My cat is ill :( Need advice

[Pair-A-Dyce]

Last sunday my wife got home and told me our oldest cat (2 and a half) was breathing and acting weird. I didn't understand cause before I had gone to work he was on the bed looking at me seemed normal. I got home and saw him, and we played a waiting game to see if maybe it was just temporary, when he didn't seem to be doing any better, we took him to a vet. They weren't much help at all, and their conclusion was he either has cancer or pneumonia and wouldn't be able tell further unless we paid about $1000 in hospitalization, x-rays, and medicine. We have 5 cats total and while he have money to take care of them when in need, that kind of money we do not have, so we took some antibiotics and hoped that he just has pneumonia.

So far, his breathing is only slightly better, it as not as deep but still short breaths. He will not eat solid food, and we have been trying to keep him hydrated via syringe every couple of hours with kitten formula and pedialyte. About once a day now, he'll try and knock over the water container and take a few sips, and I've notice he only urinates a small amount, not sure of any stool because all cats use the same litter. Outside of his short breaths, lack of appetite, and dehydration, he seems to be fine aside from his extreme tiredness. We lost his brother just before their first birthday because he developed a tumor on his spine that would've also cost us thousands of dollars in treatment. They were both diagnosed with cat leukemia so I realize that this factors into what is possible ailing him. It's just really bothersome because he just changed out of nowhere, which is why we opted to take him home that night instead of putting him to sleep and also it would've ruined thanksgiving for my wife.

I'm sorry if I'm just popping up and don't really remain active, I just saw a few old threads on this site where people had similar issues and you all gave really thorough feedback. I guess I'm just wondering if I should continue manually feeding him or am I fighting off the inevitable and should reduce his stress, or if anyone has any ideas over what might help us figure out his sickness that is of reasonable cost, I love my cats very much and if I had the money I wouldn't mind, but I really can't afford a few hundred dollar treatments per vet visit. We have come to terms with the worst case scenario so I just thought I'd seek some more opinions.... Sorry for the long read. Here's a picture of Cat from last year with one of his kittens, Pretty. I appreciate any help.

[jenluckenbach]

I would love to be able to give you meanigful advice, but the truth is, I can't image what could be wrong.

But, my best suggestion is find a new vet!! There is always something that can be done to begin diagnosis without it costing into the thousands of dollars!

An xray, blood tests, neither should be that costly. (of course, I don't know where you live)

I have not dealt with feline leukemia, and I suppose it could explain his sudden illness, but I would keep on syirnge feeding him and try to get him into a different vet before you give up on him.

I will pray for an answer.

[Freedom]

What a handsome fella!

I agree with Jen, get a second opinion, try another vet. No other thoughts, sorry. Keeping fingers and paws crossed for this sweetie!

[Pair-A-Dyce]

Thank you, I will make some phone calls.

We have been giving him a small amount of aspirin for a day and that seems to be easing his breathing problem, but I'm trying to figure out how I can restart his appetite. I'm not even sure that the Clavamox he's been taking is making any difference but we're going to use it till it's gone and keep him hydrated. I wouldn't prolong this if I thought he was in pain, but he's obviously tired and short of breath, and having had asthma attacks myself, I know it's more of an annoyance.

[Purr-tender]

I am so sorry that your baby is sick. It makes me mad that you have such a greedy vet. A simple blood test, which should not be expensive, could tell them a lot and also whether Cat has leukemia. I would not give up yet. You are doing the right thing by keeping him hydrated. You should be very careful about how much and how often you give him aspirin. Do a Google search on cats and aspirins. They don't metabolize aspirins well. Definitely look for another vet. I would ask around to my friends and find out where they take their pets. I will keep Cat in my prayers!

Mary

[Medusa]

So far, his breathing is only slightly better, it as not as deep but still short breaths. He will not eat solid food, and we have been trying to keep him hydrated via syringe every couple of hours with kitten formula and pedialyte. About once a day now, he'll try and knock over the water container and take a few sips, and I've notice he only urinates a small amount, not sure of any stool because all cats use the same litter. Outside of his short breaths, lack of appetite, and dehydration, he seems to be fine aside from his extreme tiredness.

Look at what you wrote here. And add feline leukemia to the mix yet. If your cat is having problems breathing, he may very well have pneumonia as your vet indicated. An x-ray will tell you if he has fluid in his lungs and/or around his heart. If you're not breathing, you're dying. Get your cat to another vet if you're not happy w/the one you have. My cat Puddy developed pneumonia and was dead w/in an hour. By the time I got her to my vet, she died in my arms. I have another cat, Pigeon, w/cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure and she's on Lasix to prevent the fluid from building up. Don't pinch pennies when it comes to your cat's health. You said that you have money to take care of your cats when in need. Well, your cat is in need. An x-ray isn't that expensive and it could mean the difference between your cat living and dying. Time is of the essence. Get going! And please update us and let us know how Cat is doing.

[Karen]

I would agree that you need to find a different vet, who would be more reasonable about effective care. We'll keep your kitty in our prayers.

[kittykatharine]

I want to say I am so sorry to hear about your kitty being sick. I have a sick one myself, and the decisions we are forced to make are never easy. On Halloween, my cat hercules was found in my garage not breathing well and very lethargic. I rushed him to the emergency vet because he was so sick, and they basically refused to help him unless I agreed to do thousands of dollars worth of tests. Just as I was telling the vet what to do, Hercules passed away. I have spoken to several vets and they gave some suggestions that would explain his symptoms (which are very similar to your cat's). Could your cat have been exposed to any poisons in the house? Is he an indoor or outdoor cat? Cats that are exposed to poisons have problems breathing, they are lethargic, vomiting, and have dilated pupils. The other suggestion was that Hercules had somehow contracted heart worms - even though he was an indoor cat only. Heart worms also cause fatigue, dilated pupils, labored breathing, and appetite suppression. Lastly, there is heart disease and cancer. I would look at some of the threads done by Medusa. She has cats who have suffered from heart disease etc., and have given them a wonderful life. I agree with everyone about seeking the opinion of a another vet. When I was unhappy with the treatment of my cat Sydney who has nasal lymphoma, so I switched vets three times before I was satisfied. I am so happy I changed and the only reason she is still alive and happy is because I changed. It made all of the difference. First you need to figure what is wrong with your baby, and some x-rays and blood tests are very helpful -also typically not too expensive. It is much easier figuring out what to do, if you know what you are working with. Please keep us updated on how he is doing.

[Reachoutrescue]

I am just reading this, and I am hoping and praying your cat is okay. There has to be another vet that is willing to treat your cat and that is much cheaper. My vet is the highest in town, but still no where near that much!! I pray he is okay. Do you have an update yet?

[Pair-A-Dyce]

Thanks, I was unable to reach any vets with today being sunday aside from the few I have already contacted which were 24hr facilities that I had to contact the first time so I will attempt that again tomorrow.

We have been giving him only half a tablet of aspirin and even that he bites off pieces and don't force him to eat the whole thing. All of our cats are indoor, and there was only a 3-4 hour window between me leaving for work and my wife getting home, which we all know can be plenty of time for anything to happen. I'm beginning to question the pneumonia theory because he hasn't been coughing at all during this whole spell, but he has been a once and a while cougher before. Pupils dilated with heavy eyes still, but his breathing has improved slightly as I noted earlier.

I'm really frustrated in that I don't know what brought about this and I can only conclude down to heart worms, cancer, or some type of throat infection since I've noticed him gag a couple times while drinking and the gurgle his throat makes when swallowing. I have money for issues like tapeworms,simple medicines and likewise, but here is a list of the estimate they gave me. I live in Dallas btw

exam- 52
radiograph thorax- 170
oxygen supplem- 176
fluid therapy set up- 162
fluid pump- 36
hospitilization- 130
intensive care lv. 1- 41
injectable ampicillin- 26
clavamox- 35
Range- 837-1255 and this is without even knowing whats wrong yet


So obviously if you do one of those and find something, the prices are quickly going to stack. We only had an extra 100 that night so we could only get the clavamox with the exam already eating half of that. So at this point our hands are forced to find a cheaper x-ray and continue from there, or continue and hope he pulls through, but I'm no expert so I am going to vigorously search tomorrow.

[Medusa]

Thanks, I was unable to reach any vets with today being sunday aside from the few I have already contacted which were 24hr facilities that I had to contact the first time so I will attempt that again tomorrow.

We have been giving him only half a tablet of aspirin and even that he bites off pieces and don't force him to eat the whole thing. All of our cats are indoor, and there was only a 3-4 hour window between me leaving for work and my wife getting home, which we all know can be plenty of time for anything to happen. I'm beginning to question the pneumonia theory because he hasn't been coughing at all during this whole spell, but he has been a once and a while cougher before. Pupils dilated with heavy eyes still, but his breathing has improved slightly as I noted earlier.

I'm really frustrated in that I don't know what brought about this and I can only conclude down to heart worms, cancer, or some type of throat infection since I've noticed him gag a couple times while drinking and the gurgle his throat makes when swallowing. I have money for issues like tapeworms,simple medicines and likewise, but here is a list of the estimate they gave me. I live in Dallas btw

exam- 52
radiograph thorax- 170
oxygen supplem- 176
fluid therapy set up- 162
fluid pump- 36
hospitilization- 130
intensive care lv. 1- 41
injectable ampicillin- 26
clavamox- 35
Range- 837-1255 and this is without even knowing whats wrong yet


So obviously if you do one of those and find something, the prices are quickly going to stack. We only had an extra 100 that night so we could only get the clavamox with the exam already eating half of that. So at this point our hands are forced to find a cheaper x-ray and continue from there, or continue and hope he pulls through, but I'm no expert so I am going to vigorously search tomorrow.

Coming to your own conclusion/s and administering drugs w/out a vet's advice is dangerous. Aspirin can be toxic to cats because they can't break it down as quickly as humans do. Read info at these links:

http://www.petplace.com/cats/aspirin...ats/page1.aspx

http://www.petplace.com/cats/aspirin...ats/page1.aspx

I think that I can speak for most of us here on PT when I say that we know what it's like to have large vet bills. I'm praying that your cat's illness is something simple and easily treatable but w/out the proper testing, you'll never know and can be causing your cat further complications and costing you more money in the long run w/these delays by trying to save money. Sometimes it's the action that we don't take that causes us the most heartache. Most vets, if you talk to them about a payment plan in advance, will agree to it. After this situation has calmed down and your cat is well (I'm thinking positive here), please do some research and find a vet that you're comfortable with and who is affordable so that when one of your cats becomes ill again, you'll be able to get it the good vet care that it needs w/out delay and worry.

Please let us know how Cat is doing.

[jenluckenbach]

I'd like to comment on the aspirin. You must be VERY careful with cats. How much does he weigh? I have a 13 pound cat who takes 1/2 an aspirin every 3.5 days. If he weighed less the dosage would need to be reduced.

All I can hope for is that you can find a more reasonable vet. Some of those prices seem high, but then again, maybe they are normal in your area.

Best of luck.

[Medusa]

Also, there is an organization called IMOM that some here on PT have used. I've not had experience w/them but they help people who have a pet in need of vet care and who are having difficulty meeting the expenses. You can check out their site at www.imom.org. I imagine, though, that it takes some time to apply and be approved and I'm not sure if time is on your side w/Cat. Anyhow, good luck.

[Lizzie]

In your position, with limited funds (and I've been there, I know what it's like), I'd go for the chest x-ray first. My concern with the shortness of breath is fluid in the chest cavity. Although you want to keep your cat hydrated for general well being, giving fluids might be the wrong way to go until you have checked his chest. I've gone through this several times with my cats, all at the end of their lives. I've also had two FeLV+ cats who crashed very suddenly and no amount of treatment could help them. The second item I'd pay for would be a blood test.

Have you checked your cat's mouth? Are his gums or tongue blue. If his breathing is compromised that would be good reason for his lethargy.

I assume because you have FeLV+ cats, that you are used to checking the gums for normal pink color? If they are pale, the cat has gone into the anemia stage of feline leukemia, and that will cause difficulty breathing and lethargy.

I don't understand why you are giving aspirin to help breathing, where did you read this was a good idea? I've never heard of it. As others have said, aspirin and cats are not a good mix.

There are some costs you can keep down by doing the work yourself - such as giving sub-q fluids if there is no problem with fluid in the chest, but some items you just have to grit your teeth and go through with them.

[GILL]

So far I agree with all that has been said. I would check other vets in your area. I just stop using a vet that I have used for over 30 years. The next one was a little less expensive and I just stated useing one that is great and less then half the price of my old vet. I just had Lucky snipped the old vet was $362.00 the new one was $89.00 with rabies and all othe shots came to $114.00. BIG BIG differance.
SO CHECK WITH OTHER VETS and IMOM may be able to help.