Free vet services ?

missmaggs

Does anyone out there have any knowledge of any free, voluntary vet services in Dublin? I think my cat has ear mites (but of course i can't be 100% sure), and I would really prefer a professional to get a diagnoses before I start treating the poor thing myself

What I would like is some information, and not comments like 'if u can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet', or that 'i don't love my cat, etc., etc.' I've hit on hard times, and no, I can't afford a vet, and I can'tafford a loan (if I could I wouldn't be posting this obviously, but flyin over to the vet's office) but I would gladly accept any voluntary help for my furry friend. He's been scratching his ears the past few days, and i don't want the condition to get serious. There must be someone out there who is a true animal lover and helps others free of charge....?

Any suggestions? Cheers!

Lauragoesmad

The Blue Cross have mobile veterinary clinics. Here is a link to where they do be each week. They do like people to give a donation of between 5 and 10 euro. Which is not free but really cheap as they will probably give you the drops for your cat.
http://www.bluecross.ie/areas.html

Magenta

You can't get ear mite drops without a prescription, and it might no be mites, it could be an infection.

Blueprint

I have in the past gone into my vet and asked for something to treat ear mites as my cat had them and they've given me something without asking to see the cat.

beaushalloe

if the cat has a black/dark waxy build up in its ears and is scratching profusely at them, and also holding his head to one side from timt to time, it is likely to be ear mites. you will not be able to see the mites as they are tiny. you can get drops over th counter from most chemists, explain that they are for your cat. the drops wont do any harm if its just wax, but its very uncomfortable for the cat to have mites left untreated. best of luck with it.

petangels

It's easy to spot ear mites. If you look into the ears and it looks like there is grainy dirt in there, that's mites. Basically their ears will look very, very dirty. Easy fix. Go to the vet. Get meds. Apply. A cat's ears should be checked regularly for signs of unpleasant odor, redness, and/or inflammation, all of which should be examined by a veterinarian. It's important to get rid of the mites, because if the infestation gets bad enough they will cause secondary infections and maybe even make the cat deaf.

To clean the ears, use a cotton ball moistened with water. Clean only the external, visible portion; do not probe the ear canal.

The Vet can quickly confirm whether or not it is ear mites. If it's not and you treat with an OTC ear mite medication, you will make the ears much worse!

Ear mites can and will live on the cat's body in addition to infecting the ears. Unless you treat both, the chances of the cat's ears becoming reinfected are very high.

Good luck with the creepy crawlies!

Irish-Lass

There is no "Free Vet Services" - The Blue Cross, St. Francis all require a donation from you so unfortunately I think the answer to your question is no there isn't anywhere where you are going to get free services.

missmaggs

Cheers for all the pointers. I have been cleaning his ears the past few days, and he does seem to be scratching less, but the base of his ears is now completely bald-basically he looks like he has a mohawk it is kinda silly. Anyway, i'm bringing the bugger to the bluecross clinic in smithfield on wednesday, i dont mind minking a donation at all. Anyway hope he'll be ok till then. if they cant help, then i;ll just have to tae him to the vet to have peace of mind. Hopefully it's just earmites he has... last time we went to the vet, it turned out he had fleas, had to pay 75 quid for the visit+drops...not exactly great for someone out ofa job that's why, if it is just mites, i'd prefer to handle them myself... anyway, we'll se what the story is, i suppose.
Cheers again for all the tips!