Quote Originally Posted by CatLover1977
Hi everyone-
I went to the vet today and I've only been to this place once before so I'm not sure how they are there, but the vet yanked out clumps of fur in order to give my cat a shot. Then she kept saying that the vial of blood appeared clotted (to her assistant) and then they would yank out more fur while my cat cried out!!! Now she has blood staining her white fur and the bald area is all red and I'm not sure if it's still bleeding slightly or just raw. I just now noticed this spot, which is on her leg, and I was absolutely appauled! I've never seen such a thing! I didn't even realize what they were doing until I saw clumps of fur on the table because my view was blocked by the assistant. Maybe I'm in the dark here, but someone PLEASE reply if you know of anything like this! Should I be concerned about this or has anyone else heard of anything like this when a vet says they 'can't locate a vein'? My cat is a bit overweight so I know what they mean about locating a vein, but shouldn't they just shave the area or something??? My poor Kitty. I am so sad for her right now. Please reply --- someone, anyone ---!!! Thank you so much.
Not knowing exactly what was going on I can't say for sure in your case however you should call your vet and speak to her regarding your concern.

The only help I can give you is to share with some of my experiences at work. Sometimes if we have a tight hold on a squirmy, or nervous cat they can shed unbelievable! And if you are trying to hit a vein with a needle you definately don't want the critter moving. Some pets are very difficult to find a vein on, particularly overweight ones, and a clotted blood sample can not be used for blood tests. Cats are notorious for not liking to be held still or being poked by needles, so crying out or struggling is not totally uncommon. Tranquilizing is not always an option because of many reasons including; blood pressure drops when they are tranquilized resulting in even more difficulty obtaining a blood sample, not knowing the pets lab work/health status greatly affects which (if any) tranquilizers can be used without harming the pet. From an owners perspective any signs of struggle/pain can be difficult to see in your own pet, however sometimes a little bit of a poke now might save much heartache later (ie. blood draws to diagnose diseases early before symptoms appear) Many owners get very upset seeing their pets struggle and sometimes their stress translates to their pets causing their pet to be more upset, I have seen this MANY times at work and sometimes when we take the pet in the back they are good as gold and do not fuss one bit.

With my own cats for drawing blood; Dusty usually sheds in clumps and struggles like crazy, Jack has to be muzzled for most procedures and sheds in clumps because he struggles out of my grasp frequently, we tranquilize Jack when we can for more difficult procedures, Cami cries alot but just wrap her up in a towel and she doesn't struggle much, Bear has to be wrapped in a towel also and wailes horribly but doesn't struggle much. All of them forgive me when we are done, except Jack who won't forgive me until I get him back home.

I repeat myself in saying you should contact your vet and express your concern. If she seems to ignore your concern, or you feel that she does not have your pets best interest at heart, you might consider finding a different vet, if nothing else for your own peace of mind.

Good luck and I hope your kitty is doing ok.