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

[rebecca10782]

What type of food do you feed him?

 

[KellyHM]

Just b/c he's indoors doesn't mean he doesn't have heartworm. Mosquitoes get in the house plenty of times. If he was on Revolution he shouldn't have it, but that's still not 100%. I hope for your sake it's asthma or pneumonia b/c those are the only treatable things...either way he is going to have to be treated...and quickly if he's having abdominal breathing.

 

[scbatz33]

there are lots of upper respiratory infections that cats can get that are airborn. Not all diseases have to be direct contact. The FVRCP vaccine covers several of these which is why , even indoor cats, should be vaccinated...

That being said, you really need to take your cat to a vet. There are 7 with in ten miles of Halifax. Just look up "Vet Halifax PA" And they pop up.

good luck.

 

[crtrlovr]

There's been a respiratory virus that has been especially prevalent this year; our vets have been swamped with URD cases. I've had to take 3 of our 9 in for this. It starts with an occasional cough or sneeze and can progress to coughing spells that last long enough to cause wheezing or gasping. If you simply can NOT take your cat in, see if you can get a round of Baytril antibiotic to give him/her for 7 to 10 days. Good luck with your kitty.

 

[sangel4you]

crtrlvr if worse comes to worse, thank you, I will look into that.
Sorry this has to be quick, so much for getting things done today! DH is making calls to see what we can work out, and I am running around the house trying to find things to sell. But I just thought I should clear something up-
Just because I said my cat is an indoor cat and we chose to have indoor cats to reduce incidence of needing vaccince etc, doesnt mean he hasnt been seen by a vet! He had his initial vaccines at 6mo and then last august he had another set when he was 1 yr and he was fixed and declawed, he also was recieving revolution every two months (our vet told us every 2 mo would be sufficient since he is strictly indoor and funds are scarce. There were some months where he got it every month tho, if we had some and could buy another box.I think total there were 3 months where he didnt get it EVERY month. He does not have an appt yet for his checkup that is due in august, but after this, if he makes it ok, I'm sure he will. So I just wanted to clairfy that he IS cared for and HAS seen the vet several times in his short life, we just didnt plan financially for him to get sick and therefore are lacking the fund. I understand most ppl have some savings, we however are a 1 income family with much debt to pay off so I'm sorry I'm not the perfect cat owner apparently. That doesnt mean I dont care about and want my cat healthy. Thank you for allowin me to say that.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

I would bet it's an upper respitory infection. Which requires antibiotics to fix.
Sure it could be heartworm but it's probably UPI, which is very common.
You need Clavamox for that, which is prescription only.

Here is what I would do;

Try here first-

http://www.animalprotectionsociety.org/links/Pet Owner Financial Aid Orgs.doc

Here is a list of places that will help people financially who need emergency vet care.

If you cannot get any help, I would then talk to local rescues, look for small private ones, you could probably find one on pet finder by searching for cats available in your area and then looking at what rescue they are from.
Talk to them and see if they will take him in and get him the proper vet care, many times they will, especially in this economy.
It will be sad for you guys and your son, but explan to him that kitty is sick and that he needs to go with these people so he can get better.
I have a close friend who had a JR terrier for about 9 years and then found out she had bladder stones. There was no way she could afford the vet, who was scaring the crap out of her telling her the dog had cancer and everything. They wanted her to spend about $3000 on the dog just in testing before they would treat her, but I was sure she only had bladder stones, which can be serious but if caught in time is usually not a huge deal.
The vet wouldn't budge. I hooked her up with a JRT rescue here and they asked her to surrender the dog in order to get treatment. She was reluctant and actually thought about having put down, actually brought her to the local shelter who agreed to put her down for free, had the dog on the table and then had a change of heart and felt selfish. It was like she was saying, "If I can't have her no one will".
She surrendered the dog to the JRT rescue. She has three kids, who were devestated but the older two understood that their doggie was sick and needed to go away in order to get better. It turned out the dog had bladder stones, which were removed and then she was placed up for adoption.
If he is sick and you have no other options, this may be your best bet.
Good luck.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Don't beat yourself up Sangel4you, it's a tough economy right now, and lots of people are struggling.

We don't look into the future when we decide to bring animals into our lives. At the time, most people are financially able to pay for anything that might arise, but we never think that we could lose jobs or the cost of living would increase so drastically.

I know this all to well. I owned a Plumbing Company for 8 years, making in excess of $500,000.00 a year. I would have never dreamed that my husband and I would be getting jobs. Luckily he is also a mechanic, and got another job. But, by no means do we make the money that we use to. I had to sell all of my horses, vehicles, etc. etc.

Don't get me wrong I am in no way telling you to get rid of your cat, because we too, kept our smaller animals. Horses cost a lot of money to just feed and water.

I know you love your cat, and I do hope that you find your little cat some help somewhere.

If it were me, I would call my vet and see if they can give you some advice over the phone. You can buy antibiotics from a farm and garden store.

You may also call your local Humane Society, sometimes they can offer help alot cheaper, since they work with the Vet Offices. I know they will spay and neuter alot cheaper.

Hope all goes well with you. Cammy

 

[KotaDVM]

CareCredit is a popular choice for pet owners who cannot afford the upfront veterinary bills. From your cat's clinical signs I definitely urge you to seek veterinary care immediately.

http://www.carecredit.com/howcarecreditworks.html

 

[scbatz33]

I hope you don't think I was beating you up on the vacc issue or implying you weren't a good cat owner. I was trying to convey that most upper resp infections(which is my uneducated guess) are so contagious to cats, that being a strictly indoor cat wouldn't prevent infection.

I have 2 cats, 4 dogs and 2 horse plus chickens I know how it is to try and scrape together funds on unexpected issues. I lost my job on the 10 - 2 weeks after we got our second horse! The other night, he inhaled his food and got a huge lump of it stuck in his throat. I did not and still do not have money for an emergency farm call. We spent 20 minutes massaging his neck and shooting water down his throat 60ccs at a time. I dont' know what I would have done if we couldn't have worked the blockage loose! Thankfully it all worked out ok.

Either way, don't let the vet make you feel bad for choosing what things to do to your pet. If your in a money crunch and the vet doesn't understand that, find another vet. My sis had to take her 2 dogs for their annual exam and she was all worried because of money(she's been laid off for 6 months) I told her to just get the minimum stuff - rabies, DHLP - the fecals and what not are good ideas, but not necessary.

Sometimes we all have to cut corners. Please believe there are more folks on here that understand that than not - sometimes it's hard to convey those things through a keyboard.

 

[jjthink]

Quote:
Thanks for posting that! I was spacing on the name of this 'program' that might be of help.
JJ