For animal lovers

[JavaJo]

Sorry, AJane. Yes, he's in a better place now.

I was wondering, how often do you folks take cat/dog in for dental exam & cleaning? I've heard it's a good idea every 1 or 2 yrs.

I don't work in a vet office at this time, but I did go to college (and graduated) to be a Vet Tech. Yearly is what is recommended. I take my dog a little less frequently because he doesn't wake up easily after being out.

Vets do know what meds cat can tolerate, but some cats do have allergies and have reactions to certain medications. The vet has no way of knowing that until the pet has a had a reaction. Tylenol is absolutely lethal to cats. People will give their cat Tylenol and then end up in the vets office because the cat is sick and they have no idea why. The minute the blood is drawn, you can tell if Tylenol was administered because the blood is brown and sludgy. It literally looks like a chocolate milkshake. Sometimes it can be reversed...if the cat is brought in in time, but most people wait, thinking the cat will feel better on his own. It's any drug with acetaminophen. It's not recommended for dogs, either, unless a vet specifies the dosage.

My old boy has arthritis and I give him a baby aspirin (Bufferin) every morning with his breakfast, so it doesn't upset his stomach.

[Brooks]

Vets do know what meds cat can tolerate, but some cats do have allergies and have reactions to certain medications. The vet has no way of knowing that until the pet has a had a reaction.

No, this really isn't the issue. Far too many vets use drugs that shouldn't be used at all on cats and even when it might be the right medicine they don't aim for minimum doses. So you have to protect yourself and learn what's appropriate for your cat.

A very common example of the first... http://www.metacamkills.com/ An NSAID too frequently given to cats. Cats don't tolerate NSAIDs as a group, and Metacam in particular. I know many cats that have needlessly died from this. Now that there is a black box warning on it, it's probably malpractice to continue to use it, but it was never approved for cats in the way most vets have used it.

A very common example of an appropriate drug given at far too high a dosage is methimazole for hyperthyroidism. It's the right drug for a very common condition in elderly cats but almost all vets start at a potentially lethal dose when the right way is to build up and keep rechecking. I know cats that have needlessly died from this as well.

[Gutmutter]

Making steady progress... Dexter (I have permission from my daughter to use it after all) played with a toy hanging from the bottom platform of the carpeted cat tree for half an hour while I was sitting next to him. Minerva came in in the middle of the night and was very affectionate with me. They're still scoping each other out, but no major hissy fits. He's very interested in her, she's not sure what to think. I almost got them both to play with the laser pointer at the same time. Maybe a little catnip is in order.

[JavaJo]

No, this really isn't the issue. Far too many vets use drugs that shouldn't be used at all on cats and even when it might be the right medicine they don't aim for minimum doses. So you have to protect yourself and learn what's appropriate for your cat.

A very common example of the first... http://www.metacamkills.com/ An NSAID too frequently given to cats. Cats don't tolerate NSAIDs as a group, and Metacam in particular. I know many cats that have needlessly died from this. Now that there is a black box warning on it, it's probably malpractice to continue to use it, but it was never approved for cats in the way most vets have used it.

A very common example of an appropriate drug given at far too high a dosage is methimazole for hyperthyroidism. It's the right drug for a very common condition in elderly cats but almost all vets start at a potentially lethal dose when the right way is to build up and keep rechecking. I know cats that have needlessly died from this as well.

The link you gave me claims the cat died from the drug, but it also says he was suffering from Hermangiosarcoma, which is cancer and it's a form of cancer that is very common in the liver and has a high mortality rate. The actual drug website says that cats should be given the drug in a low dose before surgery, not as a regular pain reliever. I'll give you that not all vets are goods. It's the same with any doctor...there are great doctors and there are quacks. But to use the blanket statement that not all vets know which drugs are safe is not accurate. It is important to research the drugs that your pet is prescribed, but my guess is the vet of the cat in the link gave him the drug to ease his pain, knowing he already had cancer in his liver and wasn't going to make it anyway. the sole goal at that point is to make the pet comfortable.

[Brooks]

I can safely say most vets do not know how to safely start dosing with methimazole and most vets probably still don't know that Metacam should not be used for cats and never should have been used in the way most of them used it (it was off label, not approved for cats) and most vets don't even understand the basics of cat nutrition. I never said all vets, but enough that trusting furparents can be badly burned. Either obscene vet bills or obscene vet bills plus dead cats. Plus a lot of emotional agony. You probably didn't get to the bottom of the metacamkills website to read all the other stories. A very common scenario is the cat goes in for dental work and is back in the hospital a few weeks later because their kidneys failed from Metacam that never should have been prescribed. I know a great many cats like this.

Tango7 asked for comments. I hope Bella has an uneventful experience.

[just1paul]

Making steady progress... Dexter (I have permission from my daughter to use it after all) played with a toy hanging from the bottom platform of the carpeted cat tree for half an hour while I was sitting next to him. Minerva came in in the middle of the night and was very affectionate with me. They're still scoping each other out, but no major hissy fits. He's very interested in her, she's not sure what to think. I almost got them both to play with the laser pointer at the same time. Maybe a little catnip is in order.

And your camera. Good for Minerva and good for Dexter.

[Gutmutter]

After the way you've reformed her, you can honestly say, "Nobody knows the Trouble I've seen."

[just1paul]

After the way you've reformed her, you can honestly say, "Nobody knows the Trouble I've seen."

Reformed her? MY dear dear funny friend.......... HA! She trained me completely and it was me letting her do that that made her come more out of her shell. Even with the multiple wake up calls from her at night for a rubbing I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Critical]

It's official: I have the weirdest cat on the planet. A friend of mine made salmon mousse for a party and sent me home with a little container of it. While I was having it on crackers, I put a tiny bit on my finger and held it out to Oliver. He smelled it and then turned up his nose and walked away! What the hell!? I guess I should be glad he has absolutely NO interest in people food, but it's still so strange. Suki, of course, would have had her head in the bowl if I'd let her!

Speaking of Miss Suki, I finally got a halfway decent picture of her. Black cats are a bit tricky - although she's almost a REALLY dark chocolate brown - but this one isn't bad.
Suki.jpg

[Gutmutter]

Wow! Beautiful!
I had a major breakthrough with Dexter last night. I got on the floor and inched forward on my belly (what we'll do for our pets!) until I was close enough to touch his paw. After a few sets of him backing up/me inching forward, he realized I only wanted to play. He swatted me gently and I swatted back. Inching closer, I was able to rub his neck and it was like flicking on a light switch! Now he comes to me, lets me pet and belly rub him, play fight (no claws or teeth!) and even hold him for a minute. He still doesn't seem easy being up on anything higher than the floor. Of course the end result of all this rolling around on the floor for me was allergy symptoms necessitating the Neti pot, eye drops, and half a box of tissues.