HELP! Something wrong with cat and we cant see vet!

[sangel4you]

MY almost two year old domestic short hair has had a cough for about a month now...kind of thought he was having hairball issues for a while but he's not producing anything and its getting worse. Now he has coughing spells numerous times a day and sometimes breathes wet wheezes through his nose afterwards. When he's not coughing, he's fine...playful, etc but he still is abdominal breathing and I can see it is a struggle for him to breathe. We love this lil guy dearly and want to find out whats wrong, but we have no money to take him to the vet, and he's already psat due for his yearly shots. Checking account is already in the negative until paid friday when it will send out bills and be empty again :-( so DH and I dont see vet as an option. And in our vets opinion theres no reason pets should be taken to see them every six months for a check up and vaccines and in his eyes if you cant afford that, or to pay for medical treatment, then you shouldnt have a cat. Spare me the lectures, I know he is partially right, but one of the reasons we have a cat is because they're indoor, low maintence, and dont neccesarily require vet visits except for initial shots and neutering. DS is very attached to Z as am I and my DH and we just want opinions on what could be wrong with him and what we can do?

 

[KellyHM]

Ok, I just have to say that just b/c it's a cat doesn't mean they don't require yearly vaccines and emergency visits!! With that off my chest....

The most likely possibilities are congestive heart failure, heartworm disease, cancer, or asthma. The only one out of the 4 that is probably treatable is the asthma, and that's only if you take him in and get it fixed. Sorry, but it doesn't look good for him. When he gets worse please at least take him in to have him put down instead of letting him suffer.

ETA: With his age, I would say the heartworms is most likely. Could also be pneumonia...

 

[horsejody]

Many things can cause coughing, respiratory disease, allergies, congestive heart failure. Are there any other syptoms? How is his weight? You willprobably need a vet for a real diagnoses.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

First of all, call the vet and ask if they would consider partial payment/installment payment - creative financing, if you will.

One of my HImalayans has asthma - I always thought he is kind of allergic to his own fur, which is so long and thick. Seems less likely with a domestic shorthair, but you might Google "cat asthma" and see what comes up. He has wheezing fits after excitement/stress/exertion. We take him in for a cortisone shot a couple of times a year and that seems to keep it under control.

If it's any kind of respiratory infection and you have other animals, you're really taking a chance to not have him looked at. I would worry about other animals getting infected.

Worst case - any I'm no vet so I don't even know the symptoms - would be feline leukemia if you haven't had him vaccinated for it. I believe it presents with more severe symptoms and the cat would be very ill but am just not sure.

Bottom line, you don't really save money by not taking them to the vet regularly as the vaccinations are pretty important, even with indoor cats.

I hope you're able to help him out. Last resort, maybe call a local rescue group or privately-funded shelter and ask if they might provide emergency funds for something like this?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

when I was a kid our cat had a cough. After about a week mom took her to the vet. Come to find out she had a ruptured diaphram. Is there another vet around you can see that would work with you.

I have a cat that coughs up hairballs at least once a week and another one that needs help to get them up. If you can, get her to take a tablespoon of fish or veg oil.

 

[mamaKate]

Sorry, honey, this probably is vet territory. Did you already try a hairball remedy? If you could get some antibiotcs for fish, it might help. It sounds like a nasty infection( viral or bacterial?). Pray for him, keep him quiet and pamper him with any healthy food he likes. Extra affection goes a long way in healing cats. Prepare yourself, though. It doesn't sound good.

 

[rebecca10782]

The only way you can get him help is to take him to the vet. The only thing I can think of (if he is dying) is to surrender him at the pound and the vet there can try save his life. I really have no idea.

 

[jjthink]

I agree with others that this is vet territory. Find a vet today who will see this sick baby on a payment plan if need be. Or borrow the money. To pay it back, sell something less important that the cat that you and your DH describe yourselves as very attached to.
Re-vaccinations are likely not urgent (many vets nowadays think pets are overvaccinated and that the effects of a vaccine can last years, if not a lifetime) but this situation is URGENT. Even if something like treatable asthma, without treatment he will be miserable and may well die. I don't wish to alarm you - I pray your cat will get better - but I wouldn't wait another minute without working out a way to get him to a very skilled vet. It most certainly need not be your current vet since I understand you may be reluctant to deal with a guy who may chide you for the lack of regular checkups and revaccinations. While he may believe strongly in his position, it may cause some folks to hesitate to deal with him when a crucial issue arises.
JJ

 

[sangel4you]

I'm hoping, and dont think that it is heart worm. Like I said he is strictly an indoor cat and would have no way of getting it, but also, he was on revolution which I just checked and it prevents heartworms as well as fleas and mites. He did miss the last dose, but I also think that it was due after he started with the cough and I wont give him a new dose now until I know its not heartwork as the meds will kill him if it is. I dont want it to be asthma, but I think that would be the most managable. No other vet in area, I just hate getting pressured by the vet into spending money we dont have, and then he doesnt understand why you say no to procedures. DH is making some calls now and checking some things out the see if theres anyway we can get him to the vet just to see whats wrong at least. I forgot to mention something else. We have a dog that isnt really in contact with the cats, but she also has been having coughing and vommitting spells the last couple of weeks so I'm wonering if somehow its related. Actually its my parents dog but anyway, they are taking her to the vet tonight. I didnt know if things like that could cross species though?

 

[horsejody]

Sometimes when we have pets we have to make hard choices. Yes, bills need to be paid, but things have to be prioritized. There are things we need, like housing, groceries, etc. There are things we don't need, like internet service, that extra cell phone, eating out, junk food, cable TV, toys, etc. Is there something you can cut back on to afford the cat. Yes, part of "affording" a pet is being able to pay for basic veterinary care.