't having another one!) went mad at the vet's! There was one time during Covid when he'd had the runs and needed fur shaved around his BTM. I begged to be allowed to go in with him, and the vet agreed. I tried to hold him down, and seeing him thrashing around, she offered me gloves. He had them shredded in seconds!! He never ever got on like that at home! I'd asked the vet to put him to sleep at home if need be because he hated it so much. Thankfully he passed peacefully by himself.

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