Not good news. My cat is having alot of pain in his lower lumbar and hips preventing him from defecating (sorry). I thought he was just constipated but my vet said, no, it's much more serious than constipation and this is not constipation. He did a rectal exam and concluded there is alot of inflammation and blood in this area. He gave my cat a shot for inflammation and pain and I am to take him back next Thursday for a re-evaluation. The shot lasts up to 10 days, so he will be covered with pain medication until I take him back in.

I was soo upset that leaving I got into someone's car, not mine. It was similar looking and apparently they left their car door unlocked, so when I hit my remote, I didn't give it another thought until I had put my cat onto the front seat. The staff in the clinic snickered at me

I am lowering his fiber intake and keeping him now on canned food, grain free but will keep up the Miralax and nothing else for the next week.

Pain will not be an option for him. If he is not any better next week, then I will be faced with x-rays and bloodwork which will be difficult for me to afford......... that affordability thing again, but I have one remaining ring I can sell that would cover this, so today will be going to the pawn shop and selling it. My vet wanted a CTScan/MRI of his lower lumbar area but there is no way I can $$$ that, so the X-Rays will have to do.

I called my shrink today and he is increasing my meds to help me cope with this, as I am not sleeping and catastrophizing all over the place. I can't imagine life without my cat.

[arcangel]

That is bad news and I'm sorry to hear this. Did the vet discuss any likely diagnosis or possible prognosis? A lot of experienced vets will try to give you some idea of what the main underlying problem is.

[lynn P.]

(((June_Bug))) and ((pet cat)) - I'm so sorry to hear your cat is so ill. It really bothers me the vet is so expensive - it makes it really hard for people with low income to take care of their pets. Did the vet speculate on what's causing this, so that you'll be able to make an informed decision before you wrack up this high vet bill?
My dog had to have emergency bladder stones removed a year and a half ago and it cost us almost 2,000. I hope your cat gets better and I can understand how upsetting this must be. I probably would have sat in the wrong car too.

Thanks Mike and no, the vet would not speculate. He wants to wait until he hears from me next Thursday. I'm not to change his diet, medication, or anything at all. I don't think he knows without expensive testing, such as a CTScan or MRI of his spinal column.

I used to work with this vet and he's a good diagnostician. He's been a vet for about 20+ years. He is the owner of a large team of vets he can run things by, he owns 6 clinics. But for him to be stumped is very concerning to me.

Originally Posted by arcangel

That is bad news and I'm sorry to hear this. Did the vet discuss any likely diagnosis or possible prognosis? A lot of experienced vets will try to give you some idea of what the main underlying problem is.

Hi Lynn ~ Thanks for the hugs !! Before I go any further with my vet, I am going to be asking for estimates in writing, if this will be ongoing. My vet used to give me an employee discount but didn't this time, not sure why.

How is your dog now, is he okay?

You know, looking back on getting into the wrong car... I was mortified at the time, but now I can giggle at myself, what a nut I can be at times haha !!

No diagnosis or prognosis. The receptionist made a mistake and booked me for a 15 minute appointment, not an extended one, and he didn't have time yesterday to do anything further.

My kitty is comfortable today, resting and having regular poop sessions in the box, which is warming my heart So the medicine is doing it's job. The medicine is good for 10 days, Thursday will be day 7, so my kitty will still be covered until I can get him back in to see the vet. But first my vet wants a telephone consultation which will save me some money right there and I appreciated that. We'll brainstorm during this conversation and make a plan. I do intend to ask him again, after 7 days have passed, what he thinks at this point, since my kitty is responding so favorably to this medication.

Originally Posted by lynn P.

(((June_Bug))) and ((pet cat)) - I'm so sorry to hear your cat is so ill. It really bothers me the vet is so expensive - it makes it really hard for people with low income to take care of their pets. Did the vet speculate on what's causing this, so that you'll be able to make an informed decision before you wrack up this high vet bill?
My dog had to have emergency bladder stones removed a year and a half ago and it cost us almost 2,000. I hope your cat gets better and I can understand how upsetting this must be. I probably would have sat in the wrong car too.

something that might be an option is accupuncture...i know it has worked on friends dogs who have spinal & lumbar issues...it was somewhat costly but well worth it as it gave excellent results without much trauma to the animal (such as surgery etc)

i don't know if they can do it on cats even but it might be something to look into...

good luck.

i know the frustration of having an animal with issues..my one guy was paralyzed with nerve issues last year after a dog ran into him at the park ..for about 3 months he lost the use of his rear legs. heavy steroid injections, crate rest, SOD boswellia & home therapy worked wonders for him but i will always have to watch him & keep an eye out for his safety (not as easy thing to do for a dog who considers the kitchen counter fair game..even when you only have 4" legs).

stumpy

Thank you Stumpy, good to hear from you and thank you for your suggestion. I have a friend who is currently getting acupuncture on her cat due to arthritis and it is working very well. I have added this to the list of considerations.

One interesting note about AvoDerm. You mentioned your dogs are on AvoDerm. I looked this product up and found that AvoDerm only offers grain free for dogs and not cats, however, there is a new canned cat food that is grain free called Tuna with Prawns. I plan to slowly integrate Wellness dry and this canned food, but will discuss this after my phone consultation on Thursday with my vet.

My cat is very comfortable today and is having regular bowel movements and doesn't "appear" to be in pain while doing this. The shot has really helped him. I don't think it's a tumor or he would still be having the same issue as before the shot.

Can cats develop IBD at age 8? This was something my vet tossed out.

Wow, you must have been beside yourself with worry when you dog became paralyzed. Thank God, he recovered. What a good nurse mommy you are !!! How is he doing today, fully recovered? Did the owner of the dog that ran into your dog help you with any of the vet bills? Do you go back to the dog park? Whenever I am at Petsmart, I stop and watch the dogs at play who are being bordered there and I see alot of collisions.

Originally Posted by stumpy

something that might be an option is accupuncture...i know it has worked on friends dogs who have spinal & lumbar issues...it was somewhat costly but well worth it as it gave excellent results without much trauma to the animal (such as surgery etc)

i don't know if they can do it on cats even but it might be something to look into...

good luck.

i know the frustration of having an animal with issues..my one guy was paralyzed with nerve issues last year after a dog ran into him at the park ..for about 3 months he lost the use of his rear legs. heavy steroid injections, crate rest, SOD boswellia & home therapy worked wonders for him but i will always have to watch him & keep an eye out for his safety (not as easy thing to do for a dog who considers the kitchen counter fair game..even when you only have 4" legs).

stumpy

the beast is doing well..he runs a bit like forest gump now..a little off & can't jump as high as he used to but that's ok...he shouldn't be eating out of the crock pot while stuff is slow cooking on the counter anyway! (yeah he is way to smart for his own good!)

the other dog owner never even noticed..it was just a crash...nothing really weird...he got up..wobbled & moved slower for a bit & then after i drove home he was "off"..by night he was unable to jump onto the bed. he could still walk it progressed into not being able to stand or walk.

i was a total mess. at the same time my other dog, who was 11 was dying from congestive heart failure & dementia. i had also just gotten a puppy to ease the pack order for when the older guy slipped away. (i knew he was going i had not realized it would have been so sudden). the back in jury occurred 3 days after the puppy came.

oh & then to make it even more special i had a foster girl return home to me...because of a brain tumor...she had been at my house prior to the puppy's arrival but was moved once i adopted my puppy. the foster didn't do well at her new home & they needed to place her someplace safe...& the rescue knew she was good at my place so she came home...

so, let's recap...

1. paralyzed basset
2. dying basset mix
3. basset mix puppy
4. rehomed basset girl with brain tumor

yeah..stress was kind of high...

owner who caused the injury never paid anything to help with bills...rehomed foster kept puppy busy. paralyzed guy did jail time in a huge crate. old guy made the trip to the buffet about a month later.

1 year later...
puppy is good
paralyzed guy still runs like forest gump & is good..has to be careful..especially on ice etc i watch him & start him on steroids at first sign of tweak. he takes supplements to help with pain.

rehomed girl is hanging around..blind in one eye now due to tumor but is happy, steals sweets, has seizures, & smiles. had her own "make a wish" trip last fall camping in NH.

it's a crazy life but wouldn't have it any other way.

stumpy

[googley]

Originally Posted by June_Bug

I was soo upset that leaving I got into someone's car, not mine. It was similar looking and apparently they left their car door unlocked, so when I hit my remote, I didn't give it another thought until I had put my cat onto the front seat. The staff in the clinic snickered at me

I'm so sorry you cat is having such a hard time right now. I hope she is feeling better soon.

As to the car thing, I had a friend who did this. Their key actually worked in another car door (same make, model, year). They realized they weren't in their own car when they looked down and saw that the coffee cup in the cup holder wasn't theirs (they were in Seattle). Luckily the car they got in was a friend's of theirs.

Hi Googley You know, you got me to thinking. It was an identical car with a similar color....................... makes me want to take my key remote and see if my dealer can change the code. Thanks for bringing this up

My father used to tie plastic flowers onto his radio antenna, lol of our family car. I used to be soo embarrassed that he did this but now I am wondering if I need to put something visible in or on my car to identify it.

Originally Posted by googley

I'm so sorry you cat is having such a hard time right now. I hope she is feeling better soon.

As to the car thing, I had a friend who did this. Their key actually worked in another car door (same make, model, year). They realized they weren't in their own car when they looked down and saw that the coffee cup in the cup holder wasn't theirs (they were in Seattle). Luckily the car they got in was a friend's of theirs.

Your home environment, Stumpy, sounds like pure heaven to me. You are a Godsend to your babies and such a good nursemummy too. Not a dull moment in your household, I bet there is something going on all the time

Does your vet give you a herd discount? Some vets do. You gotta ask first.

I didn't know that dogs could get dementia, new one for me. Was he on any medication? I'm sorry for your loss ................((( comfort hugs ))).

Originally Posted by stumpy

the beast is doing well..he runs a bit like forest gump now..a little off & can't jump as high as he used to but that's ok...he shouldn't be eating out of the crock pot while stuff is slow cooking on the counter anyway! (yeah he is way to smart for his own good!)

the other dog owner never even noticed..it was just a crash...nothing really weird...he got up..wobbled & moved slower for a bit & then after i drove home he was "off"..by night he was unable to jump onto the bed. he could still walk it progressed into not being able to stand or walk.

i was a total mess. at the same time my other dog, who was 11 was dying from congestive heart failure & dementia. i had also just gotten a puppy to ease the pack order for when the older guy slipped away. (i knew he was going i had not realized it would have been so sudden). the back in jury occurred 3 days after the puppy came.

oh & then to make it even more special i had a foster girl return home to me...because of a brain tumor...she had been at my house prior to the puppy's arrival but was moved once i adopted my puppy. the foster didn't do well at her new home & they needed to place her someplace safe...& the rescue knew she was good at my place so she came home...

so, let's recap...

1. paralyzed basset
2. dying basset mix
3. basset mix puppy
4. rehomed basset girl with brain tumor

yeah..stress was kind of high...

owner who caused the injury never paid anything to help with bills...rehomed foster kept puppy busy. paralyzed guy did jail time in a huge crate. old guy made the trip to the buffet about a month later.

1 year later...
puppy is good
paralyzed guy still runs like forest gump & is good..has to be careful..especially on ice etc i watch him & start him on steroids at first sign of tweak. he takes supplements to help with pain.

rehomed girl is hanging around..blind in one eye now due to tumor but is happy, steals sweets, has seizures, & smiles. had her own "make a wish" trip last fall camping in NH.

it's a crazy life but wouldn't have it any other way.

stumpy

So far, so good My cat is responding very well to his steroid shot. It's day 5. His shot is good for 10 days. He's eating more, drinking alot, pooping every day without straining nor observable pain. I'm praying that when I consult with my vet on Thursday, he will be giving me good news or something concrete to hang my hat on.

I just don't want my baby to suffer in silence. Animals hide pain, it's instinctual for them.

Thanks for listening