All Vets Want To Do Is Flog Us Stuff :-(
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
April 6, 2011 8:31am CST
Earlier I rang the vets up as Flojo had been sick loads and honked up a huge (and I mean, HUGE cylindrical furball) if that makes sense!
I explained to her that the wet cat food is helping with Flojo's cystitis problem BUT - as a consequence of this she is puking more. If you remember, another vet a while back suggested we give her munchies ONLY as she felt the tuna was making the cat sick. End of furball problem.
Now she has both in her diet at different times of the day but the furballs have come back, hence the phone call.
I was waiting for her to book her in (and dreading it because John has no money due to being transferred from weekly to monthly pay) but, fortunately she didn't. However, she did bang on about a product called Katalax, which is applied to the cat's paws and stimulates the cat to lick the paws rather than to groom itself all the time. Now, the Feliway Diffuser has helped a bit with this problem but, obviously not enough.
Price quoted by the vet for this item? £15.56! I looked on Amazon and it's way cheaper than that, just like the Feliway Diffuser Refill I bought recently.
What is it with these people? Why do they continually try to rip us off?
Anyway, I shall mention this new product to John when he comes in later on. To be honest, I'm not convinced Katalax will work..I mean, we have grass for her, she doesn't eat it, we have catnip mice, she's not bothered about those (well, only for the first 10 minutes, that was it).
Yes, my fellow cat lovers, our moggies certainly have minds of their own. Do you suggest we try this new product out? Have you heard of it and does it work?
3 people like this
8 responses
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
6 Apr 11
There are preparations on the market for hairball remedy. Basically they contain various types of oil (Omega 3-6-9, Vit E, glycerine & some others) that keep the digestive tract lubricated so that the hairballs will pass through more readily. I would not recommend Katalax as the cat doesn't need a laxative. She just needs some assistance with having the hairballs pass safely through the gastrointestinal tract. With regular usage, hairballs can be prevented entirely. I use a Hartz preparation but there are others out there and as you are in a different country. Please don't waste your money on a laxative. These OTC preparations are so much better and much cheaper. Cheers.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157873)
• United States
6 Apr 11
The vets also do not get a discount unless they sell lots of a product. They always have a higher markup than the large online sites.
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
6 Apr 11
Oh...and to your question as to why the vets are continually ripping us off.....'tis because the average pet owner does not education himself about the care and treatment of his pet(s) and blindly believes that the vet is always right. In the long run, it's about the money.
1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
6 Apr 11
Thanks for that. Like you said, I don't think she needs a laxative either so I shall research some more.
1 person likes this
@CynergyDiva (805)
• Canada
7 Apr 11
How hairy is your cat? Have you thought about keeping her shaved? You can always do it yourself to avoid the expense of the beauty parlor. At first she might look funny, but as your skill gets better, you can experiment on different styles. I know someone who keeps his Persian cat shaved all but her face. She looks just like a white lion.
Another thing vets rip us off for is medication. Did you know that animal prescriptions are the same as ours. Most people I know don't take the vet medications for their pets; they tell the vet to write out the prescription and then they just take it to the pharmacy. Often the vet is charging 3 to 5 times as much as getting it filled at the pharmacy.
xoxo
Cyne
@CynergyDiva (805)
• Canada
7 Apr 11
Yeah but vaseline is a petroleum product; you don't want to do that to your beloved pet. Olive oil is a much better option and you don't have to worry about a high fat content either.
xoxo
Cyne
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
7 Apr 11
I wouldn't want to shave my beloved pet either to be honest.
@GardenGerty (157873)
• United States
6 Apr 11
When I looked at the ingredients, Katalax sounded very much like the hairball treatment from Hartz that I have used for years with my cats. I also have concluded that cats must like malt. It never cost even as much as the online price for Katalax.
We also used to just put butter on their paws. I think you would find much improvement if you could persuade FloJo to let you comb her on a daily basis with a tight toothed comb.
It also gets rid of fleas. Two of my three cats tend to puke a lot if I give them most commercial foods, or one gets a sore mouth. For the most part I now make their food, and I have less trouble all the way around. I just use boiled chicken and put some oatmeal to cook in the broth. I also will give them a little pumpkin or butternut squash stirred in. In the winter I put extra cod liver oil in it, although since I boil the whole chicken then remove the skin and bones they are getting plenty of oil.
We also used to just put butter on their paws. I think you would find much improvement if you could persuade FloJo to let you comb her on a daily basis with a tight toothed comb. It also gets rid of fleas. Two of my three cats tend to puke a lot if I give them most commercial foods, or one gets a sore mouth. For the most part I now make their food, and I have less trouble all the way around. I just use boiled chicken and put some oatmeal to cook in the broth. I also will give them a little pumpkin or butternut squash stirred in. In the winter I put extra cod liver oil in it, although since I boil the whole chicken then remove the skin and bones they are getting plenty of oil.@GardenGerty (157873)
• United States
7 Apr 11
My cats like to come sit on me, and they have learned that if they sit on me, they are going to get combed. Creamery did not like it at first, but he learned to. It helps get the hair out.
It also gets rid of the fleas. I found that the food that I made is less expensive than the expensive food and is probably cheaper than the cheap food that I buy for them. I have lower vet bills and healthier cats.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
7 Apr 11
Wow, you're cats are surely pampered my friend. Good for you..and the cats lol.
I do have a brush for the cat but hardly ever use it. She has to be in the mood, do you know what I mean? Should I try to use this brush daily?
I do have a brush for the cat but hardly ever use it. She has to be in the mood, do you know what I mean? Should I try to use this brush daily?1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
7 Apr 11
I combed Flojo earlier and I was most upset at the quality of it (the comb itself) as it's nothing like the human Denman brush I have at Mum's for her cats. If I had the money I'd buy one for Flojo as Mum's cats absolutely love being brushed by such an ace brush, a brush I've owned for about 25 years!!!
@CynergyDiva (805)
• Canada
7 Apr 11
Talking of lubricants for fur balls, some people say olive oil in the food helps.
xoxo
Cyne
1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
6 Apr 11
It is a laxative, you're right but wouldn't that make her poo more? I mean, she's doing that already lol.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45673)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
6 Apr 11
"Katalax" sounds like it's a kitty laxative.
There are "hairball formula" cat foods out there.
Basically, they contain extra fibre.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
6 Apr 11
It is a kitty laxative, you're right. Why she would need this is beyond me but that's vets for you!
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45673)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
6 Apr 11
It's to speed the fur through the system, instead of getting all balled up until it comes out the way it came in.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
6 Apr 11
i think it's called something else in the states-but if it's what i think it is-
a brownish creme,it does work.
i had a fluffy previous who threw up constantly from licking(even with brushing),and he stopped with that stuff.i usually put it on his forehead tho,because if i put it on his paw,he flicked it.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
6 Apr 11
That's a good idea, putting it on the forehead. I shall try that if indeed we buy any. Me and hubby have had a chat and we shall take a look in the Pets At Home store down the road on Saturday. It sells allsorts and employs knowledgeable staff so, hopefully we won't come out of there empty-handed!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157873)
• United States
6 Apr 11
I have had cats that have loved the stuff and begged for it. I had one that would lick it right off the tube. You may find something more reasonable at the store down the road that is just as good.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16559)
• China
7 Apr 11
the vets are intent on nothing but profit. It seems to me that they are at their wit's end. Not long ago, your FLojo developed cystitis, they suggested that let your moggies keep doing outdoor activities, this time, they flogged what is called new product that may not been suitable the FLojo's case.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
8 Apr 11
We shall take a look round the Pets At Home store tomorrow (and get some advice if necessary) as regards what we should buy Flojo. I don't want to see another huge hairball like the one she brought up yesterday. However, overnight she had a load of munchies so I'm hoping that's helped with her digestion over the last few hours.
@interactivelearning (451)
• United States
14 Apr 11
I completely agree with you, Recently my cat had a urinary tract infection.. Its horrible to see pets in pain, So we took him to the closest vet place.
This Vet Clinic was so much nicer then my Doctors office, Super nice leather couches, Plasma TV, You name it.
The Bill needless to say was outrageous, Not to mention they billed us $50 bucks for a test that did not have to be done and we were never even called with the results.
To make matters worse, 3 Weeks Later we were back at a different vet with the same urinary tract infection. So the First Place We Went To, Never did the job correctly.
4 Months later, Our Cat MOO is doing just fine and no more urinary tract infections...
