I brought Floki to the vet on Wednesday because his groomer, who normally trimmed his nails, went out of business. Since Floki is a category 5 tornado when it comes to doing anything halfway unpleasant, the vet was the only nearby option. Since he was going to the vet, my wife thought it would be good to have the bumps on his neck checked out, so we scheduled him for a checkup as well as a nail trim. It was the first time either of our cats have visited the vet since before we moved here almost two years ago.
His appointment was at three, but my wife had to get on a conference call at two-thirty. Since I needed her help to catch the tornado, we managed to get him in the carrier five or ten minutes before her meeting.
I drove the ten minutes to the vet and was there twenty minutes early. About ten minutes after three, they put me in a room and then made me wait there with Floki for ten minutes shy of an eternity. I wished I had brought a razor.
Eventually they took Floki to the back and a while later the vet came in to talk to me. He told me his flea collar was causing the bumps on his neck. He said Floki was probably irritated by it and was scratching his neck near the collar. He told me he was not a fan of flea collars for that reason. He then said that he couldn’t do an exam on Floki because his three-year rabies vaccination had recently expired and state law forbade him from examining an unvaccinated pet. I thought the requirement was stupid for an indoor cat. I also wondered how he examined him to determine the cause of the bumps around the neck, but I didn’t ask.
It is here where I need to explain why we started using the Serresto collars. When Floki got the rabie’s vaccination, they also applied a topical flea medication to him. When he returned home, he walked around the house like a drunk sailor. He even fell over a couple of times. It was concerning but we didn’t know if he was reacting to the flea medication or the vaccine. To be safe, the next time he needed a flea treatment we switched to the collar.
I told my concerns to the vet. I said I hesitated to get him vaccinated because I didn’t know if that was the cause of his reaction. The vet suspected it was more likely the vaccine than the flea medication. He suggested a one-year vaccine which is less potent. I felt backed into a corner, so I agreed to the vaccination.
They took Floki away for a while and when the vet tech came back, she said Floki had an ear infection. They cleaned his ears, which was almost impossible because he was like a little twister. It’s funny she said “twister” because we use the same word to describe him. It is why we have to have someone else trim his nails. She also mentioned problems with his teeth and suggested we bring him in for a dental cleaning.
They gave me the medication and said I needed to put it in Floki’s ears every day. I told her there was no way we were going to be able to hold him down to put medicine in one ear. Two ears would be out of the question. She said if he were a dog they had a long lasting antibiotic but they didn’t have it for cats.
I called them the next day to learn about the teeth cleaning but the person at the desk didn’t know what I was talking about because it wasn’t on his chart and the vet was in surgery all day. She eventually got back to me saying we should brush his teeth every day. Really? The vet said that after experiencing him firsthand?
She did say we could bring him in for a cleaning which starts at well over $600 and could go higher if there are issues. There are always issues.
We did find out that they do have an option for a one-time antibiotic for his ears and we have an appointment for him Wednesday morning for that treatment. I also ordered a couple of treats designed to clean teeth. I know it is not the same as brushing, but we can only do what we can do.
I didn’t have a picture of Floki at the vet except for the one I already used so I thought I would post one of Frankie and Floki that I haven’t used yet.
State law forbids him from treating an unvaccinated cat? That sounds a bit strange to me for this reason: we have used the same vet practice for years. When one of my cats was diagnosed with kidney disease, I resisted bringing her in for yearly checkups as I had been only because I did not want to put her through any unnecessary stress. When I did bring Piper in to have her kidney levels checked, her rabies vaccine was 8 months past due. They vet checked her and gave Piper her 3-years rabies shot then. Florida State law says the doctor has to do a check-up when the cat gets the rabies shot, so I don’t understand why your vet could not check out Floki and give the rabies shot at the same time.
That is weird. Wouldn’t the vet have to examine the cat to make sure he or she is healthy enough to get a vaccine?
I’m not sure that is a good Vet practice. Two of mine are allergic to the vaccine and that’s all I have to say, the Vet then has a record of it if it is ever needed. I agree with you, the Vet already examined Floki to see what caused the bumps on the neck.
The whole thing seemed wrong especially the vaccine requirements for indoor cats.
soooooo….hoping to cod this vet never treats on an emergency basis for any pet …if they have to …stop and check for rabies vaccination ….big into holistic practice here, maybe check online for flea treatments that will work for everyone…Only Natural Pet offers both collar and gel applications as well as other products…
I’ll look into that. Thanks.
Commenting has become a bit frustrating. Anyhoo … here’s what I found about rabies vaccines in Florida. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/828.30
I wouldn’t return to this vet. Sounds as if they have no idea how to deal with anxious cats at home or in their office. Look for a certified cat friendly practice in your area. Good luck getting Floki’s ear infection cleared up. Yeah … tooth brushing. You have to start doing it when they babies, and even then it is a total struggle. We are supposed to be doing Audrey’s, but it is a no go. XOCK, angels Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid & Sawyer, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy, Kizmet, Audrey, Raleigh, Gibbs & Tali
Rose said she spoke with her sister who used to work for a vet and she says any vet that takes the cat and examines them outside of your view is someone you shouldn’t go to. That is what this vet did.
I would be hunting for a new vet ASAP! This one sounds like all he wants is your $$ Making excuses is bad customer relations and this one taking your kitty to the back and no telling what goes on back there.
It is a known fact that siamese kitties are very prone to dental issues…we use kepl powder for our dogs,and it is also available for cats. Check out Chewy or maybe Amazon. It is a powder that you put on/in their food. There are also kelp chews…and another option is Tevra Pet Brush Free Dental Gel, they just lick it off the tube and it coats their teeth with the medicine. (It is for both dogs and cats, and both of my fussypants dogs love it.) It has made Dalton’s teeth look a lot better, even the vet confirmed that.
I tried a seresto collar on my late dog, MJF, and he reacted very badly to it, neurologically. I now just use frontline, and heartgard prescription for heartworm.
(Most of the newer flea topicals and the prescription ones are related to the medication in seresto so I stick with the older and less toxic to my pets ones)
I hope Floki’s ear infection clear up well…by the way, did he get his nails trimmed???
We are bringing him back for an ear treatment on Tuesday but next time we might consider another vet.
Dentals are pricey, but depending on how bad his teeth are, he could be in pain and need extractions.
He didn’t say any tooth needed extraction. It was more like, if we don’t do something now, he may need an extraction in the future.
Most states now require vaccines for pet dogs and cats, whether indoor or outdoor. It’s to add a layer of protection to their people, as an animal is much more likely to come into contact with a wild rabid animal than a person is, as even if it’s an indoor pet it can get out by accident.
At least, this is the explanation/reasoning they use.
Floki may eventually need that initial dental cleaning before the preventive treats can help.
Yeah. I just hesitate in the face of a potential $1000 bill.