# sedated for vet visits



## Kelae

Does anyone have any experience or advice regarding sedating a cat for vet visits? My poor girl Quinn turns from a laid back kitty into exorcist kitty at the vet. She will bite and fights to the point that it's almost impossible to get a temperature or weight, let alone be able to listen to her heart beat. It's to the point that I don't feel she's getting a decent exam when I have her in. Despite this my vet hasn't made any suggestions such as sedation, muzzles or other restraints to deal with the problem. 

This whole issue really dawned on me over the weekend. I had to take Quinn in for an urgent visit for a swollen paw that I thought might be infected. I didn't get my normal vet who seems to deal with the tantrums a bit better, instead I got the only vet available for an unplanned visit. She hardly looked at Quinn's paw at all, one loud scream from the cat and she pretty much gave up. She offered antibiotics and told me to bring her back if things didn't clear up in a few days. After the fact, the more I thought about it the more I felt the need to find a way to deal with Quinn's hostility. I plan to discuss this with my normal vet after the holiday and wanted some opinions from people that have to deal with this sort of behavior too.

I'm inclined to look into mild sedation for Quinn. I could try a muzzle but that will only protect the vet, not really make it any easier to examine the cat. Has anyone tried this method? I can see it being an issue if it numbs any pain the cat might feel since pain can indicate a problem. Are there risks involved with the drug used to make the cat groggy? Does anyone have an idea aside from muzzles or sedation?

Help!
Kel


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## marie73

Have you looked into vets that make home visits? We have several members here who choose that option because the travel, cat carrier and the visit itself are too much.


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## gunterkat

Way last century I had a former-feral kitty spayed, and I knew she'd be hard to deal with at the vet. When I told the vet about her purrsonality he offered a sedative for her. The vet's office was fairly close so took a ride and picked up the sedative pill. Next day I stuffed the pill into a bit of braunschweiger, her favorite treat, which she wolfed down.  
About an hour later she fell asleep in my lap, purring. I took her to the vet, she had her surgery, and I picked her up later in the day. She was very groggy when I picked her up, and I held and petted her as she slowly woke up. I gave her a little water with an eyedropper as she was regaining consciousness because I knew her mouth was dry. She awoke in my arms, a happy kitty. I think she slept through what would otherwise have been a very traumatic experience. 

And instead of breaking the trust I had worked so hard to build, Snow was more trusting and affectionate than ever.
rcat


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## CatDad

This situation should be addressed by your vet, using his experience and knowledge (if any) and not left to the owner - as some vets tend to do. 
Then after discussing the options available, you and your vet can arrive at a satisfactory answer, taking into account your cats needs and tolerances - as every owner and cat are different. 
I've had to go through many vets to find one who I felt was willing to put the 'effort' into caring for my kids. I don't know your particular situation, but I would question why my vet was not addressing this problem - obviously it is stressful to your cat. 

CatDad 

IMHO - it amazes me how many pet parents visit their vet... then come to boards like this looking for advise. The people in these groups are all outstanding in their concern and knowledge - but it does leave me wondering what am I paying these vets for ???

During the food fiasco, I can't say enough about how outstanding, accurate and helpful this board was in 
posting the latest info (Guidewife) for pet parents like myself... as my vet was woefully behind the curve....... I was telling him the latest !!!


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## pookie769

My current vet gives a _pre_-euthanasia shot [just under the skin], waits several minutes for the drug to take effect and only then inserts the final needle into the leg vein. My last euthanised kitty was my Kelly girl. She had congestive heart failure and her heart was pumping so slow it took many minutes before the drug took hold. I was thankful she didn't have to feel that dang needle in her leg all that time. My vet also "hoods" my cats when I take them in for examinations. It calms them down a lot.


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## Scarlett516

My vet is great with Chloë. They prefer not to sedate her, but they have recommended some sedative just to help them do the exam. I hope you're able to work it out with your vet, I'd be unhappy as well if they didn't do a thorough exam to figure out what's going on.


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## OsnobunnieO

we have a few that can take a mild sedative at home (like valium or ace) and it mellows them enough for most exams... but if you have to deal with an emergency or sick kitty that may not be the best option.

You could always ask them about the possibility of gassing her down if she is too much to handle. Most places have a chamber (or bad kitty box like us) and they basically just sit in the box until the gas puts them under enough to be handled. They can be maintained on a very low gas setting with a mask until they are done.

This is literally a life saver in some cases, especially blood draws or dealing with injuries.

I really think you're settling for less than your money's worth and your cat's health is far too important. There are so many things that can be missed... even something small like weight loss or gain ir she won't get on scale, heart murmers or abnormalities, tooth and gum problems, etc.

Its definately something to look into.


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## coaster

I don't have any experience sedating cats for vet visits, but my experience with different vets tells me that if you have a cats-only clinic you can take your cats to, Kel, sedation might be unnecessary. My cats hate going to mixed small-animal practices, but they're quite calm and happy and cooperative when I take them to the cats-only clinic. I'm sure it's the threatening sounds and smells at the mixed practices that get them all wound up.


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## Kelae

The reason I haven't spoken with my vet about this in the past is because my normal vet seems to handle the cats behavior pretty well. As I mentioned I had a vet other than my regular one due to the fact that I wanted to get in asap. When I saw how poorly she dealt with Quinn's behavior I started thinking about how her exams are effected by it irregardless of which vet I have and how very stressful it is for her. So having decided that something needs to be done, I came here looking for information and advice so I can have a better conversation with my vet. People on this board frequently come up with things I haven't thought of when responding to other's posts and I wanted to see what options in addition to sedation had worked for some.

Thanks to all for the input. I'll definitely look into hooding, home visits and all cat clinics. After thinking about it more I would rather not sedate Quinn unnecessarily. We'll see what my regular vet has to say on the topic in a few days.

Kel


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## Kobster

Inhaled anesthetic gas is safe, fast in and fast out. It will knock your cat out quickly and he will wake up quickly. And it isn't metabolized through the liver or kidneys like some oral or injectable anesthetics are, so it is safe for a sick, stressed, injured, or elderly cat. 

As was mentioned previously, the cat is placed in a chamber where they sit quietly and inhale the gas until they go to sleep. They are then maintained on a mask while a thorough exam is conducted and treatments are performed. 
This is how we deal with fractious kitties in my clinic. Muzzles as a rule, may keep the docs safe, but make the whole process no easier on the cat. If the cat is overly stressed, it can and does lead to incomplete exams and important changes can be missed. The downside to having the cat examined under gas anesthesia, is the cat still has to take the ride to the vet and be handled far enough to get into the tank, then will wake up still at the vet and have to take the ride home.


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## coaster

A couple of vets that I discussed anesthesia protocols with said they didn't like gassing down a cat because they felt it was _more_ traumatic for the cat to be placed in the chamber -- they don't "sit quietly" -- they freak out. Thoughts? Comments?


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## marie73

I've never heard of most of these methods. I learn* so *much here!


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## doodlebug

Before trying the heavy duty drugs (ace, gas etc.) I would probably try some Rescue Remedy or Feliway spray. I never used either one of them for this purpose, but I think it may be worth a shot...and a lot less, I don't know...invasive? for your cat.


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## OsnobunnieO

coaster said:


> A couple of vets that I discussed anesthesia protocols with said they didn't like gassing down a cat because they felt it was _more_ traumatic for the cat to be placed in the chamber -- they don't "sit quietly" -- they freak out. Thoughts? Comments?


once they are in the chamber the majority of them settle down. Getting them in can be a bit of a struggle, but we have a fairly large one with a lid that only flips halfway rather than being completely removed. The carrier can be held over the opening and the cat nudged in (some come out willingly, others require a few gentle shakes to loosen their grips on the sides) then the lid is dropped as the carrier is removed.

For the most part, they sit and growl at us... pretty much acting the same way they would inside their carrier. 

The "freaking out" may come from the anesthesia itself. Most anesthetics do elicit an "excitatory phase" before falling asleep. Injectables work very quickly so they really only perk up and look around or struggle for a few seconds. The cats that are gassed down do tend to stay in this phase a little longer, but its usually not more than slowly doing a few laps and they may bump around a bit as they are losing their footing.

And this is still just for *some* of the cats. Most that I've dealt with go through the whole thing uneventfully. 

I do think a proper exam is important, and while you may not want to gas a cat down at each and every visit (unless its completely necessary, and for some cats it is) but it can make a major difference in diagnosis and treatment.

A few examples:

We had a very unpredictable orange tabby a few months back... very much a shoulder kitty (even after trying to kill us he'd happily hop on a shoulder to hitch a ride back to the exam room). He wasn't an all out bad cat, but he would panic very quickly and lash out without warning. He definately had a limit but it was hard to tell when his limit was approaching, just when it was reached. He came in for a general wellness exam I believe (but I could be wrong) and we were going to get a full blood panel done to send off. I think he had been losing weight. Anyway - after one or two attempts he was done. We rescheduled for them to come back in a few days after he settled down to try again. 

He came back and the doctor was still unable to do a very good exam nor could we get blood so we gassed him down. Got our blood and when the doctor was palpating, she found a mass somewhere in the abdomen... he went for an ultrasound and it confirmed a mass I think attached to one of the organs. It was too big to consider any sort of surgery or treatment and he went downhill very quickly from the speed at which it grew - I think it was a matter of two or three weeks before the owners brought him in to be put to sleep... he wouldn't even lift his head while he put in his catheter.

Another kitty came in that we hadn't seen in a while, but we couldn't get our hands on. I think she had stopped eating. When we got her under, we could feel two huge (maybe tennis ball and grapefruit) sized masses in her abdomen. She was put to sleep as well because wherever they were, they were probably causing a great deal of pain and discomfort.

Bloodwork can be a very important took for identifying common problems as kitties age (thyroid and kidneys are the most common) and cats who are unable to be handled dont' give up blood very easily. Often, owners decline running bloodwork just to minimize stress on their cats (which I completely understand) but by the time most cats start acting sick its because they are very far into illness and if it was caught earlier, could be treated much easier.

I didn't even think about the Feliway but its certainly worth a try. They have diffusers you can use around the house but if she's not an anxious kitty at home they probably wont' do much good. You can try a few sprays in her carrier before your put her in to see if it has an effect by the time you get to the vets. Normally, our bad kitties are pretty untouched by the Feliway but we do have a few who have gone from flat ears and lashing out to happily rubbing up against the cages whenever we walk by from a few sprays of Feliway 

I've not heard about Rescue Remedy being used on cats (and have only heard limited responses from dogs) but its something else to try. So are flower essences and other more natural alternatives. 

At least you are thinking about your options now, before you need them. Its better to have a game plan set ahead of time


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## coaster

Thanks for that, Jessie. :thumb


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## Kelae

Wow thanks so much for the detailed description Jessie, I really appreciate it. Regardless of the outcome of the discussion with my vet I think I might give the feliway spray in the carrier a try as well. Quinn is a total lounge cat at home but it can't hurt to try and I might get lucky and have it solve the entire problem.

Kel


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## doodlebug

Maybe take the Feliway spray with you and spray the table at the vets office too....


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## Scarlett516

I've used both the Feliway and Rescue Remedy for Chloë and both seem to help her. It's not necessarily enough for the vet to do a thorough exam, but it does make her a bit calmer.


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## gunterkat

As long as I was in the exam room petting Sam and talking to him he was the ideal patient. He let the vet do whatever was needed.

Even once when he was injured, terrified and in a lot of pain, Sam had absolute trust in me. :luv He looked at me, slow-blinked, put his paw on my hand and started purring when the vet gave him a shot for the pain. That was a very touching moment. He knew the shot made the pain stop, and he thanked me. He made a full recovery except for the loss of most of his tail. 
rcat


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## gunterkat

As long as I was in the exam room petting Sam and talking to him he was the ideal patient. He let the vet do whatever was needed.

Even once when he was injured, terrified and in a lot of pain, Sam had absolute trust in me. :luv He looked at me, slow-blinked, put his paw on my hand and started purring when the vet gave him a shot for the pain. That was a very touching moment. He knew the shot made the pain stop, and he thanked me. He made a full recovery except for the loss of most of his tail. 
rcat


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## Kobster

Osnobunnies description is very accurate. I wouldn't say they freak out. They go through an excitatory phase where they may bumble around in the box for a minute but it doesn't last long and they are quickly asleep. I agree that the getting into the box is the worst part of the whole thing. 

Many times the liberty to pull blood and do a thorough exam that this method provides can save lives as well as reveal life ending problems.


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## coaster

I have to wonder whether those vets told me that either because they just plain didn't want to anesthetize that way or maybe they didn't have any experience doing it. Either way, I doubt I'd want them doing it on my cat.


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