What started as a simple vet visit for an ear infection turned into a life-threatening emergency and prolonged hospitalization in the veterinary ICU due to medical mismanagement of the ear infection, which has now cost over $14,000 in the past week.

I am asking for community help, even the smallest amount to help Thunder. I am willing to provide vet invoices if in doubt. Thank you and God Bless. 

The details (for those interested; medically technical):

Thunder had a FIC flare after a vet visit on Tuesday 10/7 for an ear infection, where he received 20 mg Depo Medrol, a long-acting synthetic systemic glucocorticoid. I didn’t know this was not the recommended treatment for a minor ear infection and that topical antibiotic-steroid ear drops would have sufficed. The mishandling and steroid side effects are what I believe caused the FIC flare. Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) is a stress response that causes bladder inflammation and mucous secretion into the bladder, which can form a urethral plug. Male cats are particularly prone to urethral blockage due to the anatomy of their urethra. When blockage occurs, bladder pressure increases, which backs up to the kidneys. Kidneys then begin to fail and can no longer excrete toxins and electrolytes through urine production. Potassium rises in the bloodstream to critical levels, and cats can quickly die in 24-72 hours from hyperkalemia induced lethal arrhythmias. Time from stress incident to blockage, uremic toxicity and death can be only 3-5 days.

Thunder was admitted to the Emergency Vet on Saturday 10/11, where he was immediately rushed back. They placed an IV, gave pain meds, sedated him, drew base labs, placed a urinary catheter, and gave IV fluids to flush his kidneys and bladder. He was hospitalized for 2 days and I brought him home the evening of 10/13.

I had to re-admit him 10/14 because he still wasn’t peeing much, and was spending a lot of time trying to pee with frequent trips to the litter box with little to no urine production.

Back at the Emergency Vet, they said his bladder was pretty full again, and recommended re-admission with placing a new urinary catheter under sedation, giving fluids and doing a surgery on 10/15 to permanently widen his urethra.