Pet Forums Community - View Single Post - Just Back From Vet's

Saikou · #4 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 05:11 PM

I am really sorry to hear about your cat, making the final decision is never an easy one, and everyone has doubts and what ifs after making it. Its a horrible thing to have to do.

Cats kidneys are their achilles heal, and when you begin to see symptoms alot of the function has disappeared completely. There are things that can be done to help with the symptoms, time on a drip or subQ fluids to help flush the toxins that build up in the blood, but they only help for a time and there are also down sides to those. Being in the vets on a drip is very stressful for the cat, and it does thin down the blood, which can make the anaemia they are already suffering from because of their reduced kidney function even worse. There are also drugs like fortekor, but they only work in some cases and if the disease is caught early enough, but as cats are incredibly good at hiding their symptoms thats not always possible.

It does sound as though your vet was more than a little guilty of poor communication. I think he should have given you all the options and the possible outcomes of those options, and let you make your own decision about whether you wanted to put your cat through those, but he seems to have ruled out options on your behalf.

If you do decide to write to him, I think I would put it not as a complaint, but get him to explain why he didn't think testing etc were necessary in your cats case. Some vets can have rather a high minded attitude thinking they know best, and ultimately the decision he made may well have been the right one in the circumstances, but you have a right to be a part of that process and disagree and ask for something if you want it. Maybe your letter would make him think and he would handle the next case better.