Help with Púca's medical care
Púca the cat is sick.
A few weeks ago he started getting really picky about his food, very unusual for him since he loves food. We tried offering different brands and flavors, but the problem continued. On Monday, 10/5 we emailed his vet to ask what our first step should be.
Late Monday night he had some sort of episode, where he was sitting hunched over with his head hanging, he couldn't walk comfortably, and eventually he just curled up into a miserable ball. Tuesday morning was our first emergency vet visit.
Test results came back Wednesday evening: elevated white count. So while we can surmise he has some sort of infection, we don't know where the infection is -- our best guess is in the digestive tract somewhere. The vet prescribed broad-spectrum oral antibiotics, which were ready at the pharmacy late Thursday afternoon.
Thursday night, we attempted to give him his first antibiotic dose, which the pharmacy had made into a tuna chewy. He didn't like it, and in the process of trying to get him to eat some of it, he jumped off the bed, started foaming at the mouth, panting rapidly, then collapsed onto his side and lost bladder control.
Cue second emergency vet visit.
He was thankfully responsive and alert by the time we got to the ER. The ER doc surmised that he had a vagal event -- essentially he gagged so hard on the oral medication that his heart rate dropped and he fainted. He was given an antibiotic injection, anti-nausea meds, and pepcid.
Friday morning we discussed treatment options with his regular vet. We decided on a conservative approach: a long-lasting antibiotic injection that would work for 7-10 days. If it works, Púca will need one more of the same shot.
If it doesn't, we will need to consider more expensive diagnostics, like an abdominal ultrasound.
He has made some improvement since Friday (10/9), but it's slow. He's no longer hiding all day in the bedroom, but he largely won't eat unless we bring the food to him. We're hand-feeding kitten food in small amounts every 1-2 hours. He is still smacking his lips, which is an indication of nausea; although it at least takes less cajoling to convince him to eat. Throughout all this, he's lost about two pounds (15% of his starting weight).
Púca is now 14 years old. I have been underemployed since early in the Great Recession in 2008. While I am always working, looking for work, or trying to create alternate income streams for myself (usually all three at the same time), after seven years I have still not regained economic stability. As it turns out, in America a socioeconomic fall is a lot easier than upward mobility. While seven years ago I certainly thought I'd have time to get back on my feet before I had to worry about senior cat vet bills, the reality didn't turn out that way. Between Michael and I, our two incomes barely cover monthly bills -- and some months don't cover all of them -- and there's not a lot of leeway for saving or emergency funds.
Most of what we are asking for is money already spent on credit cards. The breakdown:
First emergency vet visit: $300
Second emergency vet visit: $165
Third visit for injected antibiotic: $50
Transportation to and from vet hospitals: $35
Second injection of antibiotic: $50
However if he hasn't improved sufficiently by 10/16, instead of a $50 antibiotic shot, we may be looking at a $350 ultrasound, plus whatever treatments may be available if we can find out specifically what's wrong.
I've known Púca since he was a few hours old. We've been together his entire life and we share a deep bond. More than anything I want to protect him from suffering. If you can help, even if it's just sharing this, we deeply appreciate it. Thank you.
Edit: Final breakdown:
First emergency vet visit: $300
Oral antibiotics: $45
Second emergency vet visit: $165
Third visit for injected antibiotic: $50
Transportation to and from vet hospitals: $50
Ultrasound, anti-emetics, & subQ fluids: $455
Euthanasia & cremation: $600
A few weeks ago he started getting really picky about his food, very unusual for him since he loves food. We tried offering different brands and flavors, but the problem continued. On Monday, 10/5 we emailed his vet to ask what our first step should be.
Late Monday night he had some sort of episode, where he was sitting hunched over with his head hanging, he couldn't walk comfortably, and eventually he just curled up into a miserable ball. Tuesday morning was our first emergency vet visit.
Test results came back Wednesday evening: elevated white count. So while we can surmise he has some sort of infection, we don't know where the infection is -- our best guess is in the digestive tract somewhere. The vet prescribed broad-spectrum oral antibiotics, which were ready at the pharmacy late Thursday afternoon.
Thursday night, we attempted to give him his first antibiotic dose, which the pharmacy had made into a tuna chewy. He didn't like it, and in the process of trying to get him to eat some of it, he jumped off the bed, started foaming at the mouth, panting rapidly, then collapsed onto his side and lost bladder control.
Cue second emergency vet visit.
He was thankfully responsive and alert by the time we got to the ER. The ER doc surmised that he had a vagal event -- essentially he gagged so hard on the oral medication that his heart rate dropped and he fainted. He was given an antibiotic injection, anti-nausea meds, and pepcid.
Friday morning we discussed treatment options with his regular vet. We decided on a conservative approach: a long-lasting antibiotic injection that would work for 7-10 days. If it works, Púca will need one more of the same shot.
If it doesn't, we will need to consider more expensive diagnostics, like an abdominal ultrasound.
He has made some improvement since Friday (10/9), but it's slow. He's no longer hiding all day in the bedroom, but he largely won't eat unless we bring the food to him. We're hand-feeding kitten food in small amounts every 1-2 hours. He is still smacking his lips, which is an indication of nausea; although it at least takes less cajoling to convince him to eat. Throughout all this, he's lost about two pounds (15% of his starting weight).
Púca is now 14 years old. I have been underemployed since early in the Great Recession in 2008. While I am always working, looking for work, or trying to create alternate income streams for myself (usually all three at the same time), after seven years I have still not regained economic stability. As it turns out, in America a socioeconomic fall is a lot easier than upward mobility. While seven years ago I certainly thought I'd have time to get back on my feet before I had to worry about senior cat vet bills, the reality didn't turn out that way. Between Michael and I, our two incomes barely cover monthly bills -- and some months don't cover all of them -- and there's not a lot of leeway for saving or emergency funds.
Most of what we are asking for is money already spent on credit cards. The breakdown:
First emergency vet visit: $300
Second emergency vet visit: $165
Third visit for injected antibiotic: $50
Transportation to and from vet hospitals: $35
Second injection of antibiotic: $50
However if he hasn't improved sufficiently by 10/16, instead of a $50 antibiotic shot, we may be looking at a $350 ultrasound, plus whatever treatments may be available if we can find out specifically what's wrong.
I've known Púca since he was a few hours old. We've been together his entire life and we share a deep bond. More than anything I want to protect him from suffering. If you can help, even if it's just sharing this, we deeply appreciate it. Thank you.
Edit: Final breakdown:
First emergency vet visit: $300
Oral antibiotics: $45
Second emergency vet visit: $165
Third visit for injected antibiotic: $50
Transportation to and from vet hospitals: $50
Ultrasound, anti-emetics, & subQ fluids: $455
Euthanasia & cremation: $600
Organizer
Kat O'Connor
Organizer
Chicago, IL