Dave,

I wish I had found your website before I agreed to treat my Leukemia positive 5 year old cat with Metacam.  Simon was a very active, loving kitty who sometimes had bleeding gums.  The doctor had prescribed it to alleviate the pain and inflammation of Simon's gums.  Simon seemed to be improving dramatically and I was preparing homemade catfood for him which he was eating with gusto.  All of a sudden, he developed severe diarrhea, which became bloody diarrhea accompanied by vomiting.  The vet told me to discontinue the Metacam, gave Simon a dewormer (he said hookworms could cause the bloody diarrhea), and  prescribed oral antibiotics.  Simon vomited the deworming pill as soon as we were home.  I took him back to the vet within two days as the situation had not improved and he had not eaten in 2 days.  The vet gave him an injectable antibiotic, an injectable dewormer, subcutaneous fluids, and an anti-nausea medication.  As this was Friday,  I was told to not force food or water over the weekend, and to contact the vet on Monday.  My poor kitty is obviously in serious distress.  The vet said I could give him a little Pepto Bismol, but, when I researched Pepto Bismol for cats, I found that it is toxic to cats!  I am so angry at myself for allowing the vet to persuade me to give a drug that clearly says on the label "not for cats".

 

If you have any suggestions that might save my kitty, I would be most grateful.  Due to his leukemia positive status, the vets here think I should just make the ultimate decision.  I don't know what to do.

 

Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Susan