Posted by Racer on June 7, 2004, at 14:18:57
In reply to Momdar, posted by Dinah on June 7, 2004, at 12:02:43
Can you find another vet?
My beloved MonsterCat has two major health problems: megacolon and chronic renal failure. Our last vet was terrible: I'd take the cat in, she'd say "he's constipated" (no ****?) and have him dragged from my arms into the back for an enema, then tell me to bring him back if it got worse. I got sick of that, and pointed out that I was perfectly capable of administering an enema in the more comfortable environment of his own home. Still never diagnosed the renal failure.
I finally found another vet. This one is WONDERFUL!!! As I stood there, trying to describe amorphous MomDar symptoms (while crying my heart out), she took care of us both. She diagnosed the kidney failure, and taught us how to administer sub-cutaneous fluids at home. She showed us the signs to watch for, gave us instructions about when to administer which sort of enema, paid respectful attention to the MomDar reports, and explained her own, personal interpretation of "Quality of Life." (Her view was that, for a 16 year old cat, if he can get up on the bed; comes for a cuddle in the evenings; shows signs of interest in his environment; eats (never been much of a problem: he's actually GAINED weight on his kidney diet); and changes sleeping position every couple of hours, then he's experiencing sufficient quality of life to continue treating him.) She is also very honest about her limitations, including telling me that something that looked like a stroke wasn't worth investigating, since whether or not it was a stroke, it wouldn't change the way we treated him. She's also good about the psychological aspects of this for me. She pointed out that the trauma of the sub-Q fluids and the enemas was of such limited duration that I should look at the remainder of his life, rather than that.
A good vet makes all the difference in the world. (I've told Dr EyeCandy that I want the same level of care my vet gives my cat. He doesn't have to kiss my forehead, or chuck me under the chin, but he does have to address the QofL issues and treat me with the same level of respect as a living creature. Unfortunately, he's either not capable of meeting that standard or just thinks it's too high.)
OK, now back to you, Dinah. It really is terrible when your loved ones are in distress. I'm so sorry that you're going through that. I believe you, and I think you're probably right about what you're seeing. Some vets seem to assume that older pets aren't as valuable as younger pets, or that whatever is wrong it "normal aging" and not worth addressing. I'm so sorry your vet isn't listening to you.
Best wishes.
poster:Racer
thread:354532
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040602/msgs/354555.html