Very sick cat or is Vet scamming me?

Your vet is not scamming you. Vets do not scam anxious pet owners. The trouble is that gastrointestinal problems tend to have very similar symptoms, so the vet needs to work through the various tests and investigations to find what the trouble is. This can take some time. It was sensible to start with the least invasive treatment and then work up to more invasive actions.

Do you have pet insurance you can claim to recover the treatment costs?

I hope your cat feels better soon.

If you want a diagnosis then they have to run the tests. If your cat is still poorly the tests need to be done. Why do you think he is scamming you?

Thank you for your response.
No I don't have pet insurance.. The thing is the two first times that I took him there and described the symptoms - I even had a video - I had less than 5 minutes with the cet who only took temperature. He did not check any of the other vital signs.
And after X-ray he said something seemed off with his Pancreas, but didn't say what it could be.
I want him to be taken care of the best way possible, but I am not convinced with what the vet is saying. He doesn't sound convinced either.
All the videos I have seen on Internet made me belive my cat has Asthma.
Either the vet knows what's wrong and is trying to delay the diagnosis, or he really does not know.
I feel helpless.
PS: I live in Morocco, and the stories I read about this are not reassuring. It has just become hard for me to trust vets.

I agree it's very unlikely the vet is scamming you - it's sometimes difficult to diagnose symptoms so they have to rule out the obvious first. I hope they soon find out what's wrong - it's very distressing seeing your pet so poorly.

My experience of vets and cats is that they work their way up treatments and diagnostics, if the cat feels better after antibiotics all well and good, if not they run tests to see what they're missing.

I hope your kitty is on the mend soon, it sounds very worrying.

Welcome reemah if you are new.

I guess you guys are right. I mean the best I can do now is have him hospitalized. It can't make him feel worse.
I can't wait to go and see him tomorrow.
I really hope it is something that can be treated.
I was advised to take X ray and Blood tests results and take them to another vet practice.

Well to be honest the symptoms of asthma and gastric problems aren’t the same and I wouldn’t have thought either needed antibiotics unless the vet suspects an infection
I know nothing about vets or their professionalism in Morocco
Who advised you to take the xrays to another vet ?
Are you and your cat native to Morocco ?

Yes I am from Morocco and live in Germany. This is a family pet living with my family. He is indoor/ outdoor.
At first I was convinced it was due to a hairball, after he kept vomitting we suspected an obstruction, but there wasn't any. But everytime I brought him back home, he spent the whole night making this weird cough sound, as if he was gasping for air. He would stand from time to time to cough louder, but the coughing just hasen't stopped in over 48h.
Which is why I don't understand why the vet is talking about gastric problems and Pancreas, without checking other things. I have expressed my worries several times, called a lot, they said he was not coughing and was doing fine. Which is unlikely because nothing was done to treat that particular symptom, and they still had to keep him overnight.
I was told that if I take the tests to the vet in the Animal shelter (which is free), they would give me a diagnosis, as they have nothing to win from keeping my cat for no reason.
But then again, the blood tests could be inconclusive.
Maybe I am doubting everything because I'm worried, I don't know.

So the cat is seeing a German vet ?
If he’s not coughing now and is doing fine maybe it was a fur ball or more than one and it has now settled itself down What you describe sounds like a fur ball or something else he has swallowed
Hopefully he will continue to improve and be home wit( you very soon

If a cat has a bad infestation of tape worms, that will affect not only their gut, but will also make them cough. Worms are passed not only through faeces but also orally. Your vet will need to keep the cat under observation for 24 hours whilst he runs a series of blood tests, examines the faeces and, if necessary, an x ray. In the 50 years I've kept cats, I don't think I've ever been "scammed" by a vet. You have to have the same trust in a vet as you would in a doctor for yourself.

The vet is talking about gastric problems because you gave a history of vomiting, and because a 'coughing' sound can be associated with oesophageal problems i.e. it's not actually a cough, but a dry retching.

The vet is checking the things that in their professional experience and training are most likely to be the cause of the problem first.

If you are calling a lot, they are going to tell you your pet is settled if at all possible because making you more anxious about your pet is not going to help anyone.

If you feel you would be happier seeing another vet, then by all means see another vet, but be aware that your cat remains sick and is not getting treated whilst they get moved from one vet to another. Another vet is also likely to want to do their own tests, some of which may already have been done.

The vet is not trying to pull a fast one on you here. it takes a while to understand why a cat is sick and what the problem is.

Is the cat in Morocco or Germany?

Oh, and if one of your cats does have worms; the other one will have them too.

The cat is in Morocco in a city there are only 2 vet clinics that can run blood tests and perform complex surgeries.
I've read the comments on their pages and some are talking about "scams" so that's why I am worried.
But where the cat is now, I couldn't think of a better equiped place to take him.

@Chewbacca But they both got dewormed 3 months ago. Could that be it ? and could it be causing these symptoms?

The best person to answer those questions is a vet.
I can understand why you're anxious, as my cat had similar symptoms.
I felt he had something 'stuck' somewhere, and he too used to cough and pant at times.

I'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see if they have an idea of what is wrong.

What was wrong with your cat?

I forgot to mention that they were castrated a week ago, exactly 4 days before these symptoms. But they were doing fine after the surgery, playful, eating well.

It could be anything Reemah from furballs to TB, so will need tests.
Vets are terribly expensive these days, so I sympathise, but you may need patience as well.Hope your cat will get well soon.

Vets are usually more clever than a doctor----for obvious reasons.

However, if the cat appears to be alright it could have been nothing but a fur ball. Cats do throw-up now and again due to wolfing their food down, eating grass ( medicine to cats ) or fur balls.
Could be something post-operative. See what the vet thinks.

Yeah I hope so. thank you all.
Well that is the thing, I tried to see what the vet thinks, either he does not know yet, or he knows and does not wanna tell me. I have been going there for the past 3 days, not even a " it could be a ...." We've only been treating the symptoms so far.

I will get back to all of you tomorow after I see him again.
Thank you all, a lot !

The vet didn't really ever find out what was wrong with my cat, apart from to say that there was damage to his lungs, so it was as if he had asthma.
The cat lived on for years after that.

So now I m well muddled you are Moroccan living in Germany but the cat lives in Morocco ??? But you are with it so you’re not in Germany who does the cat usually live with in Morocco ???

My last cat had a very wheezy unproductive cough and eventually it was diagnosed as lungworm by the vet - which is a parasite he must have picked up by eating a slug in the garden. He just needed some medicine to clear up the problem.

My current cat gets enormous hair balls because he over-grooms himself due to dermatitis, so I know how worrying the constant throwing up is!

Not sure what the accreditations are for vets in Morocco but in UK doubt if you would be scammed. Could your cat have been in contact with a poison? Do hope he recovers soon.