George Update - He is at the Bridge :-(

[Catty1]

Some of you know about George, a cat of about 15 years of age whose owner never took him to a vet his whole life. Several months ago, George was peeing so much that his person finally took him in. George is diabetic, and is doing well on 3u of insulin twice a day. He has put on some muscle, and his sweet disposition remains unchanged.

I look in on George when his person is away, which is usually no more than a weekend.

Several days ago, George developed a weepy eye. Eye drops from the vet did no good. George went back to the vet on Friday and he badly needs a dental. One tooth is so rotted that it is causing the eye infection, and several more may need to be pulled as well. It will cost about $1,000.00

I could get angry as all this - the severe infection and heavy financial outlay in a short time - could have been prevented. George's person worked as a musician most of his life, and did other jobs (as opposed to a career), so I understand from my point of view. Plus, the owner is not a mean or malicious person.

The owner will be discussing with his fiancee (a good friend of mine) whether to go ahead with the dental or look at euthanasia. The cost is one thing - George's age is another. Yet George still purrs, talks, bats a paw for his treats (his owner trained him to do that!).

I have emailed the new vet school at the nearby University of Calgary, but the website does not seem to indicate that they will treat a pet as part of the training. But they might know someone who can help.

I think George deserves to enjoy even a couple of years as healthy and pain-free as possible. He has pain meds and antibiotics that I give him twice a day, as well as his insulin. I also soak a piece of folded paper towel in very warm salty water and gently hold it on his eye, giving it a gentle wipe to clean it. Yesterday I got some crusty stuff off...today no crust, but faint red like there was blood in the discharge.

I am giving George the antibiotic directly instead of putting it in his wet food. I hope there will be improvement by tomorrow.

Prayers for poor George, please. :love:

[Karen]

The poor thing! Hopefully he feels somewhat better, and I am sure appreciates the attention. Prayers on the way!

[Catty1]

Thanks, Karen.

I just hope he can get the dental and tests ok in the pre-op.

There is someone (not on this board) who owes me $500. That would come in really handy right now!

Thanks again.

[Catty1]

I was just over tonight again. His eye is not any WORSE...and he didn't sneeze at all like he did this morning.

I wish I had a pill popper. I got an antibiotic directly into him this morning, but he was having none of it this evening. The painkillers and AB are in his food, and I didn't overfeed him...so if it's gone by morning I'll know it's in his system.

Bathed his eye again, and trimmed his claws - many were broken off. But he purred and I gave him his Greenies treats as a reward. :)

He is such a sweetheart :love: ...I hope the U of C vet school can recommend someone to do a dental at a lower cost.

[Medusa]

Oh how sad. The weepy eye is bad enough but that rotten tooth has got to be painful. Of course, prayers are being sent up right now. :love:

[phesina]

Prayers for dear George that he is able to get the medical and dental care he needs. Thank you, Candace, for doing your best for him.

I'll send you a pill popper, if you'd like.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:
Pat and cats

[Medusa]

Is the Canadian P.O. still on strike?

[Catty1]

Thanks, Pat - but his people are home tomorrow morning. I can get one from the kennel I worked at or the HS.

I am going over there shortly. His eye isn't crusting any more so I hope that means the antibiotics are encouraging the stuff to drain.

He is a sweet boy!:):love: I'll pass on some PT hugs if I may. :)

[phesina]

Please do pass on LOADS of PT hugs and scritchies and lovies from us!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Catty1]

His eye looked much better this morning. It's still closed more than the healthy one, but you can actually SEE the other pretty green eye.

George is not too impressed with me as I am the one that pills him, bathes his eye, tries to put the gel on his spot on his head. Remember that George got all these meds Friday morning, so his person only had to deal with it once. I get to be the bad guy! lol

The diabetes shot is nothing to do compared to all that!

I pray I hear from the U of C vet school and from GE Money in Canada to see if they still have the Credit Care.

Hopefully when the owner sees George looking better, he'll be inclined to give George a chance. When his eye was swollen almost shut and the side of his face had a pus pocket, he sure looked done!

Mary, the strike was over about a week ago. I'll see if I can get a pill popper for his person.

I feel bad opening his mouth because a) George isn't used to it, and b) I am sure it is painful for him.

Thanks everyone...will pass on hugs and lovies!

[maerlyn]

This is so sad because it all was preventable - and poor George pays the price. Prayers for George, that he'll have more years, happier years, here on Earth. And bless you for being so caring!:love:

[Freedom]

George, sending many scritchies and cuddles your way.

Good job Candace! Had to laugh as you in the role of "bad guy" - the main one looking out for this boy!

[krazyaboutkatz]

I sure hope that someone will be able to help George to get a dental at a reasonable cost. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way.

[Catty1]

Oh, I'm the good guy - but George begs to differ! :D

[carole]

I am really glad george has you in his corner Candace, looking after his best interests, the dental is expensive and his age will come in to it , i guess you can only advise and hope they make the right decision,but it is their decision,and it sounds like they won't make a hasty call on this one.

I know what you mean about pilling a cat with a sore mouth, i had to pill ash twice daily and i knew he had a sore mouth and he was the worst cat i have ever had to pill in my life, he fought me every time, even after two years, it never got better , luckily when ellie needed pilling 3times daily she was a breeze, so you have my empathy there and good luck with it.

You got to be cruel to be kind sometimes.

Anyhow all the best and keep us updated on his progress and the outcome which i really hope is positive.

[Catty1]

Carole, I was thinking of you and your Miss Ellie and how she had her dental at a fairly senior age.

I was ready to cry when I left tonight. George loves being brushed, and he did his rolling over, front toes kneading the air, purring like mad. He hadn't eaten anything, and ate several of his favourite treats. He drank some water.

I got his antibiotic down his throat - no sense putting it in the food if he is not eating it.

I felt sad because he seemed stand-offish, likely because I am the nasty that has been doing the pill thing. I wish the vet had given George a shot of Convenia and put a pain patch on him! :mad: I was worried he was standoffish because he was getting worse, or something...though his purring and rolling over belied that!

I am wanting some advice. I see George tomorrow morning. I thought I would do a Care Credit thing myself. I have a line of credit, and would willingly do a loan. I know this guy would pay me back, and if it makes the difference in giving George a chance, I will do it. I am thinking of leaving a letter for him regarding this.

Meanwhile, I still hope to find a better deal from the university. Sadly, I don't think Care Credit exists for pets in Canada any more, but I could be wrong.

Should I make the offer and see what happens? What do you think?

Thanks.:love:

[carole]

Candace, Miss Ellie will be around 12 this year,not only was the dental very extensive, her health was already compromised,and the steroids added even more risk, it was indeed a very high risk operation and then the tumour on top of it all,but look at my girl now.

And also Candace when Ash had a dental done he was about 14 and had kidney failure so george's chances are probably not too bad considering., i am sure his diabetes and age does pose a risk though, but the vets are the best people to advise you on this.

Candace if you really know for sure this guy will pay you back and you can take the loan on then,if it is what your heart and head tell you to do, then i would, but only you can make that decision.

My heart breaks reading this story,but i feel it will have a good ending, i sure hope so, wishing you all the luck in the world, and candace you are such a good person to do this and care so much, but then i always knew that,HUGS.

[Catty1]

Thanks so much, Carole. :love:

Here is a pic of George in 2009:
http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?pictureid=759&albumid=93&dl=1234817380&thumb=1

This is a pic I took tonight:
http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?pictureid=4284&albumid=93&dl=1310356391&thumb=1

In 2009 he was perhaps a tad too heavy - to pet him now, he is thin, but not nearly as thin as he was 2 months ago!

Sorry, no pretty face - but the poses are similar. There is an album from 2009 called "George" in my profile. It includes tonight's pic, but in the whole album you can see what a sweetie he is.:)

[carole]

AWW poor baby, if is mouth is so sore, he won't be eating well, and will be getting thin,i sure hope you can help him, he should not be suffering ,tell them to think how bad toothache is themselves when they have it, and hopefully they will get on to it and relieve his pain soon,(By a dental i mean) thinking of you and george.:love::love:

[Catty1]

Carole, he has gained some weight back since getting insulin for his diabetes, which was diagnosed about two months ago.

This eye infection cropped up earlier last week. George's owner took him to the vet and got eye drops. His eye got worse, and a second vet trip on Friday morning showed that the rotten tooth was causing the problem. Poor baby! The pain meds go into his food, but he is not getting much of them.

I think if he gets the dental and is on a pain patch, along with a Convenia injection, he will be much more comfortable.

Thanks so much for the good thoughts and prayers.:love:

ETA: The vet prescribed the antibiotics and pain meds to make him more comfortable, but said he will need a dental. At least one tooth will need to be removed; he has other rotten teeth as well.

However, his one canine tooth looks good, and when he eats a treat, there is a good crunching sound, so some teeth are ok, I think.

[carole]

you just never know what is going on , we had no idea that Ellie had the roots underneath broken ,those type of things are not visible,i hope someone can nurse him back to health after the dental, because it can be really hard on then, of course i am only going by Ellie, and she had much more than that, two big ops,just over a month now and she is almost back to normal.

I will be thinking of you and george.:love:

[phesina]

Good wishes and prayers and healing energies from us, that things will go well for dear little George and he will soon be feeling much better.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Medusa]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear this. Of course, mega prayer being sent up right now, Candace. Keep the faythe. :love:

[phesina]

Candace, if money might make the difference between George living or dying, I will be glad to send a small contribution. I am not regularly employed now and money is very tight for me, but if it will save his life I'll send something.

Love to dear Georgie and to you for caring about him so much.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[catmandu]

George is such a Lucky Cat to have such a Good Guardian.:love:
We are dear that Your Dear Old Senior Kittyzen will be all right, and willbe able to enjoy his senior yeras in good health again.:love::love::love:

[Anikaca77]

Would the vet allow payments to be made?

Prayers coming for George, his keepers, and for you as well.

Melissa

[Freedom]

If you expect the owner will pay you back, THEN GET IT IN WRITING. There is nothing worse than lending to a "friend" who decides to ignore the loan and consider it a gift.

[Catty1]

I heard back from the U vet. They do not take pets in for treatment...I guess they need to expand their facility.

I will get it in writing. Knowing him and his fiancee, they may well refuse and work it out between them. He already asked me if I was available for 8 days in August.

I was crying at the end of my visit with George. He squeaked hello from his chair - eye looks way better. He got an eye bathing and a good brushing and then went outside. I went out twice and couldn't locate him. He didn't get his antibiotic or his insulin. I was up earlier than normal to drive my mom to an appointment in the city, got to George late, and was just stressed.

I did leave a note for the owner - they are back this afternoon. I suggested that he see about getting George a shot of Convenia and a pain patch. The present system is not working - George ate nothing from his upstairs bowl last night, and the painkiller was mixed in from the top. I think his eye has done better because I did the AB by hand. Of course, that made his mouth sore, so he scooted out this morning before I could get on with my routine!

My note was actually about a page. I put in my 2 cents about the dental surgery - that George and his owner (my words in the note) deserved a chance, since this situation - the sudden financial hit and the dental mess - could have been prevented.

I think a shot and a pain patch would work much better for George.

I feel demoralized and stressed on several levels today.

Thank you so much for your good thoughts and prayers for George.:love:

[Randi]

Thanks for taking such good care of George. :) It seems he really needs it. I hope you'll be able to educate his family about cats and they will get him the treatment he needs.

Lots of positive thoughts that George will get better. :love:

[Taz_Zoee]

This whole situation brings tears to my eyes. Tears of sorrow that poor George is in pain. And tears of gratitude to you, Candace, for doing so much to attempt to help him.

I really do hope something can be worked out and George can get the dental he needs.

[Catty1]

I stopped by the house tonight and no one was home yet (9 pm) so I went in and managed to give George a pill and his shot. He hadn't eaten anything from his dish, but enjoyed a few treats.

When I got home there was a message from his owner - he was just leaving his fiancee's place after dropping her off...I must have just missed him!

I had updated the note to say I was there at 9:03 and did the shot and pill. I phoned twice, and managed to reach the owner before George got double-dosed!

As far as my loan offer, he said that he did have the money. He is just wondering about spending that much money on "an old cat." He said he didn't know if the present treatment would cure George - I said no, because his teeth would still be bad.

He is willing to shop around for prices.

I could hear George chirping happily in the background when I talked to his owner. George KNOWS his dad is not the pill meanie!;)

So we'll see....

[carole]

oh candace, i fear he may well make the choice to let him go because of the expense, his health issues and age, i am concerned ,i know it is his call and it might even be the right choice i don't know, but i do hope you can persuade him to help george to live some more years yet.

I know you will do your best to advise him and i just hope George gets to have his dental and all will be well, he is a high risk candidate really, and i can understand the owners tossing up whether to go ahead or not.

One thing i have to say, you said he had the money, but did not know whether to spend that on an old cat, well i did not have the money, but i still spent it to get ellie seen to , and paid for expensive treatment for ash for over two years, yes i put myself in debt, and would i do it again, TOO RIGHT i would,but i guess not everyone is willing to do that.

[katladyd]

I've gone into major debt for Ming on more than one occasion. He's been healthy for the last two years and I finally saved enough money to update my car! I haven't bought a car in years because of vet bills.:rolleyes: I would do it again in a flash, though.:love:

[Catty1]

First of all, George's eye looks totally back to normal.:)

I actually got to visit his owner yesterday. I thought George would start eating once he got home - but he isn't. He'll eat his Greenie treats, but nothing else.

The owner phoned the vet, and she said it could be pain in his mouth. I impressed on the owner that since George is so difficult to pill by mouth that he see about getting a pain patch. And maybe a long-acting shot of Convenia.
At least if he is in less pain, the antibiotics can be given. But George is about 15, so the less stress the better. The vet said to give it a couple of days, but with only one painkiller left the owner is taking him in first thing this morning!

I also got a better idea of what he is thinking regarding the dental. His main concern is if it will give George a better quality of life. If George will live with chronic pain afterwards, he feels euthanasia might be a wiser choice. I did say that he will be in pain right after the surgery, but will have a patch on him then for sure.:) And he will heal.

Aside from his diabetes and the tooth situation, George has a neat personality and can still jump up on chairs etc with ease. He is down right now, but that may well be because we haven't been able to get enough pain med in him.

I even brought over a can of Fancy Feast salmon wet food - stinky stuff. George gets real tuna mixed in with his regular food. Nope.

The abcess was draining out of his nasal passage, so his sense of smell may be compromised.

I hope we can get George through this one session and get him eating.

Thanks so much for your ongoing prayers.

[phesina]

Continuing prayers for dear George.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Catty1]

George went to the Bridge this morning. :(:love:

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=168617

[phesina]

Oh, I am SO SORRY.

Pat, with LES
:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love: