Gas Sedation for a cat

[Maddie6]

Hi,
I have a 16 year old cat, and I want to take him in for a Senior Exam.  My cat is fine but has been drinking a lot of water.  The Vet will sedate him with a gas sedation box, but I am worried that the sedation may be too hard on my senior cat.  He gets aggressive and may bite or scratch.  she doesn't want to take a chance of her Vet Techs getting bitten.  Is there another way she could examine him without sedating?

thanks.

[zodiacqueen]

Hi, hon, there are many vets that will offer a sedative pill for your cat.  There is an injection available, but most vets prescribe the pill.  My vet most definitely does give me pills before I bring my cats in-that way they're calm in the car and at the vet's office.  Not one time has it been suggested to gas my cats!!  You don't know how upset that made me hearing that your vet wants to do that.  That is just totally unbelievable!!  ={  

Please let us know how it goes at the vets!

Hugs!!

[Maddie6]

Thank you Zodiacqueen.  This is such a wonderful, supportive forum, and I'm glad I found it.

Lonewolf --That's okay; Laverne is such a cute name for your kitten. Good luck with her. I wonder why more Vets don't try the sedative for freightened cats and especially senior cats.

[lonewolf07]

When our cat, Icepick, was neutered (he isn't the 24 yr old one), the vet gave us a "pill", a sedative to give the cat at home so by the time Icepick arrived at the vet, he was already pretty much sedated.  We're going to try that with our female kitten who has to be spayed soon.  I think ZQ knows her - Laverne the kitten - she turned out to be a  lot younger than we initially thought.  Sorry.  I'm stealing your thread.  Hope everything goes well with your cat  = )

[zodiacqueen]

Glad to help!!  =D  I hope that your vet will agree to the pill or injection!!  I'm wishing you and kitty the best!!

[Maddie6]

Thanks for your help and suggestions with the tranquilizer or injection.  I will keep you posted.

[zodiacqueen]

You are SOOOOO right-what about the kitty?????  A tranquilizer pill should be enough or an injection.  Nevermind being easier on the vet, let's make it easier on the cat.  If the vet will not compromise knowing that you're not comfortable with the gas, please consider another vet that will take your cat's health and your wishes seriously.  There are other vets that do care more about the cat's health than their own convenience.  This sounds so incredibly selfish to me.  GRRRRRR!!

Please keep us posted!!

[Maddie6]

Hi Zodiacqueen,
Thanks for the tranquilizer suggestion.  I will call and suggest it to her.  The Vet says the gas sedation is safe, but I am afraid of it with his age.  The Vet says the gas sedation is safe, but if the cat has an illness, I would think the sedation would be very hard on kitty.  I think the gas sedation makes it easy on the Vet, but what about the poor kitty!!

Hi Lonewolf,
Wow, that is great your cat lived to be 24 years old.  My cat does go ballistic at the Vet.  I would think getting bitten is a part of the job here in the U.S., but this Vet is super cautious.  I've thought about it, and I think i will look for another Vet who will examine my cat w/out  anesthesizing it.  

[lonewolf07]

Cats do tend to freak about a lot more than dogs when they go to the vet's.  A cat can be given a mild sedative by IV by good technician who can find a vein.  Gas, I've heard, isn't commonly used.  Some cats fight like crazy when they're in a strange place like the vets and in Canada getting bitten is part of the job AND they can wear protective gloves if necessary.

Hope your cat is alright  = )  We had a cat who only went to the vet to be neutered and lived to be 24 yrs old - hope yours has lots of years ahead of him.

[zodiacqueen]

WOW, that sounds a little extreme!!!  I've only had one cat that went completely psychotic at the vets, and we gave her a tranquilizer pill.  You could ask your vet about that.  Why didn't they suggest that?????  I think the tranquilizer will be much easier on your cat than the gas.

Good luck!