[Peaksy21]

Hello, I'm looking for any advice that anyone may be able to give me in regards to my kitten Loki please.

Loki is a 8mth old rescue kitty, very playful and a gorgeous little baby. I'll put the details in chronological order so it makes it easier. Day 1 Loki was scheduled to be neutered but had an extremely high temp, he was given 2 shots (1 to bring the fever down and 1 lot of antibiotics) and sent home for cuddles and tlc. Day 5 Loki went back to the vets and although he still had a bit of a temp he was neutered and again given another 2 shots. He came home and all had gone well, he even picked up a lot that evening. Day 9 Loki started shivering, not constantly but now and again he also started acting out of character and sleeping very deeply. Day 13 Loki went for his post op check and was told that everything had gone well. I explained to the vet about his shivering and again was told that he had a high temp. The vet gave him another 2 of the same shots (poor little mite has had more shots than me now and I'm 29!), then prescribed him Metacam to be taken for 2 weeks and then after a further week to bring Loki back in to see if he's any better.

Loki is now into his 5th day of taking Metacam but he is still shivering, he doesn't look to be in any pain but he is sleeping much much more and acting very out of character by this I mean he stays on his own now in places he doesn't usually sit and isn't interested in places he used to love (e.g running around exploring my garage). Throughout the whole episode he has been eating, drinking and toileting fine. My concern is that Loki is in pain or that there may be something wrong with him and I worry that he has to wait another 2 and half weeks before going back to the vets.

I've booked him into another vets tomorrow afternoon - just for a second opinion more than anything and I hope I am just being over cautious but I would hate to think that he was poorly and that I was just waiting...

Any advice anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated - Many Thanks - Andrea and Loki

 

[RachandNito]

Were his blood values checked at any point? At the emergency clinic where we work, we do not give Metacam to cats unless we have checked, at the very least, their creatinine. Cats can be very sensitive to this drug, so you need to proceed with caution.

At the recheck I would have some bloodwork done if I were you. Especially with the shivering... it definitely could indicate pain, but it could be something else as well.

 

[Peaksy21]

Hi RachandNito,

No he hasn't had any blood tests but I will ask the other vets tomorrow to do this. I'm really worried for him. Do you think I should stop giving him the Metacam? He is scheduled for another dose tonight (he gets 4 units of a 15ml bottle each night) but I've heard a few reports that some cats dont react well to this medication.

 

[laurief]

I personally would NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES give Metacam to a cat ... EVER! In fact, all of my cats' files at the vet's have it written in BIG BOLD LETTERS ... NO METACAM. I don't even know why Metacam has been prescribed for your kitten. You have mentioned nothing about inflammation, and there are much safer pain meds than Metacam.

It also sounds like your little boy has received three shots of probably Convenia in less than two weeks, when the labeled dosing for that drug is a SINGLE, subQ injection. If I were you, I would RUN, not walk, to a new vet at a different clinic and not look back at the first vet who treated your boy. I would also try to get him seen TODAY, not tomorrow. BUT, you need to get copies of ALL of your kitten's records to take with you to the new vet so that he will know exactly what has been administered over the last couple of weeks. That's the only way the new vet can safely prescribe any additional drugs or treatments.

I hope that the new vet will be able to properly and successfully treat little Loki.

Laurie

 

[Peaksy21]

Hi Laurief,

Yes it was Convenia, but at the time it really seemed to do him good and for the next 12 hours he would perk up no end, I didn't realise they weren't meant to have so many doses of this drug. I'm in the UK so the vets is closed now and he is booked in for tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to keep a very close eye on him tonight and see what the new vets say tomorrow - I have all of his records so I'll take those too. Thanks for the advice. I'll keep you all posted x

 

[librarychick]

I didn't see yu mention what is the matter with him in any of your posts. I know you said he had a fever, but did the vet say what sort of illness he had? It seems odd to me that just going on a fever he'd prescribe convenia and antibiotics...

I'm glad you're going to another vet, it sounds like the one you're going to might not be the best choice. I would also not give him any more metacam, it's very dangerous stuff.

I hope your kitten starts feeling better soon, we'd love to see some pics of the little guy too

 

[Stryker]

Welcome to the forum, Peaksy21!

I don't want to alarm you BUT, if you have the ability to get your kitten to an emergency vet clinic today, I'd advise you to do so.

My own suspicion is that Poki has become anemic as a result of the Convenia - the shivering, IMO, and his behaviour are the signs of this.

If he were mine and I couldn't manage an emergency visit, I'd keep him indoors for starters and, I would confine/seclude him in the warmest place I could arrange.

Now - as for the new Vet: is this new Vet a cat-only doc?

If not, I'd urge you to find a feline-only practice....in my opinion, what you've related is a horror story. I also have a feeling that you have justification to report this "veterinarian" to The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. That. of course would be secondary to the most immediate treatment you can muster. As laurief said, securing the case file/records will be necessary. Here's your link to the RCVS Complaints - RCVS

Yes - I'd stop the Metacam - knowing what I do, I'd never have allowed it in the first place.

Here's an article on Convenia by a very well-respected online Veterinarian. Convenia: Worth the Risk? by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM :: Long-acting antibiotic for cats that can have serious side effects

If you want to research other cases of anemia resulting from Convenia, google "anemia,cats" - the results will speak for themselves.

Keep us updated.

 

[Binkers]

I agree w/Laurief and Stryker, this is a nightmare for both of you and I absolutely, positively would report that vet for malpractice. GL to both of you and I hope he is doing better! B

 

[Peaksy21]

I didn't see yu mention what is the matter with him in any of your posts. I know you said he had a fever, but did the vet say what sort of illness he had? It seems odd to me that just going on a fever he'd prescribe convenia and antibiotics...

Hi Librarychick - Thats the thing, the vet didn't know what was wrong with him and just said he had a fever/high temp, but he's had this for over 2 weeks now with no signs of improvement and it seems odd that he would prescribe him with pain relief for 2 weeks. I'm glad he's at a different vets tomorrow, I'm getting more and more worried. He's here asleep at the side of me now but he does look really sad :-(

 

[Peaksy21]

Now - as for the new Vet: is this new Vet a cat-only doc?

Yes - I'd stop the Metacam - knowing what I do, I'd never have allowed it in the first place.

Hi Stryker, The vet I'm going to tomorrow is where I took another one of my cats and where my Mum's cats go to (I had moved to a different part of town hence the reason for the current vet but have since moved back) but on all occasions we have been there they've always been great, they aren't cat-only but I have experience with them and my Mum has 3 cats registered there and they've always been good with her.

I've taken the advice regarding the Metacam and wont give him his dose tonight. Also he's indoors with me, with the heating full and he's asleep so he's comfortable - just hopefully not in pain.

Thanks for the info - although its pretty horrifying knowing he's been given so many of these shots and drugs within the space of 2 weeks. I cant get to an emergency clinic tonight but I'll bekeeping an eye on him and I'll be glad when we get to the vets tomorrow. I'll keep you all posted, thanks again.

 

[Stryker]

Good to hear that you're keeping a close eye on him, Peaksy21.

There's something else you can be doing in the meantime. That Metacam needs to be flushed out of him asap. I'd be trying to get as much water into him as I could. You might try tuna water (human low-sodium tuna juice)...offer a few tablespoons at a time, then withdraw (so that it's a novelty that you're presenting) at +/- hourly intervals. To maintain his interest, you might start with a partially diluted solution, gradually increasing the amount of tuna juice to keep his interest spiked. Hopefully you're using WET foods as well.

Make sure you get the "possibly anemic" message loudly and clearly to the Vet - from everything I've read in accounts of UK Vets, most seem to take a dim view of "mere mortals" like us dabbling in anything veterinary.....hopefully the new clinic you're attending will be open to a working-with-you modality. (If not, my mother's Vet or not, I'd be looking for a competent feline Vet without "attitude"!)

Thinking of you!

 

[Peaksy21]

Thanks Stryker, yes he's on wet food and I've been ensuring he's drinking plenty and plenty of fluids - I'll give the tuna juice a try right now actually.

I'll be sure to tell the vet all my concerns and get some real answers - I'm armed to the teeth with records and possible diagnoses and will seek out a feline vet if need be. Thanks for all your help, Loki's off to bed now but I'll post back tomorrow and let everyone know how we got on x

 

[Stryker]

One final thought for tonight - if your appointment is not early in the day, you might consider calling and asking if you could drop him off early - I'm able to do that at my Vet's when I have grave concerns - before or in between appointments, one of the Vets will do a quick assessment of the vitals, etc. If it's anemia, speed is of the essence. Good luck!

 

[laurief]

Well, med labeling and dosing are sometimes different in the UK than they are in the US. In the UK, for instance, Convenia's dosing recommendations include one repeat dose, if necessary, 14 days after the initial injection, while US dosing recommendations are for a one-time injection only.

Laurie

 

[Stryker]

... In the UK, for instance, Convenia's dosing recommendations include one repeat dose, if necessary, 14 days after the initial injection...

However, the timeline between dosings does not respect that regulation

... I'll put the details in chronological order so it makes it easier. Day 1 Loki was scheduled to be neutered but had an extremely high temp, he was given 2 shots (1 to bring the fever down and 1 lot of antibiotics) and sent home for cuddles and tlc. Day 5 Loki went back to the vets and although he still had a bit of a temp he was neutered and again given another 2 shots. He came home and all had gone well, he even picked up a lot that evening. Day 9 Loki started shivering, not constantly but now and again he also started acting out of character and sleeping very deeply. Day 13 Loki went for his post op check and was told that everything had gone well. I explained to the vet about his shivering and again was told that he had a high temp. The vet gave him another 2 of the same shots

The Convenia was given on days one, five and thirteen....

Now, another question: what was this drug:

1 (shot) to bring the fever down

My suspicion is that it was Metacam.

If Metacam was that injectible, that is to say Metacam and Convenia were used concurrently, then that in itself is contraindicated in NOAH's regulations for Convenia:

Concurrent use of other substances that have a high degree of protein binding (e.g. furosemide, ketoconazole, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)) may compete with cefovecin binding and thus may cause adverse effects. NOAH Compendium of Animal Medicines: Convenia 80 mg/ml powder and solvent for solution for injection for dogs and cats - Contra-indications, warnings, etc

That same reference - contraindication - appears respecting Metacam as well:

Other NSAIDs, diuretics, anticoagulants, aminoglycoside antibiotics and substances with high protein binding may compete for binding and thus lead to toxic effects. NOAH Compendium of Animal Medicines: Metacam 2 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cats - Contra-indications, warnings, etc