1506. Update: Two old cat owners who care very much to feed special diet.

July 6, 2013

Many Singapore cat owners don't bother with the old cats when they get sick and not eating. After all, they are old. There are a few old cat owners who care very much. Yesterday I met two of them.

The gentleman in his late 30s phoned to buy the feline C/D food for his old cat that had bladder stones removed some weeks ago. "Be fast," I told my assistant. "The owner is a very busy man." He is a business man and there are not enough hours in the day. "Do you have a bigger bag?" he asked me. "I order the 2-kg bag as you had taken one before," I said. "Take two of the bags. Next time, I will stock the 4-kg bag." The cat was OK and so he did not say much. He has a vet near his apartment and I have asked him to order from the vet but he did not do so. Probably he needed a prescription from me but I told him I could phone the vet.  

A young lady in her late 30s had the 13-year-old white cat from Dakota. She had brought in the cat for not eating and had diagnosed "obsessive grooming." The thin cat became ferocious after my enema treatment and injections. Dr Daniel sedated her and got a blood sample from the jugular vein. The owner had given permission for a blood test and so the vet has to deliver. No excuses of ferocity. This evidence-based medicine must be practised. I palpated a hard lump in mid-abdomen and thought it was a hairball. The cat pooped a hard piece of stool later at home and so this could be the hard lump. The blood test showed kidney disorder and so I advised the lady to feed the cat feline K/D. She ordered a bag and so came today, Thursday. The supplier deliver on Thursday. I don't stock extra since many Singaporeans are still not well educated or willing to spend money to feed prescription diets and the stocks expire.

Since Dakota is quite far from Toa Payoh, I said: "You can get it from the vet near your apartment."
"The vet did not want to prescribe unless she has examined the cat. Do you have a bigger bag?" she was given a 2-kg feline K/D dry food as her cat eats only dry food.
"How long it takes her to eat 2 kg?" I asked.
"Three weeks."
"I will order the bigger bag next time," I said.
"How's the cat?"
"Eating and jumping," she said. "Is there a need for a follow up check?"
"Not necessary unless the cat has vomiting or not well."
"Are there medication for her and is there a cure?"
"No," I said. "Just feed the K/D diet for the time being and enjoy her company."
When the vet can deliver evidence-based medicine and restore an old cat's health, it is always a happy moment for both the cat and the owner. Most of the time, owners delay treatment but in these 2 cat cases, the owners were very prompt in seeking treatment.

The pressure is on the vet to deliver an accurate diagnosis and operate if he or she wants to build up a goodwill.