I need to have a rant about the vet I took my new (and first) cat Sonny to.

Took him in for first injections and "full health check", which appeared to be simply stroking him and looking in his mouth !

I found huge black flecks of dirt around where he had been sitting but was brushing him regularly and hadn't found anything on his coat. Vet had a quick check and said she didn't think he had fleas.

Took the huge clumps of stuff in a few days later. One vet said it definately WAS flea dirt, then other vet rang me later that day saying they had it under microscope and it definately WAS NOT flea dirt. She said it looked like soil from plants or something. Hes never been out at my house or at adoption centre and I have no plants or flowers.

Went back for his other injections last week and I said it had quietened off loads but still the odd few specks. Again they said soil from plants. Again I said no. Could it not be from his ears I asked? Out come the cotton q-tips. It took FIVE double ended sticks to get all the crap out of his ears and the vet then looked with the microscope into his lugs and said it was ear mites.

If I hadn't of asked they wouldn't have even thought to look ! He now has ear drops I have to struggle with twice a day (difficult holding him down and putting the stuff in on my own)

I find it worrying that a very new cat owner had to suggest where it might be coming from.

Needless to say once he's been back this week for the follow up I'll be moving to a different vet. This place is part of a small local chain of vets and has been around for years. (obviously not looking after cats very well during this time !)

Ok rant over - just felt bad for poor Sonny as it mustn't have been nice for him !

Hmmm, that doesn't sound good. Def change vets.

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I've found that like with everybody, some vets are more "doggy" people and some are more "cat" people. Doesn't mean that they wouldn't both be excellent vets, just that when it comes to discussing minor diseases and "what's best" for your pet some are just more inclined to think harder about their preferred animal! Might be good to "anonymously" ring the vet and ask the receptionist "Who's the best person to talk about my cat with?" knamean xx

hmm thats strange, was he not scratching his ears or shaking his head?
those are typical signs of ear mites. however i would have expected them to do a full clinical exam (ie looking in his ears..) if they have advertised a full health check with vaccinations.

I'd seen him scratch his ears a couple of times last week which was what got me thinking it could be coming from there

Thanks for your post - and in x factor style - I take your comments on board - however I think whether they specified more towards dogs or not in 20+ years they must have has cases of ear mites and for me to have to keep raising the issue of where the stuff came from means they would have let it get worse and worse therefore I will definately be moving to another vet which has been recommended to me

No by all means shop around for vets! I just moved my dog to the same vets as my cats and am considering switching back for a few reasons. After all, it costs enough just for a checkup, you'd hope that you had the best advice and correct medication for the price! Good luck xx

agreed- it takes about a second to look in a cats ears

That's an interesting observation. I took my cat to my regular vet about 3 weeks ago and she ended up seeing the new female vet in the practice who I'd never met before. I left thinking she was an utter harpy who manhandled my cat and talked down to me. Well, yesterday my corgi had to be rushed in for rear-leg paralysis (he's got IVDD apparently and his calcifying discs are fragmenting and pushing on his spinal cord). Although I requested the regular vet, we saw the harpy again. She was the nicest person on earth--took time with the dog, was gentle and caring and quite wonderful. Turns out she has corgis herself, one who is paralized, and I made the observation that she is really a doggy vet who isn't really interested in dealing with cats.

Years ago, when the corgi was a puppy, he was playing with the kittens and herding them and nipped one. She seemed fine, and there were no outward marks for days, and she continued to cuddle and play with the dog. A few days later, she needed emergency surgery for the infection--he actually did break the skin. The emergency vet was obviously a cat person--she referred to Aber as "that dog" and "the killer dog", and warned me to never let them have contact again. (Never mind that 9 years later, cat and dog are still the closest of buddies and she kneads him and cuddles every chance she gets).

It makes a huge difference if the individual vet has a preference.

Surely anybody can tell the difference between flea dirt and soil, you don't have to be a highly trained vet. All you have to do is comb a bit onto some white paper, wet it very slightly and see if it turns red. If it does, it's got blood in it and it's from fleas, if it doesn't, it's not flea dirt.