Is my vet taking the piss ? TW

[sharplettuce]

I got a new kitten, now both my cats have worms. I treated them both but called the vet the next day because I'm worried about the little one, as she's been kind of exhausted and slow to move around since I brought her home. The receptionist said I should bring them both in, in case they need a stronger treatment. It's £100 just for a double consultation, and I don't know what treatment will cost on top of that. I'm tempted to just keep them home, treat again in 2 weeks and make sure the little one is getting lots of good food to get her strength up. What do you think

Oh please, that is just ridiculous and minimises the use of a TW.
Please do respond to my important points; like why you think it's ok to ask strangers about caring for your uninsured pet

I don't think it matters to the kitten whether she's insured. I'm asking because I want advice from cat owners on whether I need a vet or not

You really couldn't be more obtuse could you?
You bought an ill kitten from a dealer
You came on here to ask if you should take your ill kitten to the vet, not because you were concerned about its health, you were thinking the vet was ripping you off.
You mentioned it wasnt insured, which no, it wouldn't give a fuck about as it was busy being ill.
Why would you consider money before your cats health

It's downright depressing.
WHY oh why are these awful pet selling sites allowed to advertise?
They are so often a front for appalling ''Kitten/puppy farming''

The people who buy from these places see themselves as ''rescuing'' an animal from there- except they are perpetuating the misery , as the cat or dog will have been purchased- giving the Greeders a handsome profit.

Well reared kittens and puppies cost a fair bit to rear well, and a decent breeder /rescue will be asking a lot of questions to the prospective kitten/puppy owner.

Anyone dropping off a sick animal in a vehicle is a rogue.

No reputable breeder/rescue would ever do that.

I wish all those animal selling sites would be shut down for good.

No one should EVER buy an animal from these sites if they care for the animal's welfare.

One way to look at it is you’ve rescued a kitten from an uncaring home.
It might be the kitten has impacted worms. I.e. there are so many they’ve overtaken the digestive system meaning poor kitten isn’t absorbing nutrition from its food. Possible the mum had the same.
I think you need vet treatment for this, it’s potentially fatal.

As for passing to humans you need to scrupulously clean.
Wash your hands every time you handle the cats. Use a nail brush daily. Don’t chew your nails!
Clean litter trays frequently. Make a spray with 60/40 Surgical spirit and water. Stronger if you’re really concerned. Clean all surfaces of trays with this daily and the floor where the trays are.

( and you’re not pregnant are you? Additional risks if you are. I’m very much a belt and braces person!)

I'm asking because I want advice from cat owners on whether I need a vet or not

Do you really need a bunch of strangers to tell you that your worm-riddled, lethargic kitten needs vet treatment?

Worms can and do kill kittens if they're not treated properly.

One way to look at it is you’ve rescued a kitten from an uncaring home.

No, she got it from a kitten farm somewhere and the queen is probably already pregnant with the next litter of worm-riddled babies.

Please don't peddle the myth that these kittens are being "rescued".

Given you didn't weigh the kitten and erred on the side of caution you may overdosed with the wormer. Take kitten to vet now.

From September last year antiparasitic treatment was moved into the same class as antibiotics for vets and as such a hands on examination has to happen for medication to be prescribed. So no your vet is not taking the piss they are following the legal frame work they are bound by.
Your kitten sounds unwell and yes I have seen kittens die or nearly from heavy parasitic infections. It is really normal for kittens to have roundworms due to certain ones sleeping in the mother's muscle and dealing up when pregnant and passing in the milk. So it is recommended to start worming at 3 weeks of age and worm every two weeks till they are 8 weeks old.

@Allthehorsesintheworld

One way to look at it is you’ve rescued a kitten from an uncaring home

No, please don’t encourage this viewpoint. It’s a way people often justify their actions after they’ve bought animals from terrible places. The OP has not rescued an animal, they’ve been a cog in a wheel to keep the machine of puppy/kitten farming going. If no one bought these animals from these awful people, they’d stop breeding. They keep doing it, keeping animals in terrible conditions with no regard for their welfare because it makes them money. They are able to do this because idiots keep buying the animals from them. The idiots aren’t doing a good deed and they’re not rescuing animals; they’re selfish people who can’t be bothered researching or doing any kind of planning before getting a pet. I bet the OP responded to the advert for a new kitten on a whim and got the kitten delivered to her the same day. She didn’t think of the kitten’s welfare when she did that, she’s didnt think of the kitten’s welfare when she didn’t insure the poor thing and she’s certainly not thinking of it now when she’s considering not taking it to the vet when it’s showing clear signs of being unwell.

Take kitten to the vet please today x

By buying the pups they weren't 'saved'.

It just encourages the breeders to repeat the process.

The idea is you walk away without lining their pockets and then report them. If the breeders can't sell the puppies there's no incentive to repeat the process.

That should have been free as part of the post op check.

Our vet told me kittens often carry a large “load” of worms and people often are very concerned on worming. I’d get the kitten checked over by the vet and booked in for jabs and neutering so you have a schedule going forwards. You will need to worm and defies both cats regularly so I just write that and annual checkups/boosters in the diary.
are you sure the kitten is as old as you thought it was? Google and you will find guides to guesstimating age. You could supplement with cat milk (formula from the pet shop) for a week to give it a boost.

Vets are expensive because you are paying them for what they know . You may not be there long but you're paying for their experience so take the kitten to the vet.

Fleas and worms are unlikely to be covered by insurance as they're preventable, plus the insurance excess of £99 would cover the treatment cost.

I’m not sure any more condemnation is going to help , the OP is hopefully realising her actions were wrong now and needs to urgently rectify the current problem.

Most important now is that your cats are seen asap , yes it’s going to be more costly than if you had gone via a rescue centre in the first place , but it’s your responsibility to fix now .

The cats need to be seen , as PP has mentioned worming treatment now requires the vet to see the cat in the previous 12 months to dispense, so not a vet rip off just new rules .

Please don’t just wait 2 weeks and try to repeat the treatment, you genuinely may no longer have a kitten left if you do that .

What treatment did you use , if it was a cheap one like Johnson’s there are numerous reported side effects and it just doesn’t work properly. Panacur is the most common reliable treatment for kittens , but as yours has missed the doses from 2 weeks , you really need a vet . The vet will also be able to check for dehydration . Your main cat needs treating properly too , otherwise will continue to spread back and forth .

Have you also treated with a reputable flea treatment , because if they get a heavy flea load on top you will have a bigger problem.

I wish your kitten a speedy recovery.

No, your vet is not "taking the piss", as explained by Needanadultgapyear (great username!)

To the PP who said vet fees are "extortionate"- compared to what? A consultation with a private human doctor? A private dentist's appointment? (These being the closest two professions I can think of).

I agree with the posters who say don't financially support puppy and kitten mills or feckless backyard breeders and then award yourself a good Samaritan prize for "rescuing" a youngster.

Yes, it was Johnson's I used. They don't seem to have fleas but they've both had a treatment (at home). It was on my mind to get Baephar worming syrup when she came home, but it's sold out everywhere for some reason

I rang a couple of vets yesterday, earliest appointment is tomorrow

What I meant was the OP has removed or taken a kitten from a home where it wasn’t given proper care.
She can’t go back and change what happened but can change its future.

Couldn't agree more.
The poor little kitten in this pic {screenshotted to cut out identifying people} was bought on whim by a purchaser - the kitten was breathing really rapidly.

She has congenital heart disease.

Thanks to the shitty breeder who didn't heart test the mother/father.

This little kitten was taken to a vet, and was told that it she would be uninsurable as a ''pre existing condition''.. The impulse buyer didn't fancy having to pay a lot of money in vet's fees for a sickly kitten , so took her back to the breeder, {not sure if the buyer got her money back- over £1,000}

The kitten herself seemed very sweet natured- I didn't see her, but the person who did said she was lovely.

Doubtless bewildered by having been to a new home for a few days then returned.

The only real loser is the kitten and the mother.

We know what you meant. You’ve clearly not understood people that have responded to you.
She’s bought a kitten from an irresponsible breeder. She might have changed her kitten’s future but she’s effectively ensured that more kittens will be born into dire circumstances and sold on in the same poor condition as this one. The mother will be subjected to having litter after litter. The OP hasn’t done a good deed by buying the kitten, she’s indulged herself with an impulse buy of an animal with no regard to the animals wellbeing, the wellbeing of other animals and in doing so has kept the market for kitten farming going.

Call the emergency vet as the poor thing sounds like she is getting worse.

I’m sure if you explained what you have here about the kitten being lethargic etc. at such a young, vulnerable age, they’d want to see the kitten today. I’m guessing you probably just don’t want to pay the extra charge for an emergency/weekend appointment.