Cat hurt VERY bad - Page 2 - Pet forum for dogs cats and humans

cpietra16 · #31 September 16th, 2005, 05:17 PM

I know that some vets have payment plans, where you can pay over a few months. You can always put it on a credit card, if you have one. Would you be able to talk to your vet and arrange some partial payment and maybe work the rest off in the office? Would a vet actually put the cat down after all they have already done? I really hope you can work on some sort of payment plan. Sorry I don't have a really solid idea that may help you out of this situation, but I hope your vet is understanding.

xFire Angelx · #32 September 16th, 2005, 05:27 PM

thanks for the ideas ill speak with the vet tomorrow and see what can be arranged
i doubt a vet would put any animal down that doesnt really need to be put down
i would hope not anyways

justncase · #33 September 16th, 2005, 06:06 PM

It would be a rare vet, indeed ,who would consider putting an animal down that he/she fought so hard to save . A regular payment is better than none.

The sites below may offer some financial assistance. You'd have to check to see if you qualified.

Acme House of Cats( they have an Acme fund)
http://members5.boardhost.com/AcmeHouseOfCats/

http://www.imom.org

http://www.uan.org/

This is an organization that will try very hard to help you if you cannot afford vet bills once in a while. Or maybe you find a hurt or sick stray that needs medical help. They're called Help-A-Pet

http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html

Prin · #34 September 16th, 2005, 06:24 PM

What about asking the vet to let you make payments? I don't see how putting the cat down is an option- that would make all the money spent already a waste and it still doesn't get rid of the vet bills right now...

xFire Angelx · #35 September 16th, 2005, 07:57 PM

i completely forgot to mention that the 450 bucks is ontop of the 500 bucks that was for the surgery

chico2 · #36 September 17th, 2005, 07:06 AM

Fireangel,I was surprised at the"low"fees of $450 for Baby's treatment,which seemed extensive.I would have thought more like at least $1.000,glad you clarified.
Like Prin said,putting the cat down will not change the fact the bills have to be paid somehow,it will just add the fee for euthanazia and Baby ends up dead after all he's been through :sad:
Since the procedures have already been done,I cannot see any caring vet refusing a payment-plan....and he/she should be understanding if you explain the situation with your moms problems.
After all the pain and suffering Baby has gone through,he certainly deserves to live...money comes and goes,but Baby is a keeper :love:

xFire Angelx · #37 September 17th, 2005, 07:11 PM

ok guys my baby kitty is HOME!! woohooo!!! and we have some great news.... he groomed himself for the first time today... plus he used the litter box ON HIS OWN!!! it was a tiny bit but that is huge progress the vet said that she wasnt expecting that for a few more days of him being on this medication. They were force feeding him baby food but the moment he got home i plopped some canned food in his face and he ate half of it... it was one of those tiny cans of fancy feast tuna kinds. the vet showed me how to express his bladder but said now that he is gaining the ability to do it on his own he might not let me do it. if he doesnt let me and doesnt pee at all then we need to take him in right when they open on monday. but if he does ok thenbring him in on tuesday and talk about how he's doing. its taken me about 45 mins to type this out lol ive been helpin him get situated he finaly decided that he wanted to sleep on my bed so im keepin a close eye incase he gets up and wants down. the moment he saw my step dad and i at the vet he started meowing like crazy and the said she didnt know he was a meower(he is a HUGE talker).hes been purring and making biscuits and everything now that hes home. hes walking better than i thought he would be and hes even walking better now that hes home. his incision looks really good. its not red except for the 2 spots where the drain was and theres a little drainage coming out but its very little. the pain patch seems to keep him half sedated so hes a lil wobbly and his 3rd eyelids are half closed. i will be adding pictures of his incision and all of that on my site when i get a chance to take pics.
he has about 4 different kinds of meds to take
does anyone know an easy way to keep track of it all? i do not want to miss a dose or anything.

lilith_rizel · #38 September 17th, 2005, 07:50 PM

Boy, can I tell you about meds..... My daughter is on 5 fo them now, 3x daily....

Anyways, make a chart of what med gets given at what time and what amount. Then if you have an extra alarm clock, even one on a cell phone will work, set it for the time he gets his medication. When it goes off, set it again for the next dose, right after you shut off the alarm, so you don't forget.... I had to do that for months before I would remember on my own, to give my daughter her medications....

xFire Angelx · #39 September 17th, 2005, 08:10 PM

thats an awesome idea i completely forgot about that... when i was really sick i had to take medication every 6 hours no give or take an hour it was 6 hours on the dot so i set my alarm to go off but what i did was push snooze take the pills and if i forgot itd go off again and id remember lol
thanks for the idea for the spread sheet. i think ill set one up right now

the gang · #40 September 17th, 2005, 09:14 PM

you are!!!!!! a wounderful person!!!!! you will get this back ten fold i am so impressed thank you for carring and best of luck to you.

xFire Angelx · #41 September 17th, 2005, 10:09 PM

ok guys lets see if i can figure out how to post a picture lol
this is a picture of baby laying on my bed earlier
ok quick question... why is he laying in the litter box?
and another small update he's had a quarter of a small can of food still no water though since hes been home.
also should i try to keep my other 2 cats away from him or is it ok if they're around him?

badger · #42 September 17th, 2005, 11:48 PM

Thanks for posting of pic of your sweet boy. He looks very happy to be home. Don't worry if he doesn't drink, canned food has plenty of water. He's probably lying down in his litter box because he's tired from his ordeal plus the meds are making him dopey.

I would be very careful that he doesn't jump down or up on the bed, or exert himself in any way, to protect the incision. When you're not there, you may want to make a nice bed for him on the floor. As for the other cats, for now I would keep him isolated unless you are there to supervise their visits. They'll probably want to sniff him and make sure their buddy is OK.

Thanks for taking such good care of him. Don't worry about the money, things have a way of working out when you do the right thing.

'Making biscuits'? What is that?

xFire Angelx · #43 September 18th, 2005, 12:06 AM

hmm i think other people call it kneeding.... when they're kittens they do it to their mother when they're drinking her milk trying to get it out by pushing with their paws.
the vet said to only have him out of the kennel if someone is there to keep a VERY close eye on him. also i am not letting him jump at all hes been walking from 1 spot to another to another but i think its because hes trying to get comfy. im bedroom isnt that big so he only walks 2 feet and lays down for a while. he just peed on his own about 15 minutes ago it wasnt in the litter box but it he peed!!!!

ive let my other kitties say hi to him and see that he was ok because they saw him hurt before he went to the vet other than that hes been in my room with the door shut. he wouldnt let me get anywhere close to even see if he had a full bladder but a few minutes later he got up and peed on his favorite hoodie of mine that he loves sleeping on.
he walked a little bit in the hallway because its sort of warm in my bedroom so after a bit i brought him back in my room and put him in the kennel but he is sort of pacing in it and isnt happy that hes in there. i dont want him over walking tho when hes out of the kennel he lays for about 10 mins then moves to another spot. lol sorry im so noobish i havent had to do anything like this with my pets before sorry if im asking dumb questions lol

just got done posting and i found him trying to climb and find a way to get out of the kennel... what should i do while i am sleeping? let him wander around or put him in the kennel and possibly hurt himself while trying to get out of it? of course her could possibly hurt himself when hes out of it as well.... oi what do i do? of course in the kennel theres only so much he can do in there. sheesh

badger · #44 September 18th, 2005, 01:11 AM

Hmm, tough one. I'd be inclined to leave him in the carrier, as long as you're sure he can't hurt himself (other than moving around). What worries me is the pain patch probably means he's not feeling much pain and doesn't know his own limits. Line the cage with your hoody, even it's not too clean, or something else with your smell on it. I hate to suggest another expense, but there's this product called Rescue Remedy (available in health food stores and some supermarkets) which is a herbal calming remedy (about 10 $). It might help him, and avoid adding tranquilizers to his medication list. I expect his restlessness is partly to do with the medication. Keep a close eye on the incision - any swelling, or if it gets hot, an indication of infection. You don't want to lose him to a crummy infection after he's come so far.

xFire Angelx · #45 September 18th, 2005, 01:35 AM

yes im keeping a very close eye on it... i caught him on his hind legs with his front paws on the door of the kennel trying to get out.... i know thats not good but im worried while im asleep if hes left out he'll try to jump on my bed or something....
of course i could just go tonight without sleep lol
just gave him his liquid meds he took them pretty well i had to have help though to hold a towel over him so he cant scratch me. he ate about half a can of the canned food and i think he drank a little water.
he seems to be positioning his foot on that leg a little better he was able to lift it up and clean himself a little bit earlier as well
thank you for the info hun i will talk with the vet about that when we take him in and see if we could try that

justncase · #46 September 18th, 2005, 04:06 AM

It's great to hear how well Baby is coming along and what wonderful and watchful care you are taking over him. You are certainly to be commended for your handling of this, right from the start. Your willingness to take on whatever responsibility is needed to help Baby heal is invaluable right now and Baby is most fortunate to have you there to help him. The healing process can't be rushed. Sometimes a pet, when feeling better, feels he can become more active than he should so a watchful eye is needed to keep that in check until the healing is well underway. Providing a small , comfortable, safe, and quiet area is also very beneficial. Sometimes if you provide "steps" to places such as your bed,desk, or any area that would require jumping to get to , it can help- a small stool in front of a chair positioned by the side of the bed or desk, or a small ramp.

chico2 · #47 September 18th, 2005, 07:10 AM

FireAngel,wow,that must have been a terrible injury,was his tail partly amputated?
You,your family and Baby are certainly the heroes of the week :love:
I know he has a long way to go,but he could not be in better hands and no questions are"stupid"ones,so ask away!
I would be the same,I've had many cats,but none with this kind of injury.
I had one Maine Coon cat,who ran out and was rescued under a carhood,but even he was not that badly injured..
The fact Baby is eating,drinking and peeing is a good sign,pooping might be difficult,he looks really sore :sad:
I pray no infection will set in,but even that,with your loving vigilance he'll probably be able to fight.
Baby is one lucky kitty,

to both of you :love:

cpietra16 · #48 September 18th, 2005, 07:25 AM

WOW...I am so happy to hear that baby is home and recovering. Home is exactly where the the healing will happen; in his little heaven. Keep up the great work..you both will need each other now.

xFire Angelx · #49 September 18th, 2005, 12:24 PM

thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. it would be so much harder to do this without you guys supporting me throughout this ordeal. it means so much to me i cant even put it into words.
heres a little update:
baby did great in the kennel last night. i figured out why he tried to get out... he wanted to lay in his favorite spot... so when i went to bed i picked up the blanket in his favorite spot and such so it wouldnt tempt him. he didnt try to get out once.
he has been in and our of the litter box A LOT.. i should know because i wake up every time he scratched in it lol. also the water in his bowl is half gone so hes drinking water and i noticed he ate some of the food in there.
i woke up at 7am to give him his 2 liquid meds he didnt fight me much on it so im glad. i gave him another can of cat food and he got right up to eat it he had about a quarter of it. by the looks of it his appitite is nearly back to normal. he usually doesnt eat a whole lot at once but he eats about 4 times a day.
he isnt really licking his wound or anything i think its too sore to go after it.
oh also here a list of his meds just incanse you guys might be wondering what hes on
the 3 day pain patch of course
Clavamox 62.5mg 1 tablet every 12 hours
Baytril 20 500#(not sure what that means that was just on the bottle) 1 tablet a day
Phenoxybenzamine 5mg 1/2ml every 8 hours
Bethanechol 5m 1ml every 8 hours
im going to try and express his bladder again the last few times he wouldnt let me get anywhere close without freakin out
its really hard to scruff him with the pain patch on so i think i will put a towel over his front end and give it a go

just felt his bladder... his bladder is really small i cant see any pee in the litter box tho but it might be so small that i cant tell

sheesh i keep forgeting things
i tried to give him some of his kitty treats today and he ate them so i brought him some of his hard cat food and mixed it with his canned food... he seems to really like that.

xFire Angelx · #50 September 18th, 2005, 01:53 PM

well he peed on his own a few minutes ago
im thinking he doesnt like the newspaper litter so he peed on the newspaper i have laid out for him
he peed about 3 teaspoons full maybe a lil bit more so that is a lot better concidering yesterday at the vet he peed less than a teaspoon andthey had to express the rest
later today i will have pics of baby up on my site
yay his bladder is getting better

chico2 · #51 September 18th, 2005, 02:34 PM

I don't know anything about all those meds,but I am sure somebody else does...cats don't generally like to take pills,but it sounds like you are doing great.
I tried the"Yesterdays News"litter with my cats(3)and there was no way they were using it

I am hoping Baby will continue to pee on his own,what about pooping,is that ok? He must be really sore...
I am glad we could help,even if only emotionally,we are all animal-lovers here in the Forum and certainly appreciate when someone like you goes the extra mile for a little cat.
I know I would,because I love my cats...but other than the people here,I don't know many who would.
So Baby...keep on improving,ok!!

xFire Angelx · #52 September 18th, 2005, 02:40 PM

yes thats the litter i have he scratches in it but for the most part will not go thats why i laid regular newspaper down and thats what he used
but he did use the litter box a few dribbles came out
every little bit that he does on his own is GREAT
my mom is really worried about the enrve damage on his leg because hes knuckling it when he walks
the vet mentioned amputation of his leg but its too soon to tell because that could mostly be from the pain
i do see him left that leg to lick it and straighten it out i havent seen his paw move yet at all tho

chico2 · #53 September 18th, 2005, 03:49 PM

Even if you end up with a beautiful kitty with 3 legs or a limpy kitty,as long as he is not in pain,that's the important thing.
He will probably start licking his wounds more,as he gets stronger and hopefully gets better.
The reason,he is not moving his paw,is probably because it is painful,the poor little guy has tons of stiches :sad:
Is he going back for checkups??
Aftercare should not really cost you anything extra,but every vet is different.
Cats or dogs for that matter,seems to heal pretty quickly,I hope this is the case with Baby,one very good sign is that he is eating :love:

xFire Angelx · #54 September 18th, 2005, 04:05 PM

yes deffinetly im glad he is eating... an even better sign is that hes seeking it out on his own too
yes we go in on tuesday to talk about how hes doing and possibly replace his pain patch
what worries me is i tounched the paw and rubbed the pads softly and he didnt do anything at all
and he hates(stressing the word hate) the pads on his feet being touched
im not sure if he just doesnt care right now or what but youd think he would try to move his foot away or twitch or something
hes sleeping right now and its a little chili in my room so i put a little blankie over him for now
and im figuring out a nice lil cubby hole thing that he can sleep in while hes not in his kennel cuz he likes his own little places to sleep
it seems as though he is gaining more and more ability to use pee but he has no control over it as of yet
unforunatly he hasnt pooped at all and its been probably 4 days maybe more since hes pooped
im begining to wrry about that becuase im sure he has to go but is too painful and im sure thats making him uncomfortable
he peed a good amount on my bed while he was laying there and again in another spot on it a few minutes later
im so proud of him
hes come such a long way concidering what happened to him

chico2 · #55 September 18th, 2005, 04:20 PM

Anglefire,I had to laugh,because you are the only person I've ever heard who is proud the kitty pees on her bed

He probably is uncomfortable if he has not been able to poo,but I guess it would just be to painful for him,I am sure the vet can help him so he is relieved,just hopefully no more meds.
Maybe the reason he did not react when you touched his paw,is that he is a little dopey from meds,hopefully not because he has no feelings in his paw.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the vet says..hopefully good news

xFire Angelx · #56 September 18th, 2005, 05:49 PM

well i dont care where he pees all of that stuff can be replaced im just glad hes peeing YAY!!!!
and i never thought that it oculd be the pain patch but you're right it could be that

xFire Angelx · #57 September 18th, 2005, 07:40 PM

today his nose and tongue seem to be a pale pale pink
and his nose is cold
usually they're a really dark pink/light red
should i be worried?

this evening he seems pretty unhappy sorta down hes stumbling on his hurt leg more and he was more himself yesterday and this morning... it sorta seems like hes getting worse as the day goes on
he doesnt seem to be sleeping... just sitting there with his eyes half open
i dunno i just feel like something is changing

justncase · #58 September 18th, 2005, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xFire Angelx

today his nose and tongue seem to be a pale pale pink
and his nose is cold
usually they're a really dark pink/light red
should i be worried?

this evening he seems pretty unhappy sorta down hes stumbling on his hurt leg more and he was more himself yesterday and this morning... it sorta seems like hes getting worse as the day goes on
he doesnt seem to be sleeping... just sitting there with his eyes half open
i dunno i just feel like something is changing

There may be too much activity too soon, much like a person who has a leg in a cast and tries to walk on it. That's why crutches are given because it's too much stress to bear the full weight of the body on damaged nerves and tissues that are trying to heal. Of course, you can't put a cat on crutches but the equivalent would be to restrict the amount of activity Baby is allowed. Maybe more kennel time. It's only been a few days since he was so badly injured and if there is nerve damage, bearing his full weight upon the injured leg for long periods may slow the healing process and may even further damage nerves. As I said in an earlier post, " ..., Silicea 6x- 5 globules dissolved on the tongue( or a tiny amount of water and give via eyedropper) given every hour for 5-6 hours then 5-7 times a day will repair nerve injury. All of this is available at any health food store and was recommended by an MVSC vet ." No food or water for one hour after each treatment or it will weaken the effect. Before you consider amputation, look into trying Silicea.( As for the pale pink nose and tongue you could keep an eye on that for possible anemia. Try giving him several tablespoons of pureed raw liver every couple of days . It may help. If not you may have to have your vet look into it)

xFire Angelx · #59 September 18th, 2005, 09:45 PM

yes i will bring it up to the vet on tuesday when he bring him in
im taking notes of everything so she can see his progress
and yeah i will give him more kennel time he seems to have gotten used to the idea of being in there at home lol
all day hes just been laying there staring at the wall so i lay by him for an hour or so and he falls asleep
then of course in the process of getting up he sorta wakes up lol