Chester Sees Internist
Hi guys, Took your advice and found an internist (I live in Cleveland, and surprisingly it took me 3 hours to find the nearest one which was 1/2 hour away). I was not impressed w/this doc at all. (Had all files faxed to him before appt). He looked at his gums and said he's anemic (doc I saw last week after reviewing blood work said that he was not-but hasn't eaten much in last few days so maybe that's why he is paler). Listened to heart and said that he had a murmur. First time I heard this after seeing 3 docs now. Said that he couldn't tell me anything w/o running more tests. When asked a question he would go around in a big circle. Took Chester out of room and said that he wanted to get weight/temp. Doc came back in alone (w/o weight/temp) and said he wanted to do more tests. I asked him about Interferon it might work it might not, I've had a few patients on it. He talked in all medical terms (I understood him but the average patient might not and he probably does this on purpose). I asked him what he suggeted and what it would cost. Here's what he said Exam $88 Films-2 views $121.35 Films-additional views $76.40 Rads Films $44.52 PCV/PP Lab $13.48 CBC $51.72 SMAC/Profile Lab $93.62 Felv $28.69 FIP $46 Toxoplasmosis $71.78 Urinalysis $38.97 Ultrasound 2 Cavaties $238.50 Ultrasound PR Reg $134.83 Hospitalization (outpatient) $25.84 Grand Total $1073.70 And this is w/o saying he might want to do a blood transfusion! I think this doc is crazy, I wouldn't put him through a blood transfusion. Chester's appetite is still not great. But he was very hungry yesterday morning and ate dry food. Today I got him to eat a very little bit of applesauce. Have tried baby food and he doesn't like it. I will try the chicken broth. He is still drinking water-and that is good. Are your furbabies on flea meds or should I not give him his next dose? I am going to call the last 2 doc and ask her to order Interferon. Prayers going out for everyone. Lisa -- WOW! Homepage (http://www.wowway.com)
Re: Chester Sees Internist
Lisa, I would not give him flea medication while he is sick, unless he is clearly infested. Interferon, while possibly prophylactic, has never, to my knowledge, helped a cat get over anemia or anything serious like that. Immuno-Regulin maybe, but not interferon. It has done more for mouth problems and maybe preventing colds. Blood transfusions can help a lot while you are figuring out what is wrong and how, or if, to treat it. My cat Simon got 3 transfusions while chemo was kicking in, and his blood count then rose to normal (he died 2 months later from hemolytic anemia, which is fast and an immune reponse to cancer sometimes). Others have had success with transfusions too. A transfusion takes about 4 hours, and it is the same amount of discomfort as getting IV fluids, i.e. not a big deal. Blood transfusions are usually only done if the hematocrit is down in the low teens or lower, though. I would definitely get the blood work done to see, whether or not you get the other tests done. michelle In a message dated 6/22/2006 12:26:31 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Hi guys,Took your advice and found an internist (I live in Cleveland, and surprisingly it took me 3 hours to find the nearest one which was 1/2 hour away). I was not impressed w/this doc at all. (Had all files faxed to him before appt). He looked at his gums and said he's anemic (doc I saw last week after reviewing blood work said that he was not-but hasn't eaten much in last few days so maybe that's why he is paler). Listened to heart and said that he had a murmur. First time I heard this after seeing 3 docs now. Said that he couldn't tell me anything w/o running more tests. When asked a question he would go around in a big circle. Took Chester out of room and said that he wanted to get weight/temp. Doc came back in alone (w/o weight/temp) and said he wanted to do more tests. I asked him about Interferon "it might work it might not, I've had a few patients on it". He talked in all medical terms (I understood him but the average patient might not and he probably does this on purpose). I asked him what he suggeted and what it would cost. Here's what he saidExam $88Films-2 views $121.35Films-additional views $76.40Rads Films $44.52PCV/PP Lab $13.48CBC $51.72SMAC/Profile Lab $93.62Felv $28.69FIP $46Toxoplasmosis $71.78Urinalysis $38.97Ultrasound 2 Cavaties $238.50Ultrasound PR Reg $134.83Hospitalization (outpatient) $25.84Grand Total $1073.70And this is w/o saying he might want to do a blood transfusion!I think this doc is crazy, I wouldn't put him through a blood transfusion.Chester's appetite is still not great. But he was very hungry yesterday morning and ate dry food. Today I got him to eat a very little bit of applesauce. Have tried baby food and he doesn't like it. I will try the chicken broth. He is still drinking water-and that is good. Are your furbabies on flea meds or should I not give him his next dose? I am going to call the last 2 doc and ask her to order Interferon. Prayers going out for everyone.Lisa
Re: Chester Sees Internist
Not impressed with this guy, my vet always starts with blood work and goes from there. Did he do that or is he just suggesting all this other stuff before that even? -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: Chester Sees Internist
I would skip the flea meds for now. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: Chester Sees Internist
Lisa, Go with your gut instinct for sure. Also, if Chester is not going outside, I would hold off on the flea meds until he is doing better. :) Wendy --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi guys, Took your advice and found an internist (I live in Cleveland, and surprisingly it took me 3 hours to find the nearest one which was 1/2 hour away). I was not impressed w/this doc at all. (Had all files faxed to him before appt). He looked at his gums and said he's anemic (doc I saw last week after reviewing blood work said that he was not-but hasn't eaten much in last few days so maybe that's why he is paler). Listened to heart and said that he had a murmur. First time I heard this after seeing 3 docs now. Said that he couldn't tell me anything w/o running more tests. When asked a question he would go around in a big circle. Took Chester out of room and said that he wanted to get weight/temp. Doc came back in alone (w/o weight/temp) and said he wanted to do more tests. I asked him about Interferon it might work it might not, I've had a few patients on it. He talked in all medical terms (I understood him but the average patient might not and he probably does this on purpose). I asked him what he suggeted and what it would cost. Here's what he said Exam $88 Films-2 views $121.35 Films-additional views $76.40 Rads Films $44.52 PCV/PP Lab $13.48 CBC $51.72 SMAC/Profile Lab $93.62 Felv $28.69 FIP $46 Toxoplasmosis $71.78 Urinalysis $38.97 Ultrasound 2 Cavaties $238.50 Ultrasound PR Reg $134.83 Hospitalization (outpatient) $25.84 Grand Total $1073.70 And this is w/o saying he might want to do a blood transfusion! I think this doc is crazy, I wouldn't put him through a blood transfusion. Chester's appetite is still not great. But he was very hungry yesterday morning and ate dry food. Today I got him to eat a very little bit of applesauce. Have tried baby food and he doesn't like it. I will try the chicken broth. He is still drinking water-and that is good. Are your furbabies on flea meds or should I not give him his next dose? I am going to call the last 2 doc and ask her to order Interferon. Prayers going out for everyone. Lisa -- WOW! Homepage (http://www.wowway.com) __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Re: Chester Sees Internist
Chester seems to have the same problem as my cat that I mentioned a couple days ago... Chronic gum problem I called it... My cat has had most of his teeth pulled and he still has the problem.. I have had this pos cat for 3 years now and he has always had this problem but he is healthy active boy otherwise... The main worry is he doesn't eat enough when it is bad... Because his gums are sore he hates to be force feed and runs and hides from us when ever we have feed equipment in hand... Antibiotics work but they taste bad as well as hurt him so they are very difficult to give.. Interferon tastes like water and so its usually easier to give... And it does seem to help... I say it seems to be a drug that works for a lot of what ails FeLV+ cats... The problem is that it tends to loose its effectiveness if used too much... At 1st my vet was reluctant to use it until the kitty was really sick... But after seeing how quickly FeLV+ kitties can crash and die he has let me give it when ever I feel I should... And I would say try it with Chester... My vet has 30 years of dairy cow/farm practice under his belt and before I came along I don't think he had tried to save an FeLV+... But I still remember how his face lit up when I said no to PTS on my 1st POS test and asked what are the alternatives... When I hear of something new on here and tell him about it and later I find he has looked it up... My vet is not a young specialist with all the latest knowledge but I think he is the best I to was wondering about Imunno regulan for the gum problem as it is given IV rather than orally... Tad [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi guys, Took your advice and found an internist (I live in Cleveland, and surprisingly it took me 3 hours to find the nearest one which was 1/2 hour away). I was not impressed w/this doc at all. (Had all files faxed to him before appt). He looked at his gums and said he's anemic (doc I saw last week after reviewing blood work said that he was not-but hasn't eaten much in last few days so maybe that's why he is paler). Listened to heart and said that he had a murmur. First time I heard this after seeing 3 docs now. Said that he couldn't tell me anything w/o running more tests. When asked a question he would go around in a big circle. Took Chester out of room and said that he wanted to get weight/temp. Doc came back in alone (w/o weight/temp) and said he wanted to do more tests. I asked him about Interferon it might work it might not, I've had a few patients on it. He talked in all medical terms (I understood him but the average patient might not and he probably does this on purpose). I asked him what he suggeted and what it would cost. Here's what he said Exam $88 Films-2 views $121.35 Films-additional views $76.40 Rads Films $44.52 PCV/PP Lab $13.48 CBC $51.72 SMAC/Profile Lab $93.62 Felv $28.69 FIP $46 Toxoplasmosis $71.78 Urinalysis $38.97 Ultrasound 2 Cavaties $238.50 Ultrasound PR Reg $134.83 Hospitalization (outpatient) $25.84 Grand Total $1073.70 And this is w/o saying he might want to do a blood transfusion! I think this doc is crazy, I wouldn't put him through a blood transfusion. Chester's appetite is still not great. But he was very hungry yesterday morning and ate dry food. Today I got him to eat a very little bit of applesauce. Have tried baby food and he doesn't like it. I will try the chicken broth. He is still drinking water-and that is good. Are your furbabies on flea meds or should I not give him his next dose? I am going to call the last 2 doc and ask her to order Interferon. Prayers going out for everyone. Lisa -- WOW! Homepage (http://www.wowway.com)
Re: Chester Sees Internist
Hi Lisa, Well that sounds like a terrible experience for the two of you! I'm so sorry that your search for a vet that can help you and Chester is still ongoing. I take it this Internist wasn't recommended by your current vet, sounds like no one would recommend him! As far as Chester's eating... have you tried the liver shake? I also have a broth recipe that I can send you. Many times a cat will lap at food, but not chew. It's also a good idea to warm the food to bring out the aroma. Oh man, I'm somewhat of an expert at trying to get kitties to eat! Does he like salmon? Sometimes a few drops of salmon oil on the top of their food gets them going. Sometimes they prefer a bowl over a plate and visa versa. I've spent a great deal of time crawling around after a kitty on my hands and knees with a bowl of something yummy in my hand. I have one kitty that will not eat unless she's being stroked and cooed at. There are also appetite stimulants that you can get in a cream form to dab on the inside of Chester's ear, (transdermal), has your vet given you one? I guess I don't have to tell you to try just about anything to entice him with, I don't think I would have thought to try applesauce! Don't use any flea meds on him while he's not feeling great. If you have to, pick the little blood suckers off him using a comb and have some alcohol to drop them into nearby. Hugs and prayers to you, Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi guys, Took your advice and found an internist (I live in Cleveland, and surprisingly it took me 3 hours to find the nearest one which was 1/2 hour away). I was not impressed w/this doc at all.
Re: Chester Sees Internist
Tad, did you read my hint about hiding the abx pills in pill pockets? Nina Tad Burnett wrote: Chester seems to have the same problem as my cat that I mentioned a couple days ago... Chronic gum problem I called it... My cat has had most of his teeth pulled and he still has the problem.. I have had this pos cat for 3 years now and he has always had this problem but he is healthy active boy otherwise... The main worry is he doesn't eat enough when it is bad... Because his gums are sore he hates to be force feed and runs and hides from us when ever we have feed equipment in hand... Antibiotics work but they taste bad as well as hurt him so they are very difficult to give.. Interferon tastes like water and so its usually easier to give... And it does seem to help... I say it seems to be a drug that works for a lot of what ails FeLV+ cats... The problem is that it tends to loose its effectiveness if used too much... At 1st my vet was reluctant to use it until the kitty was really sick... But after seeing how quickly FeLV+ kitties can crash and die he has let me give it when ever I feel I should... And I would say try it with Chester... My vet has 30 years of dairy cow/farm practice under his belt and before I came along I don't think he had tried to save an FeLV+... But I still remember how his face lit up when I said no to PTS on my 1st POS test and asked what are the alternatives... When I hear of something new on here and tell him about it and later I find he has looked it up... My vet is not a young specialist with all the latest knowledge but I think he is the best I to was wondering about Imunno regulan for the gum problem as it is given IV rather than orally... Tad
Re: Chester Sees Internist
Hi Nina Yes I did.. But my cat with no teeth and sore gums that make him cry and jump back when he gets anything solid in the wrong place would have a hard time with a pill pocket I think... Tad Nina wrote: Tad, did you read my hint about hiding the abx pills in pill pockets? Nina Tad Burnett wrote: Chester seems to have the same problem as my cat that I mentioned a couple days ago... Chronic gum problem I called it... My cat has had most of his teeth pulled and he still has the problem.. I have had this pos cat for 3 years now and he has always had this problem but he is healthy active boy otherwise... The main worry is he doesn't eat enough when it is bad... Because his gums are sore he hates to be force feed and runs and hides from us when ever we have feed equipment in hand... Antibiotics work but they taste bad as well as hurt him so they are very difficult to give.. Interferon tastes like water and so its usually easier to give... And it does seem to help... I say it seems to be a drug that works for a lot of what ails FeLV+ cats... The problem is that it tends to loose its effectiveness if used too much... At 1st my vet was reluctant to use it until the kitty was really sick... But after seeing how quickly FeLV+ kitties can crash and die he has let me give it when ever I feel I should... And I would say try it with Chester... My vet has 30 years of dairy cow/farm practice under his belt and before I came along I don't think he had tried to save an FeLV+... But I still remember how his face lit up when I said no to PTS on my 1st POS test and asked what are the alternatives... When I hear of something new on here and tell him about it and later I find he has looked it up... My vet is not a young specialist with all the latest knowledge but I think he is the best I to was wondering about Imunno regulan for the gum problem as it is given IV rather than orally... Tad
Re: Chester Sees Internist
These two bother me the most: Felv $28.69FIP $46 For one, you already KNOW he has FELV, so WHY waste the money testing again? Secondly.. and foremost: THERE IS NO TEST FOR FIP This guy is a MORON if he says there is! Phaewryn PLEASE Adopt a cat from Little Cheetah Cat Rescue!!!http://ucat.us/adopt.html DONATE: We could really use a power saw (for construction), a digital camera (for pictures) and HOMES for CATS! No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.2/372 - Release Date: 6/21/2006
