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I adopted Alfredo (Freddie) from a Petco on October 15th: his story may belong on my Visitation and Signs thread.
I've been so busy introducing Meeko //www.city-data.com/forum/cats/...beautiful.html
and Freddie according to Midwesternbookworm instructions that I haven't had time to devote to a proper introduction thread on CD.
Both Meeko (Minky) and Freddie hate my laptop because it is viewed as just another rival for my undivided attention. Freddie will eventually nip at the inside of my wrist when he feels I've been on long enough.
I could post when they are sleeping but Freddie stretches out on top me from neck to knees, all four legs outstretched, he is one LONG kitty! Minky pins my feet, and once the purring starts in earnest I fall asleep.
I thought Freddie was trying to cough up a hairball, starting last Sunday, (so far no hairball) but my sister says he could have the cat equivalent of kennel cough.
Freddie has a "free" vet visit at a VCA vet coming because of his adoption, but I would rather take him to this vet my sisters friend raved about to her. My sister left them a message asking for the name of their vet.
So ... what do I need to know, from any personal experience out there.
I want him to have the right treatment and not just have drugs thrown at his symptoms to see if anything "sticks".
Also want to know the worst case scenarios and what some of you wished you had done differently.
If this brings up difficult memories for anyone, please don't feel that you should respond.
I'm mainly posting to say congratulations on your new family member! I don't have a lot of experience w/ upper respiratory infections in cats. When I adopted my 2nd cat, he did have a cold. Shelter cats are stressed, and moving to a new home, while it's a good thing, is a change, and we all know how changes can stress cats! Sneezing, not coughing was the issue for Mickey. I honestly can't remember anymore if they gave him antibiotics or not, but I do remember my resident cat Patty caught it from him, and it went away after a week or so without medicine, just like a human cold. If Freddie's in good health otherwise and if it's an upper respiratory infection he's dealing with, he might not need to be medicated right away unless he's coughing so much it's really making him uncomfortable, or he seems to be feeling really lousy and run down. Well for saying I don't know much about it, I really went on, didn't I?
Anyway, I'm very happy for you and the kitties. How are they getting along together?
Congrats on the new cat! he looks very sweet. If you have a free visit, you should probably use it - if for nothing else than to give you peace of mind. But frankly, IMO, you should be taking him to see your regular vet for an introductory visit and checkup! Your vet wants to make sure he's completely healthy and will tell you if there's some irregularity.. where it's conceivable that a shelter vet wants him to stay at the new place and could ..stretch the truth a bit. If there is any issue, the shelter is likely responsible for costs to make him healthy (which is why they might not own up), since it's usually illegal not to disclose a health issue.
Sometimes cats have croupy sounding coughs - looks to all the world like they're going to vomit, but then they don't. mine will do that - essentially I think they're 'moving' a hair ball. it just doesn't come up. sometimes they have hairballs, but usually I comb them enough they don't need to do too much more grooming and it keeps it controlled.
For your peace of mind, and since none of us have heard the cough... you should take him to your own vet anyway. Who do you take Minky to? doesn't s/he get an annual exam and shots??
Congrats on the new cat! he looks very sweet. If you have a free visit, you should probably use it - if for nothing else than to give you peace of mind. But frankly, IMO, you should be taking him to see your regular vet for an introductory visit and checkup! Your vet wants to make sure he's completely healthy and will tell you if there's some irregularity.. where it's conceivable that a shelter vet wants him to stay at the new place and could ..stretch the truth a bit. If there is any issue, the shelter is likely responsible for costs to make him healthy (which is why they might not own up), since it's usually illegal not to disclose a health issue.
Sometimes cats have croupy sounding coughs - looks to all the world like they're going to vomit, but then they don't. mine will do that - essentially I think they're 'moving' a hair ball. it just doesn't come up. sometimes they have hairballs, but usually I comb them enough they don't need to do too much more grooming and it keeps it controlled.
For your peace of mind, and since none of us have heard the cough... you should take him to your own vet anyway. Who do you take Minky to? doesn't s/he get an annual exam and shots??
VCA is a nationwide chain of veterinary hospitals. It is not a "shelter vet" . The shelter I volunteer with maintains a list of a dozen or so vets that have agreed to do a free wellness check for any newly adopted pets, and we tell people to check with their own vet if they aren't on the list as many will do a free checkup for pets adopted from shelters. As for shelters hiding illnesses, well legitimate shelters such as my own certainly don't. There are a FEW bogus shelters out there that are fronts for puppy mills, or animal hoarders trying to justify themselves which is why if you find a pet on petfinder or petango you might want to do a little bit of research on the organization first.
The Minkster started sneezing three days after I adopted him on Aug 7 2011.
I took him in for his free vet visit (the providers were different for that shelter)
He was not put on antibiotics because they aren't necessary, or efficacious for this condition. He did not have a fever at the time, but was very dehydrated, so I ended up bringing him in for sub Q fluids 3 times in 7 days.
He did end up having diarrhea 5 days later and was put on Metronidazole, liquid, which I am proud to say I gave him myself! That worked and he's been a handful ever since.
He is actually calmer overall having a friend, but when he's in one FHS type states he is not safe enough for Alfredo to be around him, oops gotta run Freddie just nipped my wrist.
It never occurred to me to hold a shelter responsible for any health issues in an adopted cat.
They aren't breeders and most cats don't come with much in the way of background info, hates dogs, loves kids, etc.
No shot records or prior vet info, which would be really helpful of the people surrendering the cat to bring in along with the cat, it couldn't be that much extra inconvenience.
I got a cat from the local HS and they had an outbreak of something similar/like a cold or Kennel cough in cats. They had several cats who were sick. I got a free vet visit and they gave her antibiotics.
Quick update: Freddie coughed up a bunch of brown, poop looking stuff an hour before we went to the vet.
It was a hairball, his heart and lungs sounded fine, and he hasn't hacked since the hairball came up.
Thank you for helping me when I panicked.
Oh, I actually found a local, small vet practice that offered to see Freddie for free since I adopted him from a shelter. They came highly recommended and are about 2/3 rds the cost of the large practices .... we'll see!
Different (vet) thread. lol
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