Please get the word out to cat owners not to give their c...

Question:

Please get the word out to cat owners not to give their cats Valium, even if prescribed by a vet -- like in our case, without informing us of the dangers. Our 12-year-old healthy and happy Hobie suffered only from carsickness, and a new vet we saw prescribed Valium. It took only one 2 mg pill to make Hobie progressively listless and sluggish, until he finally refused food and water, even treats. Not knowing what was wrong with him, we set an appointment 10 days after the first pill and gave him another pill to keep calm. The vet called in the results of the blood test late-morning on Saturday. Hobie''s liver values were 1700, but the vet suggested he would be OK until Monday. He then closed his office, like everyone else in animal care. Hobie got worse and worse, with obvious pain and spasms throughout the weekend. He was comatose by Monday morning, when we were finally able to have him put to sleep forever. The vet thought "the timeline indicated Valium" so he knew exactly what he was doing. We educated ourselves through the Internet, albeit too late. Hobie had a blood test before a routine teeth cleaning in the beginning of March and his kidneys and liver showed up healthy.

H.W., Azle, TX Sep 20, 2009

Answer:

You have my condolences. Such an unexpected loss is devastating and cause for disbelief and anger. But let me assure you that Valium, at the dose given, is normally safe for cats. If I were the vet, I would have taken an autopsy. There is a strong likelihood that the anesthetic used during the "routine teeth cleaning" caused liver damage. So, what would be a normal dose of Valium (and other medications) would be toxic to a liver-compromised animal. There could be other health reasons, but the bottom line is to avoid "routine teeth cleaning" because of the long-term and short-term anesthetic risks. I have received several letters from people whose dogs and cats have died soon after having dental work done. Preventive oral/dental health care is every pet owner''s responsibility (check my Web site for details).