Thinks the Vet Diagnosed Wrong, What Next...

I cannot comment on your cat's diagnosis and whether or not it was correct. I will say that, like others have pointed out, sometimes we have a list in our heads of what it COULD be, and sometimes we will start out conservatively and see how it responds to treatment. Medicine (including veterinary medicine) isn't as exact as everyone seems to think it is. It's not like fixing a car. If a pet is not better, just like if a person is not better, they need to be rechecked and re-evaluated, and then a different treatment plan may be discussed. When I had gall stones, my doctor didn't think it was gall stones right away - she figured it was acid reflux and tried me on super-strength Tagamet. When I was still having problems, she said first she would send me for an ultrasound, then other imaging studies if the ultrasound didn't show anything (I was having bouts of severe abdominal pain). Turns out the ultrasound showed the gall stones and it was not what my doctor was expecting, given that I was young and of normal weight. I didn't get upset at my doctor - because I get where she's coming from, it's what I deal with every day. If I told every client with a sick pet right off the bat that their pet needed bloodwork, x-rays, an ultrasound and possibly surgery and biopsies, they would freak. It just depends on the situation - some yes, but sometimes conservative treatment works and ends up saving owners money in the long run. Sometimes we can tell right away what the problem is...sometimes we have a strong suspicion on what most likely the problem is...and sometimes we have to make our best educated guess, or get more information.

Believe me, I would love nothing more than to get it perfectly right the first time just with an exam and never have people have to come back or consider further diagnostic tests. But it just doesn't happen that way. We are human, doctors are human, and we can't be all-seeing all-knowing all the time.

Yes, they start out conservative (BF is a vet, I'm ex-vet tech) and least invasive. What if the doc had presented you with a quote for surgery for $1,500 on the first visit without trying antibiotics. Schedule the follow up visit, you may receive a reduced office visit fee.

Yup that is pretty much how it works. Different things present the same way. You start with the least invasive.

No medical field (animal or human) will get it right 100% of the time. My lab had growths but they are tumors n have to be removed surgically

Yep, that's how it works. Vet bills are very expensive which is why people should think long and hard before deciding to bring a pet into their home.

Sorry, but medicine is an INEXACT science....... many things will start out by presenting the same way, but may end up being something else.... or, whatever the causal bacteria is, it may not be responding to that particular antibiotic.

I am sure that the vet was trying the least invasive treatment first...... unfortunately, sometimes things don't respond the way they hope they will.

I had a kitty with a persistant urinary problem ..... first her urine was too alkaline (or acidic.. I don't remember)... they put her on a special food.. (very expensive, too...) the next week, I took her back for a recheck, and it had swung too far the other way.... This went on for 3 weeks, I think, and each time the visit (with office visit, prescription food, and lab tests) cost over $100 ....... frankly, I ended up giving up at that point. That was several years ago, and fortunately the problem did not return.

Vets are human, and they make mistakes. Maybe she misdiagnosed, maybe the diagnosis was corerct and you just need to give it more time or you need a different antibiotic. Either take her back to be reevaluated, or get a second opinion from another vet. .