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Old September 20th, 2009, 02:37 AM
busanlulu busanlulu is offline
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my cat goes crazy at the vet

my cat, ari, who is just over 2 years old, has never had problems at the vet (except for an innocent hiss here and there). however, when i took him 2 weeks ago for his annual shots and checkup, he went completely insane and it wasn't possible for him to get his shots. he hissed, growled, scratched, twisted and turned around, jumped off the table, etc... it sounded terrible!
so, my vet gave me two sleeping pills and told me to try again a week later, after giving him the pills.
so i gave him 1 of the two pills (1st one was lost after i mixed it with his favourite snack - salmon - and he wouln't eat it). 1 pill didn't seem to make any difference, but i took him to the vet anyway, hoping he'd be alright.
at the vet, he was even worse than the previous week and it was completely impossible to examine him. the vet gave 2 more pills and told me i should give both pills and we'll try once more...

any advice about this? i'm so worried about him. he's never been like this before and at home is a very calm and friendly kitty.
i'm especially worried too, because next year, i'll move from korea back to canada and bring him with me... i'm worried he'll attack the quarantine people at the airport....!

thanks in advance!
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Old September 20th, 2009, 03:20 AM
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growler~GateKeeper growler~GateKeeper is offline
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What is the name of the sleeping pill you were given?

Were you in the room during the exam? Did Ari only react to the vet's exam? Was he fine in the carrier before he saw the vet?

Was this the same vet you saw at previous visits or a new vet? Is there only 1 vet at the clinic, can you see a different vet?
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Old September 20th, 2009, 09:04 AM
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try a different vet. cat's have good instincts. a sleeping pill doesn't sound like the right thing to give. kitty valium does. where you holding kitty? my cat is so bad at the vet now she has to be given a tranqualizer before they can touch her. it breaks my heart. she was a rescue and then was abused by a vet.
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Old September 20th, 2009, 09:35 AM
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NoahGrey NoahGrey is offline
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My cat goes nuts at the vets too. She has to be sedated. The vet was concerned that she was going to into cardic arrest, so now she is sedated.

Anyone seen the article. Vaccines causing kidney failure. www.onlinevet.com

ACO22
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Old September 20th, 2009, 10:07 AM
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Are u sure she didnt have a bad experience at the vets?

I only ask this because I had a cat who was an angel at the vets, never made a peep, pretty much fell asleep on the exam table. One visit he had a urinary infection and they took him out back to get a sample directly from his bladder. I hear horrible yeowling on his end, then when the vet came back they said they werent able to get a sample and kept him overnight.

He was never the same again at the vets...he would turn into the demon cat, it was horrible, i couldnt even touch him then.

My only suggestion would be to try a different vet, because maybe he associates that vet or the surroundings with something bad....a new setting may calm him down.

I know one of our members (AG), has a cat who i believe she gives half a zantac or a prozac before going to the vet because he too is hard to examine.
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Old September 20th, 2009, 11:15 AM
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NoahGrey NoahGrey is offline
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You can also see if you have any mobile vets in town? Maybe if she is in her own envirnment, you cat won't react as bad. Remember, there are alot of different smells in a vet clinic.

ACO22
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Old September 20th, 2009, 12:03 PM
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Onster is correct. I have the same problem with Vlad. I know he's never had a traumatic experience, because the only time he's ever been out of my sight while there was when he was neutered. He never had an issue after either. It's only been in the last year he's gotten harder and harder to examine.

When he was a kitten he was totally fine. But, as he's gotten older he's progressed to hissing, then growling and the last time he was screaming like a banshee! It was very upsetting for him and me. I hated seeing him so afraid. The vet gave me a Xanax. Very low dose. I gave him only half of the pill about half an hour before I took him in. He was still ornery, but at least she was able to get him out of the carrier and was able to examine him.
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Old September 22nd, 2009, 09:00 PM
busanlulu busanlulu is offline
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thanks for your replies!

i'm not exactly sure of the pill i was given - it's not properly labeled.. all i can see is "almivet" written on the back of the package.
i was in the room during the exam, but they asked me to leave at the end so they could try once more without me. ari's fine in the cage, actually, at home he quite likes to sleep in it at home. when we were waiting at the vet, he seemed fine. a bit scared, but not hissing or growling or anything.

now, i have to clarify where i live. i'm canadian, but i live in south korea right now. i'm hesitant to change vets, because most korean vets are not very familiar with cats. cats are not well-liked in korea. our vet, however, studied and worked in japan for quite a while, where cats are very much loved. he's been our vet since ari (and his sister) were babies. and unfortunately, there are no mobile vet services in korea =(
also, compared to vet clinics in canada, clinics here are not exactly sterile, so i worry that the smells have gotten to ari and he can't handle them.

i'm not certain he hasn't had a bad experience, but i hope he didn't! hard to say really.

about the sleeping pill.. last week when i gave it to him, i was told to bring him to the vet just an hour after giving him the pill. of course, i didn't notice until 4 or 5 hours later, well after we'd been to the vet and back, that the pill had finally taken effect. poor ari was "high" for probably 5 hours! i felt so bad about him walking around wobbly and drunk =(

i'll ask the vet about valium or zantac, but i'm not sure it's available here like it is back home.

thanks!
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Old September 23rd, 2009, 07:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by busanlulu View Post
i'll ask the vet about valium or zantac, but i'm not sure it's available here like it is back home.

thanks!
Zantac is for heartburn. Valium is one choice, also ask about Xanax. The Xanax is what I give Vlad when I have to take him in. The pill is the smallest dose, and I cut it in half. I would not give a sleeping pill since it's not for the anxiety.
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Old September 23rd, 2009, 10:43 AM
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clm clm is offline
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My parents had a long hair orange tabby that was just horrible at the vet. He didn't like to be handled under normal conditions, so a trip to the vet he was just nasty.
Fine in the carrier, fine right up until he got on the table. I used to wear two thick sweatshirts and 2 pairs of leather garden gloves to hold that cat for my vet. I'm quite good at getting a good hold on a cat to keep him still without hurting them or me. My vet is quite impressed with how good I am with cats there actually.
Once he realized he couldn't go anywhere because I had a good hold on him he would sink his teeth into the gloves and growl the whole time the vet checked him over and gave him his shots. The vet wasn't scared of him, he would treat any animal no matter how aggressive. Their previous vet refused to treat him unless they my parents could give him a sedative before coming. Trying to give that cat a pill would be harder than the actual visit I think.
My vet was against sedating unless the cat was going to hurt himself or got himself physically ill by the visit.

clm
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