Hello,

Situation:
An 18 year old animal has been diagnosed with chronic renal failure and is afflicted with fleas. She has several other problems related to this disease and a hyperthyroid with associated diseases. How should have this animal been treated? We gave her a flea bath, but noticed she immediately was unable to balance herself. We took her to an emergency care facility and they administered two additional flea treatments after I had told them that we just gave her a flea bath (fleas were still on her face). The veterinarian immediately suggested euthanasia with no other options. When I asked him to stabilize her and treat the anemia (blood transfusion) he kept pushing euthanasia without accessing the situation and he said she wouldn't make it through the night. He finally did "cave" and treated her with fluids, glucose, dextrose, etc. BUT, the transfusion was post-poned (by-me) until morning as my other cat would need to be used and the sick cat was already going through enough stressers. She did make it through the night, but the day vet refused to give the transfusion without x-rays and ultrasound. Wouldn't the transfusion + fluids have helped to dilute the toxins? The x-rays and ultrasound were required to detect a possible mass present in the liver which "could" bleed into the abdomen and the transfusion would then not be helpful. The day vet did find a liver abnormality through ultrasound, but this cannot be verified without surgery..correct? Wouldn't it have been better to do the transfusion +liquids to rid her of poisons and possibly correct the anemia? Emergency care is for short term stabilization....correct? Shouldn't the short term have been the immediate factor? Both vets kept pushing euthanasia, accused us of allowing chronic flea infestation to occur when we only just detected it and accused us of not feeding her or of not making sure she ate even though we fed her all day with both modified kidney helping food and dry food. Shouldn't they have realized that she had chronic renal failure?

Optional Information:
Age: >12; Female; Breed: domestic short hair

Already Tried:
She has passed away and I am trying to verify that emergency procedures were correct.