Could use shelter/foster people's advice...

My husband's new nickname for Sushi and Kirin are "the money pits." I know taking in pets is a big financial responsibility but we did not expect both cats to be sick right off the bat. First off, they were $95 each from the rescue. Then Sushi's visit to the white coats for conjunctivitis cost $63. Kirin needs his final kitten cocktail and they both need rabies shots which is in two weeks. And both need to be neutered within the month.

On top of all that, Kirin is still suffering from his "cold" or whatever you call it. My vet will not perform any specific exam without doing a basic one first. I understand it's just to cover their bases, but it's $35 for the exam, at least $20 for the specific ailment exam, plus meds. AND my husband thinks that since it's "just a cold" it just needs to run its course. I believe that too, to a point, but it's been 2 weeks now and the L-Lysine and vapor from showers I've been giving Kirin hasn't seemed to help.

I tried looking online for Clavamox but everywhere requires a prescription from a veterinary, which means it out of the question for me. All I want is for my two kittens to be healthy (Sushi's left eye is cleared of conjunctivitis but it started last night in his *right* eye). Is there ANY WAY I can get Clavamox or Baytril without a prescription? I know that's all Kirin needs!

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

I have no advice for you, but I hope it gets easier on them and you and your husband.

That is a hard thing,as Kittens,have the most expenses,when they are young! And adoptions,can be expensive,as John Hancock,lost,all but 2,of his teeth,a thousand dollars owrth.

*bump* :(

I don't think there is any other way to get those antibiotics but I'm not an expert.

I can feel you pain because we went through the same thing with Jazz when we adopted her. She had a URI (cold), ringworm, tapeworms and earmites. It took about 6 weeks to get her healthy and around $350 in vet bills and meds. My vet prescribed a special medication for the ringworm that had to be mixed by a pharmacist and the only one who did it was 40 miles away so I had to have them mail it to me twice at $45 a pop. On top of all that Ripley caught her URI which triggered an underlying blood infection that almost killed him and we ended up spending almost $1000 on him.

It just comes with the territory of being pet owners.

Sorry I can't be of any help.

I'm sorry, but I don't have any advice. But, we can relate. Our nickname for Halo is "Baby Grand". She got a very bad URI right after we adopted her and then we got her spayed and the shots. She had such a bad reaction to the vaccinations that we almost lost her. So, after $1,000 worth of bills -- she became Baby Grand. :rolleyes:

If you got them off of a Pet Finder Rescuer are they not insured for something like 90 days with that Pet Insurance? (I don't know that is why I am asking)

I would think your next option would be to call around to different vets and ask about their fees.. I don't understand one that has to do a "general exam" for one fee, then a specific exam for another fee and charge for BOTH? Anybody ever heard of this? (On top of that, do they also charge a office visit fee?) I would shop around, let your fingers do the walking and call around to check prices.

Ok, I shouldn't say this but there was a time in my life where $ was short, all of it going to a divorce lawyer. So here's the advice I got when one of my babies was ill, with a cold and eye drainage problem.

Go to your local feed store and get Terramycin, soluble powered antibiotic. Mix it in the cats water bowl, till it turns the color of light pee. That's the only way I know to get antibiotic in them without having a prescription from a veterinary.

It worked great on my baby. Even the other week, when my Vet was out here after Tig go attacked by that stray cat and his paw was infected, the vet saw the powered antibiotic we had here. (we still use it for the chickens, reg.). He told me that should take care of the infection, gave Tig a shot and off he went. Oh, and Tig's paw was cleared up in a couple of days.

I'm very lucky that my Vet is open with me about some things I can do without having to go through him. I guess with all the pets I have taken in over the last 18 years I've known him, he likes to help me cut costs down some. He has even taught me how to give shots. Not that I like doing it. lol

So it's up to you if you want to give it a try, but we have never had a problem with it to this day and everyone of our pets have gotten it at some time or another, cats, dogs, goats, chickens to the rabbits.

Good luck and I hope your baby feels better soon.

Thanks, Fox-Gal. I have two cats, Kirin and Sushi - both have ailments in one way or another. Kirin with his URI and Sushi with conjunctivitis. Would it be okay/safe to let Sushi have some of that antibiotic? Will it help his eye? Or should I section off Kirin for a couple days so that he has his own private water supply?

Thanks!!

I don't believe the medicines you mentioned are available without a presciption. And there is a reason for this......DOSAGE! Small kitten can overdose because size matters.

Here-in lies the problem with wanting to adopt babies. They require a whole lot more vetting than the adults. They will grow out of this stage, hang in there, it WILL get easier.

I know they require a lot more vetting than adults... I just want Kirin to breathe easier and not have to clean his little nose and hear him sneeze all the time. And with all the other things coming up that they both *need*, my husband is not buying that Kirin requires medication for his URI. To him, it's just a cold that has to run its course. As for me, I just want my baby to feel better.

It's so frustrating.

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Originally posted by Samantha Puppy
I know they require a lot more vetting than adults... I just want Kirin to breathe easier and not have to clean his little nose and hear him sneeze all the time. And with all the other things coming up that they both *need*, my husband is not buying that Kirin requires medication for his URI. To him, it's just a cold that has to run its course. As for me, I just want my baby to feel better.

It's so frustrating.

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Well to be quite honest, as with people ... the URI does have to run its course ... and the antibiotics just help prevent secondary infections! ;)

That's just the way things are. Both of my boys ran over $200 right off the bat. Their adoption fees were low, around $65 but they both got colds and I had to have the vet run a culture on Mr. Jones for suspected Ringworm.

At Siamese rescue, the fosters are the ones that get the cats and kittens through their colds and illnesses. We try very hard to deliver healthy cats. But, sometimes it can't be controlled. Their adoption fee is $125.
Be assured that if a cat or especially a kitten has spent ANY time, whatsoever inside the shelter environment, it has contracted the cold virus, not to mention the corona virii. The cold must run it's course, but antibiotics, as Kim said, are helpful in avoiding complications of secondary infection.

If the kitten has congestion in their chest and not just in the head, I would head for the vet. And if has persisted over one week, without seeing some resolution, I'd take him into vet too.

Try and think of it as the discounted adoption fee is helping to pay for a bit of the vet bills.:(

I'm so sorry to hear that both of your kittens are still sick.:( I think that you need to get some antibiotics from your vet. Maybe you can work out a payment plan so that you don't have to pay everything all at once. Good luck and please keep us updated.

The main concern would be that your kitten would get too stuffed up to smell, thus want, food. When baby animals don't eat or drink they get hypoglycemic (spelling?) and dehydrated so quickly and can die. :eek: We've seen a few babies at work so close to death or already gone because of that. Its so sad.

I don't say that to scare you, just to make sure you are watching that they are eating and drinking if you decide to wait the URI out.

I would shop around to at least get into a different vet that has lower costs. Some vets offer a second pet discount for exams if you needed to bring both little ones.

When we adopted Hermoine, she got a URI so bad that the tissue surrounding her windpipe was so swollen they were concerned she'd suffocate. Thankfully, the shots of cortosone worked. She wouldn't eat anything, because she couldn't smell anything either. She had to eat because the antibiotic made her tummy hurt otherwise. I was so worried, I tried everything, finally forcing tuna juice into her mouth. It was horrible. :( $350 later....

I just thought of something. Have they seen the vet for an exam already? If so, some vets will have a prescription made for you and that's all you have to pay for. Maybe you can try that?

Well, the good thing is that he's eating - well. So I'm not worried in that respect...

As for seeing the vet - Sushi went last week for conjunctivitis so he's been. But Kirin hasn't. Even if I called to say it was SUSHI who came down with a URI, I doubt they'd just give me a prescription.

I am going to try different local vets in the area and see what their prices are. I know the antibiotics won't cure it, but they will suppress the symptoms and help him feel a little better, right?

The antibiotics are to keep this infection from becoming a bacterial infection. It sounds like it's past the "wait it out" stage. Its likely stress induced just from the move and cheaper to treat now than later. One trip to the vet should do it! One office visit fee and one prescription! The medication fox-gal mentioned, I know a LOT of the rescue groups here in the boston area were doing for a long time but haven't heard of this for last few years- probably because there are cheaper "drugs of choice" out now (Zithromax, I think is the big winner of late...). Shop around and keep us posted! Appetite loss in a cat can be a BIG deal, as others have said! so keep on doing what youre doing in the meantime!

I get Terramycin through Healthypets.com but do not use this in their eye if you think the eye is scratched.(very important).Scratched eyes must be seen by the vet.But I heard that it will cause ulcers under the eyes if it is stratched or open wound.It is great for conjunctivitis.It is a ointment.If the eye is scratched you need a soothing safe eye rinse or safe ointment with NO antibiotics in it.Better to ask a vet for something like that as I'm not sure what it is that's safe.As for the cold..usually they don't give Clavamox unless the throat or lungs sound terrible or a cough and a runny nose with yellow or greenish color.(I think).If the snots are clear you may be OK to wait.But don't take my word.It's just what I hear.Good Luck.Carla

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Originally posted by catfamily
I get Terramycin through Healthypets.com but do not use this in their eye if you think the eye is scratched.(very important).Scratched eyes must be seen by the vet.But I heard that it will cause ulcers under the eyes if it is stratched or open wound.It is great for conjunctivitis.It is a ointment.If the eye is scratched you need a soothing safe eye rinse or safe ointment with NO antibiotics in it.Better to ask a vet for something like that as I'm not sure what it is that's safe.As for the cold..usually they don't give Clavamox unless the throat or lungs sound terrible or a cough and a runny nose with yellow or greenish color.(I think).If the snots are clear you may be OK to wait.But don't take my word.It's just what I hear.Good Luck.Carla

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Sushi's eyes are not scratched. He's already been to the vet to have them checked out. It is conjunctivitis and I've been putting ointment in his eyes for over a week.

Kirin is the one with the cold. His lungs don't sound horrible and he has a little bit of a runny nose if he lays down, but it's clear - not yellow or green. His appetite is great and he plays all the time. His breathing is just a little more labored than the other cat's and he sneezes.

I'll check out healthypets.com. Thanks. :)