vet visit

[cellio]

Erik saw our regular vet on Monday for a follow-up after the surgery. (We had to wait long enough for the drugs from that to get fully out of his system so blood tests would be meaningful.)

He weighs 7 pounds (even). A year ago he was at 8.25. I expressed disappointment that he hadn't gained more by now, but the vet said he's about where she expected him to be and just keep feeding him the canned food.

She called with preliminary results of his blood tests today. His bilirubin (err, that's phonetic) is good, she said, which means his bile duct and gallbladder are fine (i.e. the surgery worked). Two liver enzymes that have sometimes been high in the past are high now (SALT and, I think, SAST?); this suggests infection or inflamation, so he's now on antibiotics and we'll check again when that's done. We've done this before (not always the same drugs); I suspect that we couldn't go far wrong by just doing a round of antibiotics every few months and not bothering to do the not-cheap blood tests. Yeah, I don't want to blithely help create Supergerm here, but we've done the "see high results, do antibiotics, measure again and see normal results, wait several months and repeat" cycle a few times now. I'll have to ask about that.

The antibiotic this time is liquid; the tech told me it's banana-flavored and asked if he likes banana. Haven't the faintest idea, I said. Apparently he does, which makes this easier. It does raise the question, though: if they're going to flavor the stuff anyway, why not just make it tuna-flavored?

Comments

[ariannawyn.livejournal.com]

That is, in fact, the correct spelling of bilirubin. It's the stuff they measure to see if you have jaundice, and Robert had to have light treatment as a newborn because his bilirubin levels were very high. I missed Morgen & Chadd's wedding because Robert was hospitalized with jaundice that day.

Here's hoping that Erik gets better. Pets with chronic health problems can cost a fortune.

[kayre]

The antibiotic is probably a pediatric formula; they're sometimes cheaper than animal versions. My vet always gives us the same bubble-gum flavored penicillin that my daughter had to take a few times.

Many cats do like fruit flavors... Siamese in particular. I once looked up from a book to see one of ours walking through the room with a whole strawberry dangling from his mouth. A cat I grew up with would eat her way through the rind to get into a canteloupe.

[patsmor.livejournal.com]

I loved the banana flavor when I was a kid; they never had it available when my kids needed it. Sigh. Only cherry or strawberry.

[jhayman.livejournal.com]

Yup, what you said. Many of the pills for cats are also normal, human drugs. Crazy, isn't it, to think that Fluffy's thyroid pills might just be the same as grandma's?

[cellio]

The antibiotic is probably a pediatric formula

That makes sense. I hadn't thought of that.

My cats don't get much people food, and so far as I know none of them have ever gotten ahold of fruit. A whole strawberry sounds like quite a mouthful! :-)

(I did feed Erik some green chutney once, but it was an attempt at a deterrent.)

[cellio]

Not so crazy, really. Mammals have some things in common. Pity that "covered by the family health-insurance plan" isn't one of them, though. :-)

[patsmor.livejournal.com]

Hell, wish I could put my cats' vet bills on my medical deductible for my taxes!!!

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

I am glad he is doing well!

Exceptions make the rule

[caryabend.livejournal.com]

...why not just make it tuna-flavored?

Just to be confoundedly feline-like, our cat exhibits few feline traits.

She doesn't like fish.

[nobble.livejournal.com]

if they're going to flavor the stuff anyway, why not just make it tuna-flavored

Aren't banana esters the easiest to make?

[xrian.livejournal.com]

It's because cats have very little buying power.

Parents of very small humans, on the other hand, have LOTS of buying power: hence the presence of banana and the absence of tune flavor.

One of my cats gets daily anti-herpes eyedrops. A few years ago they more or less stopped selling the cheap, non-irritating drug for humans (Idoxuridine -- it's still legal, but no longer stocked), because a more expensive, newer drug worked better in humans. Unfortunately, it doesn't in cats -- it tends to irritate cat eyes but not human eyes. So my coffee-colored cat is probably the only "person" still using this drug in our area. A pharmacist in the next town makes the solution in the correct strength, and, thankfully, _doesn't_ overcharge for it. (I'm told people mail-order it from halfway across the county because no one anywhere else carries it.)

[zachkessin.livejournal.com]

Our new kitten raided the dog's bowl the other Night. We had the dog out and the kitten in the living room, he was wandering about, I was someone amazed that he was able to eat the dogfood, its a pretty large kibble and he is pretty small.

[tashabear.livejournal.com]

You're lucky -- my cat Max apparently hates banana, and would drool out the banana-flavored antibiotic I had to give him for the abcess he had on his leg. Luckily I was able to squirt most of it down his throat before he spit out the rest.

[(Anonymous)]

I've been tempted to declare my 15 year old William as a "never before registered" offspring both for insurance and tax purposes. But if anyone ever came to check him out... (LOL)

Part of the family

[patsmor.livejournal.com]

One of my vet techs said that if people can sue because of personal injury or other things done by a cat or dog, on the basis that the pet is "part of the family," we ought to be able to claim their vet bills!

[dagonell.livejournal.com]

I suspect you're giving your cat Amoxycilin. I had a similar question in the same situation. I quipped at the vet's that if they want a cat to take this stuff, they need to make it mouse-flavored. He doubled over in laughter and when he recovered he explained that it's primarily sold as a children's antibiotic, hence the flavor.
-- Dagonell

[cellio]

It's because cats have very little buying power.

Their keepers must have some, else pet resorts and the like wouldn't be able to make a go of it. But if they're re-using kids' drugs, it makes sense that kids' flavor preferences would dominate.

I'm glad you were able to find a pharmacist who can keep you supplied with your cat's drugs. A pharmacist who'll continue to take care of customers is a real win.

Re: Exceptions make the rule

[cellio]

Wow. Does she also like foods that cats conventionally don't like? Or is she just a little pickier than most cats?

[cellio]

Hmm, good question. I know nothing about where the flavoring agents come from and how.

[cellio]

I'm giving Erik his medicine mixed into wet food. He doesn't tolerate things being pushed into his mouth very well, but he licked up every last bit of the food/drug combination from the bowl (some of the liquid sloshed off to the side), so I suspect he'd take it straight.

[cellio]

Clavamox. Is that from the Amoxycilin family? The name suggests it might be, but I didn't ask.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

Fuzzball's liquid phenobarbital was the same as children's and was this awful "cherry" flavored stuff.

I took a little taste and didn't blame her for gagging when I gave it to her.

Had she run out of the stuff the vet suggested going to a compounding pharmacy that could make up a batch of the stuff in a flavor that would appeal to her.

I have since learned a lot of prescriptions that go to compounding pharmacies are for pets.

[sue-n-julia.livejournal.com]

Julia's cat is on the same insulin that my physical therapist's daughter is on.

S

[sue-n-julia.livejournal.com]

Talk to your vet about pharmacies around town that will compound it for you. Some of them will add "animal-appropriate" flavors, such as cod liver to them instead.

Strangely enough, giving Vandal insulin shots is a LOT easier than giving him antibiotic drops or pills.

S

[cellio]

Thanks for the tip about flavors. My vet has already pointed me at a compounding pharmacy for other reasons, so if I ever have a flavor rebellion I'll ask her to send the prescription there. (For this time around I just picked up the antibiotic at the vet's office.)

[tashabear.livejournal.com]

The kitties don't get wet food. I'm not sure Mathilde would know what to do with it! Max was really good about the meds; he didn't really fight me. He tried to get away, but he never tried to strike at me, which is good, because he has Really Big teeth and claws.

[dagonell.livejournal.com]

Yes. I believe Amoxycilin is the general name for several drugs of a similar type and Clavamox is a specific drug within that type.
-- Dagonell