My name is Crystal, and if you've ever met me personally in my adult life then chances are you've met Oliver! He has been my constant & my sidekick for the last 15 1/2 years. He's still kicking strong and energetic, but unfortunately poor decisions from a previous vet clinic have him struggling in his urinary health. Getting him back on his feet is very possible, but has left a collection of extremely high vet bills.

The biggest concerns are:

The potential hernia has caused frequent disruptions in his urination attempts and we believe it was also a cause of a bad diarrhea episode this past summer (a different Vet at the ER was the one to inform me of the potential hernia, guaranteeing me it was NOT some "anal sack" as the previous vet told me). This week Oliver was flat out unable to pee. I rushed him to the ER where he ultimately had to spend the night with a catheter.

In the last 2 months the vet bills have built up. His ER visit when he had diarrhea, his visit to his regular vet last week for bloodwork, his current ER visit, and an upcoming Oncology visit to check on his hernia and the possibility of more tumors.

My only joy in vet visits is seeing the surprised look on a Veterinarian when they discover Oliver is 16 years old since he looks and acts more like a regular mature cat closer to 10 years old! He still has so much life in him, and I refuse to give up on him just because of finances. He still bounces over for treats, he still tackles the other kittens (and wins), he still hops on the couch. He's still Oliver, he's still my stubborn fighter, and I still need my buddy.

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Story Time!

For 4 years he was at a local cat vet that used to have high ratings. 3 years ago I noticed a swollen sack just under his butt hole. It would swell anytime Oliver had issues trying to use the litter box. The vet assured me it was just a swollen anal sack and that it was normal for older cats, saying it would only be a concern if it firmed up. Red Flag #1.

Later that year I found a pinkish bump growing on his belly. The vet said it was a cyst and older cats get them regularly. We decided to get it removed & tested just to make sure. She said she'd only call if there were any concerns. Red Flag #2.

6 MONTHS LATER. We go to the vet for a regular checkup. One of the vet techs pulls up Oliver's history and asks me if the vet ever called me after Oliver's surgery. Looking over her shoulder, I see the words "Cancerous Mass". The vet tech assured me they'd get the vet to call me. It still took 3 weeks of them nagging the vet and me calling the vet office for the actual vet to call me and tell me they removed a cancerous tumor. RED FLAG #3.

The next year I find another bump. Vet says cats don't get tumors more than once, but I can get it removed if I think it's bothering him. He won't stop messing with it, so we decide to remove it. About 3 weeks later I get a call, and the vet is surprised it's yet ANOTHER cancerous tumor. She says she's never dealt with this and will speak with her colleagues to learn more. BIGGEST RED FLAG.

I have since moved Oliver to a new vet. This past summer he had a diarrhea issue and I had to take him to a Vet ER. I called the 1st vet to request Oliver's records. They told me the vet would need to verify everything was correct and would send me his records within two weeks. After demanding everything to be sent that day, they finally did. The "records" were all a HAND WRITTEN history of his visits. We had to call again and demand all lab results as well.

In his exam at the ER, they looked at this "swollen anal sack" that really had never gone away. Turns out... Oliver has had a hernia for about 4 years. The hernia has caused issues in Oliver trying to urinate and we now believe it has been a factor towards times of constipation as well.

We scheduled an appointment with a Vet Oncologist to look into his hernia & look into possible new cancerous tumors taking shape. Unfortunately about 4 days before the appointment, Oliver was rushed to the Vet ER again for being unable to urinate. After hours of testing and tubes, Oliver had no choice but to stay overnight at the ER with a catheter.

In total his recent visits have cost about $7,000, not including his upcoming Oncology appointment. There is nothing giving any hint of his life taking a turn for the worst. He's a sick old kitty, but currently not anywhere near sick enough for me to excuse not helping him. Step 1 was getting him away from that vet clinic. Step 2 is fixing their mess. Step 3 is continuing to smother him in love!