I took Freckles to the vet this afternoon and narrowly avoided having to put one of my kidneys on Facebook Marketplace.
Don’t worry, Freckles is fine. No fever or sickness but she does have wounds on her neck. These she probably got in a fight with Hazelnut while I was in New Zealand to see my mother. The wounds weren’t healing so I took her in. The vet gave the wounds a casual examination, comb tested a tuft of fur and did a skin scrape for on-site analysis. No fleas or mites, but bacteria were detected so she was given a shot of slow-release antibiotics and a dab of cream.
But then came the sales pitch about having a comprehensive and expensive blood test done. Her age you know, kidneys and whatnot. Could bad kidneys have caused the wounds, I asked. Well, no, but her age, you know (she’s 10). I was then encouraged to buy some drops for the mites and fleas she didn’t have. That would be drops on the back of the neck that has wounds that aren't healing.
It's awkward saying no to a vet. You feel like a cruel cheapskate. But in the nicest possible way, I suggested we pause the expensive blood examinations until we see how the antibiotics work. Money aside, why put the poor cat through the trauma of being held down, shaved and pricked if it isn’t necessary? Oh, and by the time I got home, I’d received an eye-watering quote for the fancy blood test and to have Freckles’ teeth cleaned.
Just to make it clear, I will absolutely take Freckles in for more tests if the antibiotics don’t work. I absolutely won’t be going back to the same vet. I love my cats. I do.
*Update: the cream worked and Freckles is back in business.
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