Vets' Bills can often be avoided

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  • JakJak
    edited 8:50PM
    Hi again , thanks for your kind words.
    It's really strange not having him about .
    I know it will get easier with time , but it's the NOW that's so difficult.
    The pet carrier has already gone to a cat owning friend who is due to move house soon , so the carrier has found a good home.
    I wont be getting another cat , I can't go through this again. Well ,never say never.

    A friend sent me the following..................................


    ......................IF I SHOULD GROW FRAIL...............




    If it should be that I grow frail and weak
    And pain should keep me from my sleep
    Please will you do what must be done
    For this last battle can’t be won.


    You will be sad I understand
    But don’t let grief stay your hand
    For on this day more than the rest
    Your love for me must stand the test.


    We've had so many happy years
    Laughing, playing and sometimes tears
    You wouldn't want me to suffer so
    When the time comes please let me go.


    Take me to where my needs they’ll tend
    And please stay with me until the end
    Hold me firm and talk to me
    Until my eyes no longer see.


    I know in time you will agree
    It is a kindness you do to me
    Although my tail its last has waved
    From pain and suffering I've been saved.


    Don’t grieve that now it must be you
    Who has to decide just what to do
    We've been so close-we two-these years
    Don’t let your heart hold any tears


    Although it’s now I must depart
    I’ll stay forever in your heart
    I’ll wait for you until we meet again


    In a world of love, without any pain.




    It makes me feel easier about what's happened , it's as if he understood .
  • valval
    edited 8:50PM
    Jak: My sincere sympathy for your loss, but you showed your love by helping Charlie on his way. That beautiful poem brought tears to my eyes.
    Cookie: Could it have been the fur balls that were causing the problem?
  • edited 8:50PM
    @ jak, Oh jak, That poem has made me cry so much. I am so very very sorry. We don't know each other I know, but I am sending you huge Hugs and a lot of Love via the web at your loss of Dearest Charlie.
    Friends will suggest a replacement, but now is not the time for you. Your friends are trying to help you, to support you, as good friends do. They are trying to protect you from the pain that you are feeling.
    As someone who has lost a cat, I said never again! You will understand what I mean. You are grieving for Charlie. My thoughts are with you jak. Love to you Rosie xxxxxx
  • Oh Jak I'm so sorry to hear your news. Cookie, hope your cats are starting to feel better.
  • edited 8:50PM
    Kester is virtually back to normal. She is eating and drinking and for the first time in over a week, she has burrowed down under our duvet in the middle of the night, to get between us, purring, for a cuddle.
    Her sister Amber is still not well. She will not eat, but she is drinking small amounts, unlike Skeeleys. I am sure that this is a virus, rather than a bacterial infection as the jabs are not working. Wish that I knew what is going on. Amber and Kester are house cats. Mackie goes out, but he is okay so far. Could he be a carrier?
  • edited 8:50PM
    I hope that I am not tempting fate, but Amber ate a reasonable amount tonight. I have tried everything,as I did with Skeeleys, really posh cat food, ham, tuna fish, and liver sausage, all of which they adore, but Amber finally decided to eat some cat food which I mashed down. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Out of curiousity, have any of you ever tried to get info about cat health problems from the Internet? If so, did you find that you can only access the info if you paid? I just wanted some guidelines, not a diagnosis. Would love to know
  • JakJak
    edited 8:50PM
    I'm afraid pets are a business tool for many industries to make money from gullible folks like us , (I guess it wont take long for anyone to realise I am a pessimist).
    The only way I found out anything other than what was told to me by the vet (I initially paid), was by doing a google search for my cats' condition.

    Have you been given a diagnosis for dear little Amber ?
    Or is the vet just guessing at this point in time ?
  • valval
    edited 8:50PM
    Cookie: I found out how to cure my cat of cystitus, as I said when starting this thread. I found out by reading masses of articles until I found a clearly knowledgeable writer who wasn't trying to sell anything. Medicanimal sell veterinery medicines online and according to their website you can get advice. Sometimes - not always, I know - we are more expert on our animals than anyone else. I am currently using drops for earmites that are effective, although dated 1988! Jak: To realise that advantage may be taken of our ignorance is the first step in doing something for ourselves. Maybe we need a bit more confidence in our instincts about our animals. Let's share our useful experiences.
  • edited 8:50PM
    @ val. Thank you for your info. I trusted my instincts when I saw that Skeeley was not right. When I 'phoned my vet and they asked for symptoms, I was unable to pinpoint any. All I knew was that my beloved cat was not right. Thankfully the receptionists at my vets understood completely, and she was seen asap, thank goodness. The vet said that we should trust our instincts with our pets, as we are the only ones who know them so well.I thought that as I am a nurse, they may have thought that I was overeacting, but no. In fact, I was given lots of support and help. Mind you, trying to take your cats temperature at home is no easy task!! Out of curiousity, how do you cure a cat of Cystitus? I know the human formula, and it is simple.
  • edited 8:50PM
    I have to say that I would wholeheartedly recommend Dragon also, Nick especially. He was really good when my cat Elvis had bladder problems and I was away for a weekend, they kept him there without charge as the first treatment hadn't worked.

    More recently I have taken my puppy for routine things and an ear infection, they do the usual questioning about this jab or that jab, worming etc, but they don't pressure you and the stuff they recommend is available online to be self-administered at half the cost.

    One more thing to note, if you have a dog and are easily amused, worth asking the new-ish vet (I suspect he is Polish) about vaccinations, mean to mock I know, but I had a lengthy conversation with him extolling the virtues of having my puppy vaccinated against 'the minge' which is apparently a very big problem in the North London area...comedy pronunciation. Of course, I could have told him the correct pronunciation of 'mange' but why ruin the fun in an otherwise depressing and expensive trip to the vets for other pet owners eh?
  • JakJak
    edited September 2011
    @ copycara..........

    I know exactly what you mean , my old Polish girlfriend was always complaining of itchy mange.........

    At least , I think she was referring to her wrinkly Shar Pei.


    Maybe she meant her cipca ?
  • edited 8:50PM
    @ copycara. My cat Mackie had huge problems with his bladder about 4 years ago, passing blood on a couple of occasions and becoming very unwell. Male cats with acute bladder problems are considered to be a medical emergency as they are prone to blockages. Mackie had a couple of investigations, including a cystoscopy, which showed that he was not blocked thank goodness, and we found the answer by chance. Mackie was fed biscuits for breakfast. However, he was not drinking enough fluids during the day. We have since kept him on 'wet food' and he has been absolutely fine. The vet said that Females do not have the same problem.
  • valval
    edited 8:50PM
    Cookie: I already had some old packets of Cystemme which is the cure for women's cystitis. I diluted a packet in half a pint of warm water and when it was lukewarm, filled a 5ml pipette and got it down Mimi's throat in three squirts (giving her time to swallow). I did this three times a day for two days. As soon as I saw her doing a lovely long wee, I stopped. Just in case anyone wants to know, I held her firmly on the floor, between my knees and was able to control her calmly and without hurting her.

    You also mentioned dried food. A neighbour's cat died recently probably from a blockage caused by its diet of dried food and not drinking enough. I did wonder if that caused Mimi's cystitis, as she was very keen on the dried food. Since then, my cats only have a few biscuits as a reward for coming in at bedtime! Their meals are half home-cooked fish or meat and half tinned food.

    Just for a laugh, I will confess that I trained my cats to answer to a bell, from their very first meal as kittens, so they associate the bell with mealtime. Like Pavlov's dogs! It has been useful sometimes to get them in at night when they are late coming in.
  • edited 8:50PM
    @val. Cats are so clever, they soon learn to associate sounds with food. Many years ago I bought an electric can opener. Within no time at all, the cats realised that the motorised sound meant food.
    Re: the cat biscuits, trust your instincts. If Mimi or your other cats have bladder problems, thenI would say, cut them out completely. I find it worrying that these pet food company's can sell a product that has the potential to harm our cats, or worse. How are we expected to know exactly how much a cat drinks if you have more than one?
  • valval
    edited 8:50PM
    Cookie: Exactly! In fact I have two water dishes in the house, but they seem to prefer drinking out of the pond! Pet food, like veterinary medicines is big business. I remind myself that our cats are really carnivorous infantilised tigers, so they need meat, not biscuits!
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  • JakJak
    edited 8:50PM
    @ Misscara....

    Aha , the good news about that is you can get an X Box for the cat at Christmas and everyone can have a go too...
  • edited 8:50PM
    Cats are evil and would eat you in a heartbeat if they were bigger. Don't be fooled, they don't love you.
  • edited 8:50PM
    @domnextmen. So, at what age were you savaged by a cat to make you so bitter? I appreciate that some people are not Cat people, same as some people are not up for Dogs.You are so anti cat that I am curious to know why?
    You think that Cats do not love us, well you have never kept a cat. Or
    have you??? I wonder???
    Our Cats hate us so much that they curl up on our laps purring. They recognise when we are hurting, and come to us without being called giving us comfort. They are there on the windowsill waiting for you when you get home. Most importantly, when they have to be hospitalised, they pine away, as I have just discovered. I thank God that my cats are now well. Hope that you find a pet to bring you as much love as cats bring to those of us on this thread.
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  • edited September 2011
    @Cookie I've had five cats, from when I was one year old, and loved every one of them. Two had litters of nice kittens. I'm still not fooled, under that fur they are ruthless killing machines with advanced weaponry. I think it's dog time for me, they are proper friends - and they definitely love you back. I do like cats, I'm just aware of what makes them tick. Out for themselves they are!
  • edited 8:50PM
    I know what you mean, but cats do have a choice, they can go if they don't like you.

    I was thinking of getting a dog, maybe a scruffy border terrier. I saw one in the park a while ago, and thought that's the one. Like the idea of going to the pub with the dog.
  • edited 8:50PM
    So do I. And The Stapleton, Old Dairy and Noble are all dog-friendly. I quite like the idea of getting a kitten and pup at the same time. They have a funny relationship...

    Border terriers are great. Think I might go for a cross though just to stack the odds in favour of health. Are there Stroud Green dog-sitting/walking groups?
  • Not that I know of. Someone has put up posters in FP attempting to organise a greyhound/lurcher/whippet walking group. I plan to email them as soon as I am back on my feet and able to take our dog for long walks again.
  • edited 8:50PM
    A rescue greyhound is also on my shortlist. Is that what you have?
  • Yes, we adopted him when he was 4 1/2 yrs old from the Retired Greyhound Trust place in Romford. He took lame during a race and hence would have never raced again. We have had him for 18 mths now and I must say he is the perfect pet. Contrary to common belief they are very very lazy once they retire and are happy with two 20 min walk everyday. Most of the time they are just sleeping on any horizontal surface they can find. Ours is sleeping curled up on his bed right now, if I knew how to post a picture I would. If you are after a dog which is active and full of play then a greyhound is not for you. They are very gentle, laid back creatures who value being part of the family and just want a quiet life (though some are more active than others). They have had a short hard life as racers so when they retire they really enjoy the rest, they never had puppyhood hence the lack of 'play'. You also get a lot of adoring looks in the street and the pubs. He has been to the Dairy, Stapleton and Noble :) Go on to the RGT website - I bet you fall in love. Then again I'm biased!!!
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  • edited 8:50PM
    @Ilovegreyhounds Your dog sounds great. Is it a sandy colour? I've seen a beaut on SGR. I shall be looking at getting a dog next year, will check RGT site. Got a baby to come first!
  • No that one isn't ours. A woman jogger owns that fawn coloured one and it is so obedient and just trots behind her. Ours is a large dark grey one (blue) with white bib and socks. There is also a couple that live near The Noble who have two black females. Greyhounds are very good with children and this is something you can also talk to the RGT about. When they retire some go into foster homes and get tested/trained on their stuitability for families. You may have to wait and visit a few places before you find the right one for your circumstances. We were lucky and found ours in one weekend.
  • edited 8:50PM
    Yes there's no rush for us to get one, but I know I won't be able to resist for too much longer. I'm self empoyed so a dog could spend most of each day with me... What do you if you go away? It's one of my concerns because if we havent got willing friends in the area then it's kenneling time! We live right next to the Parkland Walk, I'd love taking the dog up there for a daily run. Does yours shed much?
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