RIP Franta Napoleon 13 Aug 93 - 10 May 2011

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I'm glad Franta seems to be improving today.  What a nightmare day you had yesterday 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Thank you Sue and Mary and no I am not ignoring you Mary cos i seriosly need some food and stuff.

Its just the timing now of when I go out cos also need to get my meds from the chemist   

Misa has just come in and its bloomin raining again.

[Mollys Slave]

What a difference a few hours can make - I am so pleased that Franta seems to be a bit better today and that you are taking some joy from that too.

Complain in the strongest terms re the vet - it is appalling to say the least.

Complan - if you haven 't tried the banana flavour - you must.  Freezing cold water or milk if you can are allowed that - the most delish flavour - I've just had one myself (always keep them handy as I have stomach ulcer problems) - forgot HOW yummy they are.

Delighted to hear even that small big of progress on Franta's part,   you will feel a well needed bit of relief.  

EDIT:  Just scanned the Banana details as it's not on the Complan website: 

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Well Gill, am grinning from ear to ear to know you're full of holes, and I take that as an excellent sign.    

I know exactly what you mean - OH often gets exasperated when Paddy is coming to me every half an hour or so asking to be fed, but he doesn't get it that I don't mind - come the day when I have no litlle ginger and white whiskery face looking longingly at mine and mouthing "fud, fud" silently at me, I'll be totally lost.

Am laughing about that at the vets - you're dead right. When we take Tess to the vet, we keep clear of most of the other doggies, as roundabouts they seem to be mainly boisterous staffy crosses whose young owners can't/won't control them.  When we take Paddy, and there're other cats there, we nod quietly and smile, and ask about the cat - what their name is, what they're there for, that sort of thing.  Until recently we always used to take both together, as Tess's presence seems to be reassuring to Paddy - ie whatever I suffer, you'll suffer it too......  

Give Franta a little snoozle from me and Pad, please.  

[maryas]

Next time you're at the vets I think you should all take a flask and some biscuits 

I know what you mean though - I always get chatting at the vets.

Seems to be going ok thank God and I'm glad the other 3 are pestering you 

Keep up the good work and even though I know you are going to ignore this - TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

Mary and Bonnie xx

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

thank you all 

still tired and thanks for the complan link rosella, will be off to get some when i go out 

franta has been ok during the night although he avoided me completely and he thought it was safer on the floor.

however he got up on the bed this morning and spent all his time grabbing my arm with his claws, so am full of holes!
he has  had a short lie on my lap and is on the desk with his head on my hand at present  ......will not complain i am being limpetted again cos i have missed him fot the last two days.

that he wants to be with me again is wonderful and am sure he would not have had that seizure but for the stress of journey and at vets.

i am definately going to complain and have missed the window to speak to gareth this morning but i have a full record of everything as well as all on this thread.

franta had loads of admirers in the waiting room who could not believe he was 16 or ill........sigh. was talking to the owner of a 2yr old ragdoll who had liver problems and not much longe to live, he was called clyde and she also had his sister. later on was sitting next to a couple waiting to pick up their 8 kilo black cat, who had just lost half a kilo  But like a proud parent the guy showed me a picture of their blue siamese on his mobile 

Appqarently he was very very vocal and they tried him in a cattery for a weekend but he howled the place down and the staff said they had never heard such a noisy cat and he was upsetting all the other cats. When he got home he made it quite clear that he was upset  He was stunning looking and apparently sleeps under the duvet in bed with them every night 

All the people seemed to have about 4 cats and one lady had a stray that arrived in her garden about a year ago.

Its funny that cat people chat and talk about their cats but the dog people just ignore every one!

Franta has now gone on his cushion by the radiator, he is obviously feeling quite good today and is acting like his usual self 

I didnt sleep as well as I would have liked cos Ducha was very active bouncing around my head and it seems that because Franta is ill and getting lots of attention, Ducha wants his share and also Misa and I think Sasa too.

[Christine (Blip)]

hope you are both ok this morning

Me too  .

[Dawn F]

hope you are both ok this morning

[tab]

I hope Franta is ok today and you got some rest
 
love
Tab

[clarenmax]

Sorry to hear you're having such a stressful time Gilly, and your vets don't seem to be helping either 

Hope Frantaman has a good day today xxx

[Rosella moggy]

Morning Gill.

How are you doing and how's the boy?    Fingers crossed that the night has been uneventful and that you managed some rest. 

Also very much hope Franta doesn't give you too much grief with today's injection.  At least when he does struggle, he shows he has some strength    I wonder if you might try the injection whilst he's in his carrier like the vet did?  I try to get Billy in carrier to apply a little frontline if I remember.  It just might give you a little more control?  Just a thought. 

Hope you have a better day today and are able to get to shops to stock up on supplies.  This link shows the sugar levels in Complan. 

http://www.complanfoods.com/faq.php

Will check in around lunchtime to see how you are both getting on   

[Leanne]

Oh Gill that is terrible, it takes seconds to check the date on things, good job you were on the ball despite being clearly exhausted.

How is Franta today?

How are you today?

 

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Oh Gill, I feel so angry about the way you've been treated, and I'm not surprised you have so little confidence in the vet's practice.  As the others have said - how long does it take to check meds for use by dates?  Thank goodness you went with your gut instinct. 

I know you'll probably have had a bad night, and am sending lots of love for you and Franta.  As has been said, I do think you need to complain, and if necessary set it on record by a letter, setting out your concerns.  I know at times I grumble about our vet, as being a sole practitioner he's stretched thinly, but at least we get to see the same vet each time.   

[CarolM (Wendolene)]

I hope you both have a restful night.  

[bunglycat]

I hope Franta and you have a peaceful and restful night and he doesn;t have any more seizures - thats so bad giving you out of date meds 
Lots of    to all of you .

[pappilon]

Gill, i hope Franta have a good night tonight and you get some rest please. :hug:x

[Gillian Harvey]

Thats terrible that the meds were out of date - maybe no adverse reaction, but having little or no effect is just as bad, losing valuable time getting the seizures under control. Its hard work isnt it? when you have to be the one on the ball over things that the so called professionals should be on top of.  Hoping for a peaceful night for you and Franta 

[maryas]

OMG Gill, what a day you've both had. 

You have so much bad luck with your vets and there is no need for any of it if they got their ruddy act together. 

I know you've not had a minute to breathe but you must wriite all this down and put it with your notes from previous times so that you know what's gone on.

Hope you and Franta have a relaxing night - pity he can't soak in the bath with you 

Mary and Bonnie xx

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Thanks all and used to have complan and havent looked at it recently but think it contains loads of sugar so no good for a diabetic.........and I loved them LOL.

Lot to think about Rosella and am not thinking to clear at moment, slowly falling asleep at puter.

Thanks for the food comments and will have a look again at these tomorrow but need to be able to leave franta and get out shopping.  Thought I was going to have loads of time between seizures cos things were looking so positive and today has blown it apart really cos he is so stressed and of cousre so am I.

I need to be able to get that jab done tomorrow and the vet said I cant push the needlw in too far so just go for it.......need to make sure my finger isnt on the recieving end though cos one riggle and he is gone, she said its really a 2 person job and she is right!

Think I am off for a bath and a snooze in it and hope Franta is Ok while I am there.

I so appreciate all the support and advice, it keeps me going 

[Mark]

 Quite likely that out of date ABs have little effect rather than adverse effect a

I was talking to the Practice manager of my vet about this recently and she said that goes for most meds, although ABs stored well probably work way after their use-by date. Having said that, it takes 2 seconds to check use-by dates. Tesco staff have to do it for 1000s of items so it should be easy enough for vet staff to check dates when they dispense. IMO, they should record batch numbers the way they do with vacs, just in case there are any adverse reactions.

Hoping Franta settles tonight 

[puggy1975 Zoe]

I totally agree your vet should be calling an animal hosptal with a neurology department, I am sure the Glasgow one where Ollie was takes referrals from Europe so others should even if a few hundred miles away

We need to get your boy better

Zoe xx

[Rosella moggy]

..want to thank you Rosella for ringing AXA for me, that was kind  :

It was nothing.  Gill you need to be strong now.  Like steel.  Franta is all that matters.  Nothing else.  Everything else can wait.  Quite likely that out of date ABs have little effect rather than adverse effect and you must work on that basis unless you see something different.  Don't waste energy on getting angry just yet as you need to sleep to be of any use to our little man.  So take very good care of yourself too.  

Thank god that you had the good sense to query the colour change as heaven knows what would have happened if Franta didn't get ABs for a whole week.  You can ask why last night's vet didn't notice colour and why systems not in place to chuck out old meds when past use by date at a later time.

Are you going to be speaking to senior vet tomorrow to confirm what you were told tonight about level of meds as, if it was him who prescribed 2% last July, perhaps he should explain why. Didn't someone telephone specialists at Bristol last summer for advice or was that just about MRI?  Can't remember detail.  Did you feel tonight's vet was on the ball?

I think you will need to give serious thought to whether having a vet so far away that offers 24/7 accommodation but not able to guarantee that on duty staff will notice a seizure overnight and having to see 7 different vets is worth the journey time.  God you'd think you live in bloody Timbuktu not Wales!  I am just so livid for you and Franta  

[alisonandarchie]

Cant believe the abs were out of date

Do hope Franta has a settled night but know you will be on tenderhooks

[puggy1975 Zoe]

Here Here Mollys Salve

We need to think of your health to

Zoe xx

[Mollys Slave]

I've only just seen this thread. 

So sorry to hear of this and of the problems you are encountering with the vet as well as the obvious worry that is natural - even when you will be sleeping with  an eye open and an ear cocked. 

I can only reiterate what Zoe has said,  hard as it will be Gill,  try to eat as healthy as you can (even if you have to supplement with Complan type drinks/shakes - I've used them in the past when I neither had the time, energy or appetite) and if you are able,  take extra vits - extra Vit B1and vit C are good for the nervous system.    Sorry if I'm nagging, but your own natural defences might need a little help during this time of stress.

Poor Franta and poor you.  <Hugs>

[puggy1975 Zoe]

U could be right Gill about the vet being in a financial crisis, my vet just asks for a claim form every 2 months and they dont take a penny of me when i am in even when Tyler was infor her teeth and x ray on heart they said i could pay later if i wanted, it was £97 and i had money on me so just paid for her and have had Ollie in and out a few times and they have not charged a fee.

You are right u need to keep him as stress free as possible and a busy waiting room wont help. especially if there are lots of dogs.

Please take care of yourself Gill and try get some sleep, I know u will be on edge when sleeping and not sleep proper, please make big complaint about out of date meds

I still feel as though i sleep with one ear open

Zoe xx

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

We dont have anything like that round hear and already drive nearly 40 miles round trip to vets as there is no good vet within easy travelling.

THe vet I had franta and all my cats at was so brilliant but she left in the summer and but for her and her care and love of cats, I dont think I would still have Franta. But he then had to be transferred to where he is now or use vets now and they donty have any records and the animals have to be removed fronm there at 0800 in the morning.

I dont think you should keep moving a sick animal around like this every day and this is how I lost Kocka, so refuse to use them any more.

The original vets was very quiet and calm but the current one is part of a big practice with a number of branches and the vets seem to be chopping and changing all the time so Franta has seen the 7th vet in under a year. Its very busy and the waiting room packed and as Franta does not like dogs, this stresses him. Also you wait for ever for your time to come and after an hours drive Franta does not need this. Just far to impersonal.

Its making me wonder if they are in a financial crisis too cos seem to be less vets working and they are submitting claim forms before treatment is finished, in fact on day one! They were meant to be moving into new premises before the end of last year but I  passed it last week and its still being worked on or not!

I was chatting with some other cat people and the last ones were there to collect their cat and the male half was gettting very angry cos of the length of wait.

Yes Zoe I am totally on edge waiting to hear sounds and feel too tired to climb the stairs now.

[puggy1975 Zoe]

Poor Franta and poor you Gill. The vets sound a nightmare. Its hard to know what to do for the best but would be scary not having out of hours service as I well know i have had Ollie there when taking Seizures

Its terrible though with wrong doseage

Having a vet that cares is really important and one that understands as it not common in cats. I will only deal with the one vet now as she totally understands and i have complete trust in her

Can the vet not call the nearest Animal Hospital with a neurology department for advice to give Franta the best possible care. U dont even need to refer them they can call for advice . My vet has done that a few times

I totally understand how tired and frustrated you are feeling.

U totally on edge listening for any slight sound

With Frantas condition u need to be pushy with the vet.

Once after one of Ollies seizures i took him straight to vet and the vet seen him before she say the people with appointments as he was so distressed

Just demand in the end Franta needs looked after correctly by the Vet

I wish you were up where i live and could take him to my Vet

Luv to you Gill and Franta

 

Zoe & Ollie

[Bazsmum]

OMG Gilly!!! As if you dont have enought worry with Franta going through this again, wth are the vets playing at??? 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Just arrived back from vets and what a bloomin nightmare!

The abs were out of date, so he was given out of date abs last night and all the syringes that I was given were also oput of date. They had none in date.

The plan was to tablet him and then get some new marbocyl from another branch tomorrow but she didnt believe me that tabs and Frabta do not go in the same breath, well she soon found out! They tried wrapping him in a towl and still no good and poor Franta was getting more and more stressed and told her to give up.

Plan B was for him to stay over night but as he was having seizures he needed to be watched over and although they have 24/7 care, they could miss a seizure cos only one vet nurse on duty and the vet thought it better for him to be at home.

So someone was going to go to the other branch to get the meds but turned out someone was coming from there to here anyway so brought the meds. The vet was very apologetic about what had happened and if I wasnt so exhausted I would be so angry, guess that comes during the night or tomorrow!

Doseage wise looks like he has been given the wrong doseage twice in July and September and she said that giving him a higher doseage was not going to make him get better any quicker and was pointless but hasnt done any harm either.

Franta didnt want to come out of his carrier any more so she gave him an injection while lying in carrier facing her and he never bloomin flinched!

Have to say the care I thought he was getting from this vets hasnt happened, and Franta has ben lucky cos it doesnt seem to have harmed him but gives me little condidence in their care of him.

I arrived back at 1930 and had to stop typing at 1943 cos heard a crash and it was Franta having another seizure. now I am getting angry cos this should never have happened but he was made to be so stressed and we were at vets from 1645 to 1830 most of it in a crowded waiting room. And then of course the pill stress.....maybe I should have just told her no he cant be pilled  so my fault 

I feel so bad for putting him through all of this and am wondering if he should be transferred back to the other surgery but if I did he would not get any treatment out of hours. They have a new vet to replace the one Franta had that was so good and really cared but dont know what she is like.

Just totally exhausted and really want to thank you Rosella for ringing AXA for me, that was so very very kind 

[puggy1975 Zoe]

Big  to you and Franta.

Hope Franta is picking up and u coping ok. Its so so hard

xx

[Bazsmum]

Sending positive healing vibes out to darling Franta, hope all will be okay very soon for you both! 

[Rosella moggy]

What's happening Gill? 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Just taking Franta to vet cos just cant get injection into him.

Spoke to a vet and she doesnt understand why the colour is orange so has said to bring all syringes in and am going to see her, she sounds very nice, only got 0.3mls into him and he was fighting and biting!

No havent seen frantas vet since July and just found that bag and again it says 2%!

[Rosella moggy]

Just a thought Gill (and now not a good time to try it as you're waiting for a tele call) but wonder if Axa have access to a VN as part of insurance cover? 

I just rang them and they don't.

[Leanne]

How worrying for you Gill,

I know I've spoken to many a vet who has been in the operating theatre before, they can come away to the phone where possible, or at least answer a query though a VN.

[Rosella moggy]

Just a thought Gill (and now not a good time to try it as you're waiting for a tele call) but wonder if Axa have access to a VN as part of insurance cover?

Was it Franta's vet you saw last night?

[Gillian Harvey]

What a worry Gill, as if you arent worried enough about Franta anyway, without the uncertainty about the dose etc  Hope you get some answers soon, and hope Franta doesnt have further seizures.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Yes I saw the english number Rosella, thanks very much. No more confusion its Ok 

Its very hard to find any info on the 1% doseage but its in the link I gave.

I range the vets 15 mins ago and the receptionist said she would try and get an answer to the colour question but am still waiting and need to do the jab now........sigh

I am going to ring to speak to Frantas vet tomorrow , who is a partner, he is not in today and wasnt in September.

Certainly Franta had become ill much quicker in Sep, so whetehr that was the reason for the increase I dont know, but when I went back to get spare stock it was back to the lower dosage.

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

I wouldn't expect them to leave the ops theatre, but I know that they can and often do deal with queries whilst busy - heck, they even make BBC documentaries and have a right old natter whilst operating, so there's nothing to stop them answering a query or getting the vet nurse to do some double-checking.  It's not like you're asking them to do unpaid work.  You're worried sick and you need some answers.  I know the other practice aren't directly involved with Franta's care, but I wonder if you were to explain the position and your genuine concerns/fears over getting this wrong, if they could at least endeavour to put your mind at rest?