After my last blog post about Cas’ heart disease, I didn’t anticipate bringing up another personal matter so soon. This time it’s for my cat Chunky. He is seventeen and on the thin side, so I’m always on the lookout for any medical issues due to his age.
In early June, he started to vomit. Chunky has occasionally thrown up here and there over the course of his life, especially during the summer when he chucks up at least one hairball a week. But these weren’t hairballs; these were large puddles of yellow bile and undigested food. He abruptly stopped eating his kibble too, which was worrying because it was a prescription to help with his kidneys. The only thing he wanted to eat was his wet food.
I took him to the vet and they ran some tests to see if they could pinpoint the issue. They thought that perhaps his kidney issues had evolved into full-blown kidney disease, but the blood work didn’t show that. The only thing they found was that he was severely dehydrated. They gave him some fluids and scheduled two follow-up appointments.
The fluids he was given seemed to help and he became interested in his kibble again when I brought him home. He still threw up, though. He also lost interest in his wet food. At his first follow-up appointment, they checked to see if the problem was with his thyroid, but tests ruled that out. They recommended that I take him to an Internist to get an abdominal ultrasound, and in the meantime prescribed Cerenia (anti-nausea meds) to help with the vomiting.
Big mistake on the Cerenia. Chunky experienced such bad side-effects from it. Complete loss of appetite, lethargy, and obvious weakness in the limbs. He was completely disconnected from me and my husband, and only wanted to sleep all day and night. I stopped giving it to him and decided never to give him Cerenia again.
As for the abdominal ultrasound, I think we all know how expensive specialty medicine is. The cheapest I could find for the ultrasound in my area was about $600. I had already spent $500 for the tests they ran on Chunky, and just a few weeks prior to that I had spent $900 for Cas’ echocardiogram. My plan was to save up money for Chunky’s ultrasound.
In the days leading up to his second follow-up visit, Chunky seemed to be doing better. The Cerenia was wearing off, which was a huge relief. He wasn't vomiting buckets of yellow bile, either. He was active and nibbling on his wet food again, as well as some bland chicken I made for him. He stopped touching his kibble again, but I started to suspect his vomiting had turned him off from it since he didn't mind the chicken.
During the second follow-up, the vet asked if there were any updates on the ultrasound. I told her my plan and her vibe became somber. She insisted that I get the ultrasound sooner because she suspected that the underlying issue was cancer. Chunky was now at five pounds—one pound lighter than he was when she saw him last. He was docile and not really engaged during the appointment. She claimed that the last time she saw him he was a bit more active, but because he was just lying there she felt that he was rapidly declining. She told me that I had to be realistic and start thinking about what was good for Chunky, and the possibility that it was time for him to be put to sleep.
Her words drove me to the ER to get that ultrasound because appointment availability was weeks out among the hospitals I contacted and I was so sure I was about to lose him. I was crying on and off, terrified that I would have to put him down.
The ER vet took me aside and asked if I really wanted to do an ultrasound that day. A couple of things they wanted me to consider:
They had an ER Internist who could do the ultrasound but that was their last day at that hospital, and if something were to be found in the ultrasound I would still need to make an appointment with an in-house Internist for continued care;
They suspected kidney disease as being the culprit for the chronic vomiting even though the bloodwork didn’t really show it;
They agreed that an ultrasound was needed to rule out any possible GI issues, but it didn’t need to be done that day as they didn’t believe that he was declining the way the other vet claimed.
I appreciated the ER vet’s honesty and compassion. Their calm demeanor and thorough explanation dug me out from this dark hole I had buried myself in. They even went as far as to void the exam and consultation fee. The experience in itself was so wonderful that I went ahead and made an appointment with their in-house Internist for mid-August.
So what did I take away from this entire experience? For one, delivering wonderful customer service can result in a returning customer. For another, I’m not sure I’ll be taking Chunky back to that vet who basically said that he was dying.
Look, I understand where she was coming from. Sometimes you have to think about the worst possible scenario. I just don't think her delivery was the best. Also, the cancer diagnosis was only a guess. Yes, it’s a possibility that I have to consider, but maybe there is another GI issue at work. Maybe Chunky just had an upset tummy that resolved on its own.
I’m not dismissing anything here, but pushing the idea of cancer had sent me into a spiral I could have done without. Would it have been different if another vet had delivered that kind of news? Honestly, who knows.
At the end of the day, Chunky is here and alive. He is eating kibble again (I did end up having to switch brands) and he commandeered Cas’ bed as his own to sleep in, much to Cas’ annoyance. Hopefully the ultrasound will reveal nothing and the only thing I walk away with is another expensive vet bill. For my peace of mind, it will be well worth the cost.
