Question:
I have a cat that has been through seven months of medical issues. It started with an infected tooth extraction during whole-mouth dental cleaning and a thyroidectomy, which the vet suggested because thyroid medication was not effective. They also removed her parathyroid during surgery because it looked "suspicious." After three months of calcium supplements to regulate her calcium levels, which were severely affected by the surgery, they diagnosed a urinary-tract infection that had gone to her kidneys.
After three ultrasounds and three rounds of six-week-long antibiotics, the kidneys were reported to be free of infection. However, during the last ultrasound, it was determined that her heart was not working properly so she is now on a transdermal heart medication. It is suggested that she have an echogram in six months to check the heart.
Needless to say, this has been an extremely expensive (about $4,000) and stressful time for both my cat and me. I am told that once a kidney infection has occurred there is greater chance of recurrence. Can you provide any insight into all of this? Should I do the echogram in six months, which will be another $400? My cat is about 9 years old. I got her as a stray.
S.H., Lagrangeville, NY Apr 10, 2011
Answer:
I deeply sympathize with your sad saga, and you are not alone. Many cat and dog owners get caught in the costly spiral of diagnostics and treatments when their animals go into a cascade of one health problem after another.
From your letter, I have serious questions about the diagnoses and treatments provided and urge you to seek a second opinion with a feline specialist. If no questions were asked about what you have been feeding your cat, I would certainly get a second opinion. Kidney, heart and other health problems call for special diets and beneficial supplements, and if there was no discussion of this, then you certainly should go to another veterinary clinic.
Advanced diagnostic equipment and procedures are expensive for providers and can mean oversell and overreliance, leading to spiraling costs in both human and veterinary medicine. The net result is that those who cannot afford such services buy into dubious pet health-insurance schemes or worse. Animals are either not taken to a veterinarian when in need of professional attention or are sent to an animal shelter because their owners cannot afford proper care.
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