Consumer Beware?

This week Fig is due to have his meds - the chemo capsule and the steroid injection, both of which are administered at home. Last month, at the vet's recommendation, I took him in for a full blood panel before they gave me the medication to take home. It was a stressful experience for both Fig and me, and what we learned was that the cancer is continuing to interfere with his kidney function and that the treatment is not damaging his liver and white cell count, at least not enough to discontinue treatment. The vet told me then that she would probably only need a single blood test, rather than the full panel, next month. She also thought that Fig had another 4 months at the outside.

So I called the office to see what I needed to do before getting his meds, and was directed to the vet's voicemail. She left me voicemail in return later that evening, telling me that I should bring in Fig for another full blood panel, and that maybe next month we could do just one blood test. My hackles went on full alert - this was sounding suspiciously like a sales job to me. If the vet thinks my cat is dying within a short timeframe anyway, why encourage me to stress the poor animal and incur even more expense for more blood tests? And why didn't she ask me how Fig is doing before deciding he needed yet another full panel when she had told me the previous month that he would only need a single blood test?

In truth, Fig seems to be doing fine. The slight gait irregularities, hints of palsy, and occasional remote/strange behavior I observed shortly after his diagnois have all disappeared, and he walks and acts quite normally. His appetite can fluctuate, but overall is fine. He has normal bowel movements, and his eyes are bright and clear. This morning he was full of energy and bounded all over the house like a rabbit. So why does he need to be tested again?

I think that this vet just wants to squeeze as much money out of me as possible while Fig is still alive. After all, I won't be a source of revenue for that animal hospital once my pet is dead. It doesn't appear that she cares one whit about my cat, or how stressful it is for him to be hauled to her office to be poked and prodded. When I originally discussed treatment options with her and another vet at this hospital, the emphasis was on treatments that could be administered at home, to eliminate that stress.

When your pet has a terminal diagnosis, I think one can be more susceptible to guilt and pressure to spend money on tests and treatments, as if cash will chase the specter of death from your doorstep. I've decided not to buy into it, but rather will let Fig's appearance and behavior tell me if the treatment is harming him. So far, things look good.