Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Tiggy's Mum on June 17, 2007, 12:25:58 PM
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As some of you may know I took Riley to the vets the other day as he is panting after hard play, I know that other people's cats/kittens do this too but I thought it best to get him checked out. I decided to take Lucas along for the ride so to speak as I was worried about Riley being scared on his own and about Lucas being home alone and realising Riley wasn't there and getting all panicy as he can be a bit needy at times. They are 4 months old tomorrow and have never been apart.
Anyway the vet said to monitor Riley and if the panting continues then for him to have an ECG and ultrasound. He has panted every day (after heavy play) since seeing the vet so I'm going to book him in for the procedures. I don't think I'll be allowed to be there with Riley for the procedures and others have said that he'll go in in the morning and wait in the kennel area until he has the procedures done.
So, do you think I should ask if Lucas can go with him too and be in the same pen, again I think it would help them both as Riley won't be scared on his own and Lucas won't feel abandoned. Lucas was fine accompanying Riley on Thursday but obviously that was only for half an hour or so. I would imagine this would be a half day or maybe even a whole day thing, is it fair to Lukey to 'put him through' that? Do the benefits to them both outweigh the negative effect it may have on him? Or am I just being over-protective and should i just get over it!
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having worked in a busy vet clinic, the difficulty with having both in the same cage might arise if the wrong one was scanned etc. They would certainly be good company for each other, but one would be left behind while the other was scanned and would then have to be in a separate cage while the tranquiliser wore off. Some cats can get agressive with a cat who is groggy and that would not be nice for either of them. I would take just the one cat...
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Hmmmmmmmm dont know the answer to this but wonder if maybe you take em both then bring lucas home, then when you collect Riley you take Lucas with you again. Also that way he will get used to the new smell of Riley on the way home.
Sorry he is still panting and hope that its just the weather :hug: :hug:
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I would do what Gill said, take Lucas to drop him off and pick Riley back up. I don't think its fair to take both when both arnt needed to go. :shy:
And it maybe ok at the moment while they are small but what about when they get bigger and are too heavy to carry. Your better getting over the "guilt" now than having to cause yourself more hassle in the future. :)
And just think whoever is left at home will have time to explore on their own without the other distracting them for half an hour. :)
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Your better getting over the "guilt" now than having to cause yourself more hassle in the future. :)
And just think whoever is left at home will have time to explore on their own without the other distracting them for half an hour. :)
I don't know why I'm being like this :shy: It never worried me taking Tiggy or her brother to the vets separately. I think it's because they are so young and Riley, although very confident at home, is very scared at the vets - Tiggy was such a brave girl it never bothered her at all. I hate to think of Lucas realising his brother has gone and searching the house for him in vain :( I don't think I will take Lukey at all, it might be a bit confusing for him being taken somewhere with Riley and coming back on his own.
I think Blackcat has hit the nail on the head though, Lukey would be alone at the vets while Riley is being seen to and while the sedative wears off he'd be alone aswell. I would rather he was alone at home than at the scary vets. Oh well, I might see if I can sweet talk the vets to doing the procedures while I wait then they won't need to be apart for a whole day, I'm not very hopeful though as I know they have set times for surgery and other procedures.
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If your asking what I'd personally do then I would take Riley by himself as this isn't just a 5 minute thing at the vets then leave Lucas at home.
I know they are brothers but they will need to have some "seperate" time eventually.
But this is just me,you know your cats better than anyone ;D
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This time I'd be inclined to just take Riley.
Lucas might be upset being alone for a while, but once they are re-united all will be forgotten.
As blackcat said Riley might also not appreciate having his more lively brother pestering him whilst he's feeling groggy, either.
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I would just take the one, theres always a slim chance of picking up germs at the vets.
Im sure they will be less bothered then you imagine! :shy:
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altho i cant actually see any major probs from them both being in the same kennel as they are small enough it wouldnt be cramped and both very different so identifying not a problem (pretty poor vet/nurse if identification became a problem)
however i kind of think they might have to at some point be separated anyway so maybe this is the time to do it.
either way i dont see a problem and if you were a client coming to my work i'd accomodate you if we could, again even if a sedative is needed i feel like i kind of know the boys (stupid as that may sound) and my gut instincts is that aggression etc wouldnt be a problem.
If it was for an op i'd be saying separate them but for something like this then see what your vet is ok with and do what makes you feel happiest.
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true, never happened in my watch, but did hear of it happening elsewhere - a neutered stud who came in to have his ears syringed - big trouble ...
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gosh really..eeek
funnily enough after i left work there had been an incident of a cat coming in and having a pre op check done by a vet (a new one so i didnt know them) being clipped for spay...opened for a full laparotomy since uterine horns etc couldnt be located and under ga for over 1.5 hours before it was realised it was a MALE cat :-[
how bad is that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
both vet and nurses should have been for the high jump although since the vet had given and passed the pre op check i can totally understand why a nurse wouldnt have done any further checks.
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:rofl: :rofl: shouldn't laugh That is outrageous!!! Mind you, one of our vets failed to close the cage door - the dog got out and took herself down to the busy street and I had to charge across two lanes of busy traffic, after dark, in the rain and carry a very groggy alsation back to the surgery ... Bit too much like excitement sometimes, this vet assisting lark ...
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now see those types of stories still make me come out in a cold sweat :scared: shore line kennels quite easily opened by their inhabitants so we used to have to clip on the end bit from leads to prevent escapees :Crazy:
cats well...... it was always the nastiest feral types that managed to escape when transfering baskets etc wasnt it..they you'd be wriggling like a worm with your face at floor level being mauled up to your shoulder trying to retreive the said mammal :censored:
Oh the memories....Mmmmmm why did i give it all up .. oh yes i remember :evillaugh: (seriously not because of that LOL)
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Helen what do you think you will do then, how are your vets ?
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they you'd be wriggling like a worm with your face at floor level being mauled up to your shoulder trying to retreive the said mammal :censored:
Oh the memories....Mmmmmm why did i give it all up .. oh yes i remember :evillaugh: (seriously not because of that LOL)
Yes, it's fun isn't it. Brings back all sorts of happy (and not so) memories... But I think we are straying a bit off topic maybe??? Sorry Tiggy's mum ... :blow kiss:
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:scared: Yikes, I'm not liking these horror stories!
Helen what do you think you will do then, how are your vets ?
I think 99.9% that I'll just take Riley now, I'm pretty sure my vets would let me bring Lukey along too but I think as others have pointed out they will have to be apart from each other at some point, I guess I was just being a bit over protective. I'm going to go in tomorrow and show them the video and ask how it works, hopefully it will just be a half day thing :scared:
It's a shame they're not a few months older then I could take them both in together to be neutered and have the other checks done prior to the GA.
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Hi Helen if it was my boys I would leave one at home this time. As you say Lucas might be on his own while Riley is being looked at by the vet. It's a difficult call though as like your boys mine's have been with eachother since birth.
Sorry to hear Riley is still panting after playing and I would get him checked too, even if it's just to put your mind at rest :hug:
Love and cuddles to both handsome wee boys xxxx
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As Riley is staying in this time i would just take him.
Will you be at home with Lucas ?
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As Riley is staying in this time i would just take him.
Will you be at home with Lucas ?
It depends what day Riley has the procedure as to whether I'll be at home, will find out tomorrow when I book him in. Hopefully they can do it on a day when I can get the time off to stay home with Lucas.
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Went into the vets this morning, he will have to go in at 08:00 on Thursday and could be there all day :( How they think they are going to get a normal heart rate and have him calm enough for an ECG and ultrasound when he's stuck in a cage all day without his Mum or brother there I have no idea. She (the receptionist, don't think she's a nurse or anything) said he wouldn't be sedated either which sounds odd considering everyone elses experience of these procedures.
I am going to get a tag to attach to his carrier and write a little message 'Please, please, please can I be seen to as soon as possible. I'm only 4 months old and have never been apart from my brother, I miss him already'
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Well, again I have to say that only YOU, the boys' Mummy, can really make the right decision. But I would probably only bring Riley. As for Lucas - of course you'll feel guilty about him being on his own. But I bet he's just going to sniff around a bit, then go to sleep. Then wake up the minute he hears the key in the front door, and pretend he's been awake and lonely all alone. :)
They are both going to be fine, but I am sure you know that! It's just the head / heart thinking...
(My babies are now 9 and 12 months. I work from home, so I spend every day with them, but still feel guilty even if I just pop out for a short while - even though they have each other! And I've only been away from them for two nights... but I flew my sister over from Sweden to stay in our flat and cat sit. So, I can GIVE advice... hihi...)
Btw, can't help noticing the lack of pics this time... :rofl:
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Went into the vets this morning, he will have to go in at 08:00 on Thursday and could be there all day :(
Fingers crossed for Riley tomorrow :) and :hug: for both brave little boys.
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Hope all goes well tomorrow, I am sure it will ;D
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Good luck today, Helen. Hope everything goes fine for little Riley and that Lucas is fine by himself. he'll miss his bro but they'll be reunited in no time at all.
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Fingers crossed for today.
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:care: good luck to both your babies today. I am sure they will both be fine. Special treat for Lucas being a big grown up boy all on his own :fish:
:Flowers:
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Thanks everyone :shy: My poor little boy is at the vets now, he was so scared bless him, the nurse was really nice and said if I don't hear anything by 2pm to give them a ring. Lucas seems OK and has just had a big tummy rub so can't be too stressed out by Riley's absence.
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Lucas seems OK and has just had a big tummy rub so can't be too stressed out by Riley's absence.
He's probably enjoying being the centre of attention!! :hug:
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Hope it all goes well Helen. You are probably more stressed about it than the pair of them put together :hug:
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Helen its preferable to do the ecg without any sedation as that can alter the normal heart rate (sedation is a depressant and so could alter the natural strength etc of the pumping) ..remember ecg doesnt just trace the heart rate so even if it abit faster than normal due to stress it will still pick up the normal electrical impulses and see if everything is normal between beats etc.
In my experience most cats are abit stressed but after being left in the kennel for a wee while they quiten down and relax some what..often we left lights off etc in the cat kennelling which also helps puss's.
I'm sure the nurses etc will also be good (as we all are with kittens) and make a nice fuss of him which will also relax him.
Good luck for the tests..i hope all is normal and the panting is nothing abnormal.
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Good luck for today, I'm sure everything will be fine ;D
Give the boys some tummy rubs from me and headbutts from Max.
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Good luck Helen and hope the scan goes fine and all is normal. He'll be scared but I'm sure they'll allow for that when interpreting the results. They do have to lie still for these heart scans for about 1/2 hr which certain cats we all know just won't do, so they sometimes have to sedate. I guess it depends on little Riley as some cats lie very still and pretend it isn't happening when they are scared, so are pretty easy to ultrasound, while others go a bit in the opposite direction! He'll smell a bit funny when he comes home and have a shaved tum/chest (hopefully just a little area that will grow back fast) so you'll see if Lucas is a hissyfitter or not as well!
all our thoughts with you and your little boys today. Lots of tummyrubs all round.
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Hope all goes well, Helen and you can collect your little soldier soon :hug:
Let us know what they say too.
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My brave little soldier is home :) They couldn't get a proper ECG done as he was too lively so they gave him a pre-med which the vet said is one below a sedation, he was still too wriggly so they haven't really been able to get a result from the ECG. He did have his ultrasound and the good news is that the heart walls are of a normal thickness, the chambers are as they should be. His heartrate, timing, pulse, temperature and mucous memebranes are all normal so she basically said that while the panting/open mouth breathing isn't normal in cats, that it is more than likely normal for Riley.
She said that next time he does it to check what colour his gums are ie whether they change colour, also when he is neutered (and under a GA) she said they would be no harm in doing an X-ray but certainly not to worry about anything ;D Lukey was fine on his own, although a bit more meowy, and they are both now batting a mouse around :) Riley looks a bit bedraggled and has a super new trendy fur-cut on his chest :evillaugh: Am just cooking him some chicken breast as she said that he might feel a bit sick from the pre-med.
I just found out that Tiggy came 3rd in the cat show so a fantastic day all round :wow: (apart from being zapped by a speed enforcement van, I await my fixed penalty >:()
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Oh that's good news ;D Shame they couldn't get the ECG done but great news that the ultrasound didn't show anything untoward.
Panting may not be normal for cats under normal circumstances, but it certainly seems to be normal for cats after they've been running around (and those that don't pant tend to be those that don't exert themselves as much). Always worth getting it checked out though, if only to set your mind at rest.
Glad Lucas was fine on his own ;D I think they both deserve some extra loving today (if that's at all possible!).
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great news helen :)
I do wonder if its something he grows out of as my lad seem to have ?
does that mean you get points with your fixed penatly ?
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Extra loving being administered throughout the day Susanne :) What age did Cody stop doing it then Lynn?
does that mean you get points with your fixed penatly ?
Yep, it will be £60 and 3 points, the worrying thing is that I think I might have been zapped last Thursday aswell on a dual carriageway so might be looking at 6 points :( Oh well, my own fault - we all know what the speed limits are, I wasn't going much over it today but last week was a little faster than normal ;)
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Jaffa doesn't pant now but I think that's just because he doesn't run around as much. He still runs up and down the room after a piece of string, but he doesn't race around manically like he did when he was a kitten.
Bummer about the speeding fine :( Can't you just write and tell them you were worried about your kitten ;D
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Really pleased that Riley is fine (one worry off your mind!) & Tiggy coming 3rd.......well deserved :Luv:
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I await my fixed penalty >:()
I was given a speeding fine once en route to the vets (I was also driving an apparently (but not really) unregistered vehicle with bald tyres). I went to the court hearing and stated my case, explaing myt cat had a blocked bladder and needed urgent vet attention, and the judge halved the fine and the points count. I think he was so relieved to see someone vaguely respectable with whom he was not on first name terms, that he was feeling kindly towards me ......
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So pleased that the news is good ;D
Now what is one of those vans, how do you recognize em and know u been zapped..........sorry this worries me cos as a new driver I cant afford any points cos I will lose licence at 6 points and have to retake test and everything. I try and stay wwithin speed limit but its very hard n roads like ours and on motorway..........sighhhhhhhhhhh.
Only till 31 mar next year and my two years as new driver finished...................quick quick.
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Great news and so glad that the boys are home and running around. What a relief. As for the speed gun ( :P :P to that) why don't you write and say you were taking a very sick kitten to the vet? You never know.....worth the price of a stamp to avoid points (mayyyybe)??
big purrs from my 2 to the littlies.
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Glad the little fella is OK and has bravely recovered from his ordeal :)
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i couldnt pin point a specific month helen, but when he went ott exerting myself he definately panted although i will say he always "recovered" quickly.
also remember he used to have that odd intermittent slight limp...he also seemed to "grow out of that to"
I'm thinking roughly he wasnt doing it by the end of last year so he would have been around 10 months, im sure he was stopped probably a while before though.
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Phew, so glad things are looking positive ;D