Too often I've been bullied and pressured into uneccessary vet proceedures by money-grubbing practitioners. It wasn't like this ten years ago!

When my cat was diagnosed with pnuemonia (straight from the pound), all the vet had to do was take in her symptoms and listen to her breathing. With great certainty, he declaired 'This cat has pnuemonia!'. Rather dramatically too.

Next thing I know, the vet tech comes in with a bill of $800+ dollars - most of it going to X-Rays to figure out 'whether the cat had pnuemonia or not'.

We decided to have them give her a breathing treatment, antibiotics and take her home and nurse her ourselves. Some pet owners might say I made the wrong choice, but she's alive and healthy today. It costed $180, and boy, they weren't happy about that!

A year before, we adopted a dog from the same pound with a severe case of kennel cough that, you guessed it, developed into pnuemonia. We paid a similar bill for X-Rays, antibiotics and haphazard advice from the vet. Except he got a worming treatment as well. Heh. So we knew what to do.

However, in the case of the kitten, the vet tech pressured us with phrases such as 'If you decide to wait a week to treat this kitten, you'll have no kitten to treat', 'Cats with pnuemonia can't eat - she'll need an IV'. When my mom asked her about antibiotics, she said 'How will you get antibiotics? How will you know the dosage?' with an extremely berating, agressive tone.

Um. Because you will prescribe it to us and you will tell us the dosage? Kinda do your freakin' job?

So, a combination of antibiotics and homeopathic treatments, as well as mixing up a liquid version of her cat food and feeding her with a dropper. Not that it was neccessary - make her taste the food and she'll gobble it up right away, diminished sense of smell or not. In a week, literally, my kitten was up and active again. Two weeks later and she was perfectly healthy. Right now she's the typical kitten, hyper, affectionate, and quite food-greedy - without a hint of respiratory problems.

$180 and $800 is a HUGE difference. I'll pay what I have to pay if it's neccessary. It wasn't, and they were obviously milking us for every withering cent in our wallets - obvious by their reluctance to discuss other treatment options (the antibiotics). I've learned to grow some balls and ask questions and educate myself in the treatment of my pets. Not only because I've experienced failed vet treatments and seen them firsthand, but because I don't spit money.

I really wish there was a widespread standard of honest work ethic as displayed by the vet in question. Unfortunately, so many vets see your animal as nothing more than a bank with fur. I don't discourage the use of vets, but I do encourage pet owners to be educated in the treatment their pets recieve, go to another vet if you feel this one doesn't practice honestly, and learn how to ask questions and stand up for yourself.

I had a great vet who let me do much of the treatment for my sick cat. My old cat had diabetes, and I managed to give him insulin shots and do my own blood testing. I realized it would be expensive to do the kind of vet visits required, so I did a lot of research on my own and learned how to test his insulin at home and do all the other tests. My cat lived for 2 and 1/2 years after his diagnosis, which is quite a long time for a sick cat with diabetes. The cat also got lots of bladder infections and my vet would give me the pills if I just called her to tell her I would pick them up. I could not have afforded to treat this cat if I had to go to the vet for the regular blood sugar tests, so my vet was being very understanding by letting me do this on my own.

It's a lot of extra work to care for a diabetic cat. My parents did it (she lived for 5 years with it), and I know it's tough. We were lucky- she was a good natured little pincushion for her insulin shots. I'm sorry you had to deal with it, but I'm glad to hear you were able to care for him yourself. You did well too - 2 1/2 years is good, esp if he was older when diagnosed.

I'm SO glad you had a vet who was willing to work something out with you! Vets like that - I really think they're in it for the love of the proffession, not for the money. I really admire your dedication in taking care of your cat! Congrats on you and your vet!

The awesome vet, Dr Busby, was put on restricted license for his poor practices by the Minn Vet Med bd in 2002. Reusing syringes ? No presurgical exams on pets ? No oxygen source in his clinic ? Yikes !

Here's a link to it.......

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