Our cat, Tux, has been battling urinary issues off and on for the past 5 months. Unfortunately the pet insurance policy for Tux was not active until after the first time we had to take him to the emergency vet. As such, all of his visits and treatment related to any urinary issues (straining / painful urination, blood in the urine, urinary tract infections, suspected blockages etc.) are considered by his insurance to be related to a ‘pre-existing condition’ (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) and are therefore not covered whatsoever. All of the care he has received for urinary issues has already added up to over $3,000 in 5 months so far.

Recently Tux has been going through another cystitis flare-up that was so painful he started yowling each time he strained to urinate. We took him back to the vet and this time we were able to find bladder stones visible on his X-ray. So far, we have been trying to manage Tux’s symptoms as best we can with medications (antibiotics, pain relievers, NSAIDs, steroids, and more) and environmental modifications to reduce stress. However, we now know that there are stones sitting in his bladder which place him at continued risk of recurrent cystitis as long as they remain there. He is also at high risk of developing a life-threatening blockage if a stone were to become lodged in his urinary tract and block the flow of urine. As Tux has already been on a prescription diet for months, these stones are likely not the kind that can be dissolved with diet alone. They will instead need to be surgically removed with a procedure called a cystotomy. Unfortunately this surgery will not be cheap—typically it can run anywhere from $2000-3000, possibly even more if he has to stay for one or more nights of inpatient monitoring and recovery.

Tux is one of the sweetest, chillest cats you could ever meet, and does not deserve to be experiencing this much pain and suffering. We love Tux very much and want him to be happy and healthy; this surgery will give him the best shot at being able to do just that. We would be incredibly grateful for any financial support you can provide us as we prepare for this expensive surgery. Any donations will go directly towards the cost of the procedure as well as post-operative monitoring and medications.