Is this acceptable??

[Biglets Mummy]

Dads elderly cat and best chum has been in vets for 2 days as constipated. They took his basket and took the top half off leaving his spotless blanket ( it was a throw off the guest bed that I grabbed in the rush to get him to vets ) in the bottom half for him to sleep in. I then presume that he was placed in the pen with the bottom of the cat basket as his bed.
Few things with his care haven't rung quite right with me but dad went to get him at lunch time and rang me as he was so upset. The cat was wet all around his bottom end. In fact he had wet dads shorts where he was holding him. The blanket was wet with wee and when I pulled it out it had stained yellow urine patches on it and it stank. It looks like it has been folded over to hide the wet.
Also where he has the drip in their are blood stains on his paws. It looks like he hasn't been wiped clean.
I have complained but they seem quite unfazed by this and are saying that he must have wet his bed on the journey home. It is literally 2 minutes in the car.....he seemed very soaked for that sort period.
This is a cat that has never had an incontinence problem ever and is a very clean cat.
It has left me worrying that I am over reacting and that this is now acceptable . He is an old cranky thing but he is very loved and I cant help but worry if he has been left lying in wet for the past few days which upsets me deeply.
Is it too much to ask for them to bag up the blanket if it got soiled and pop it to one side whilst giving him a fresh blanket for his stay?
Is it too much to ask for a nurse to wipe his leg clean after removing the drip?

 

[epeters91]

I don't feel your asking too much at all! I would also be very upset if my cats were picked up in this condition. Maybe look for a new vets?

 

[twiggy2]

sometimes cleaning them up really stresses them out But your dad should have been told on collection to expect a bit of blood on paws, maybe his bottom is wet where they cleaned that? No excuse for dirty bedding though.

 

[flirtygerty]

I once picked up my cat and her kittens after a C section, the kittens were cold and mum was panting with stress, rejecting her kittens for a week, went ballistic with the vets, did no good they were a different branch to my main vet, complained to usual vet, to no avail

 

[Biglets Mummy]

Thanks everyone. I am so angry and upset.Went back last night to check on him at dads when I had a bit more time and not rushing in my lunch break and the poor thing is wet all round his back end with enema fluid. Its oily and matted. Hes 18 years old for gods sake. He should have been cleaned up and dried off. Its basic care surely.
Also is it normal for the IV site to swell up. He has been shaved in 3 places but looks like they got the IV in on his leg which is huge and swollen. I haven't checked him this morning but is that normal as I don't remember any of my cats being swollen after treatment. We have decided not to bother trying to complain but we have moved him to my vet who is totally wonderful.
Thanks for all your replies x

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I would put in a letter of complaint with a copy to the governing body of vet practices [can't recall the name] they have codes of practice.
My vet practice is a member, but the local one is/was not, and they killed my friends poor dog which had stones in stomach, it was moved three times to "comply" with their idea of overnight care.
They now do not pretend to give best possible care 24/7, but frankly as the biggest and richest practice locally, I have to ask about their ethics did they go in to vet medicine to help animal or help themselves?
They also extended the life of a very old and incontinent cat for no other reason than ££££, if anyone other than a vet had done it they would have been prosecuted, but they get round that by "in my professional opinion" get out clause.
You should complain, if no one complains they will never change, you may save other animals from a fate as bad as, or worse.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Also is it normal for the IV site to swell up. He has been shaved in 3 places but looks like they got the IV in on his leg which is huge and swollen.

I wouldn't be happy with that as I've not had that happen with one of my cats. Maybe a quick phonecall to your new Vet to check if they want to see him or not?

 

[twiggy2]

Thanks everyone. I am so angry and upset.Went back last night to check on him at dads when I had a bit more time and not rushing in my lunch break and the poor thing is wet all round his back end with enema fluid. Its oily and matted. Hes 18 years old for gods sake. He should have been cleaned up and dried off. Its basic care surely.
Also is it normal for the IV site to swell up. He has been shaved in 3 places but looks like they got the IV in on his leg which is huge and swollen. I haven't checked him this morning but is that normal as I don't remember any of my cats being swollen after treatment. We have decided not to bother trying to complain but we have moved him to my vet who is totally wonderful.
Thanks for all your replies x

swelling can happen at IV sites particularly in elderly animals, also if one of the shaved areas is on the throat that will be for taking bloods nothing to to with IV, if both legs are shaved then a vein could have blown which does happen again especially in the elderly or very ill, it does happen to everyone but should not routinely happen to the same person-hope the cat is OK and I think it is good you have changed to a vet you trust.

 

[Biglets Mummy]

swelling can happen at IV sites particularly in elderly animals, also if one of the shaved areas is on the throat that will be for taking bloods nothing to to with IV, if both legs are shaved then a vein could have blown which does happen again especially in the elderly or very ill, it does happen to everyone but should not routinely happen to the same person-hope the cat is OK and I think it is good you have changed to a vet you trust.

Thanks Twiggy. That explains all the shavings so I can explain to dad as he is still so upset. Cat is good today and very happy to be home.home. Ive cleaned and dried him so he should be a bit more comfy.So very disappointed in his care.

 

[TheresaW]

I would be very upset and angry in your shoes. We lost our Maine coon last year, he'd been hospitalised for a couple of days before we made the decision to let him go. We visited a couple of times, and during his stay, they asked us to bring something in from home to see if it would perk him up a bit. We took "the cushion" which all the cats sleep on at various times.

On the day we had him pts, we left with nothing, and picked everything up when we went back for his ashes. The towel that was in the cat box when we took him in had been washed, and so had the cushion cover. I was actually a little upset at the cushion being washed, as it would have had some of his hair on it, but that was sentimental upset, not upset at the vets.

Am glad your dads cat is doing well.

 

[hackneylass2]

Glad that that yuor Dad's cat is doing well. I would have been aghast if one of mine had been given over to me in that state. Dirty bedding is unforgiveable. That said, enema oils can take a while to fully 'exude'. Could be that they cleaned up kitty but afterwards more oil appeared? A little oil can make a lot of mess. I would complain, but pleased that Kitty is now at a decent vets.