Sick cat :-( (NWR, sorry)

nefariousmango

This is NWR, but I think we need all the good vibes we can get right now.

I was running out the door, late, when I heard our cat making sad noises in the bathroom.  He's toilet trained, which made it easy to see that there was a lot of blood in his urine.  His glands are swollen, something's wrong.  Our vet is 35 minutes away so I called my mom, who lives near the vet, and asked her to make an appointment so I could start driving (no cell reception along the way).

We get to the vet and he's examined, samples taken, etc.  He has an infection in his urinary tract, both red and white blood cells in his urine, and the vet's worried he has bladder stones and may need surgery to get them removed.  What's really scary is that they could cause a potentially fatal blockage at any moment, and like I said our vet is 35 minutes away so it would take us a long time to get him to emergency surgery if he needs it!   Hopefully the antibiotics do the trick and there are no stones!

 In addition to bladder issues, his gums are so infected that they recommend we get all his teeth and the surrounding diseased tissued removed within the next three months.  We've known for a long time that Mr Mewton needs to get all his teeth removed before he turns four, but he's only just about to turn 3 so I was shocked to hear that they'd gotten so bad so quickly!  He needs to be on antibiotics for a few weeks before the surgery can happen, so the vet recommends that when we go back in ten days to re-check his bladder we also draw blood and schedule the surgery.  If he has bladder stones, we can do both surgeries at once, which is apparently exciting to our vet. 

The gum surgery will cost us double our monthly mortgage payment.  We've been saving for it for 18 months, but other recent emergencies (like hail destroying all our windows and insurance not covering any of it) combined with my current unemployment have drained that account almost completely.  If he needs bladder surgery as well, that adds another month and a half's worth of our mortgage. 

Our cat is our baby, and we'll find a way to get him the care he needs, but UGH!!!  There goes the honeymoon we couldn't afford to take anyway!

sammichele

Oh no!  That is horrible!  Sending T&P your way!  Poor kitty

aggiebug

I am so sorry to hear that.  It sucks to have to pay for all that at once. 

You are fine to be waiting 10days to check for the stones.  Yes you need to be observant and see if he is having more problems urinating since it can be a life threatening issue.  But 45 min rarely is the difference between life and death in a blocked cat, and just because he has stones in his bladder doesn't mean they will end up blocking him in the next 10 days. I know its not going to completely stop the worry but I hope it helps a little.  I

and have you ever heard of or thought of using Care Credit? 

https://www.carecredit.com/apply/confirm.html?light=1&encm=UDEHPlw%2BVzJQbFYyWm4JYAY8XzsEYlZlBGgBNQdsCT4%3D

The vet clinic has to accept Care Credit, but its a great company that loans money to cover medical expenses for pets.  I have never personally used it, but I guess the have some good rates and plans.  I think they may even have a not interest until ____ type plan so you can at least spread the cost over a couple of months.

I hope Mr Mewton is ok! I will be thinking about you.

nefariousmango

Thanks for you happy thoughts!

It's good to know that the stones are unlikely to happen and probably won't be life threatening w/in 45 minutes.  I guess my concern is that we both work all day and I don't know what would happen if he had a blockage and no one got home for a few hours...

aggiebug

I completely understand nefarious.  Is there any way to monitor if he has peed at all when you are gone?

The reason stones are a problem is because they block them from peeing.  and if they keep making pee and it cant escape it will cause the bladder to rupture.  Most cats do not make enough pee in 10 hrs to rupture a bladder.  So if you could see when you got home that he peed then you were probably in good shape, but if there wasn't any pee you could call your vet and take him in right away and still probably be safe getting to the vet 35 minutes later.   I am glad you are taking this seriously because it is a serious problem and it can become life threatening very quickly, but I don't want you to have to worry all day when you are at work!  

Think of this as an internet hug!   I wish I could help with all the other stressors in your life, but I hope that I can at least take a little of the worry off your mind.  I hope things start looking up for you soon!

nefariousmango

Aggiebug- that's very reassuring, and the hug appreciated! Thank you!

Elizabeth- aw, kitties are great, but those tooth issues are ridiculously expensive!

*Update* He's already doing a lot better, and in fact is now covered in antibiotic and I am bleeding because he's once again strong enough to rip himself out of a kitty burrito, leaving only shreds of towel behind!  His urine is also back to being yellow and he's peeing twice a day just fine.  I feel a lot better about his odds :-)

BellaSposa223

Sending your kitty tons of vibes!!!

Jaimie

ocprincess

*hugs and T&P*

If it makes you feel better, my mom had a cat when she and my dad first got married who had the blockage of crystals in his urinary tract as a kitten.  Their vet was also far away, but it worked out.  He didn't require surgery.

May I ask why he would need his teeth/etc removed at such a young age?  Scary stuff.

As far as finances, that's really rough, but Care Credit does offer low interest loans for vet services (and cosmetic surgery/dental work, but that's beside the point) that would be more cost effective than putting it on a credit card or whatever.  Just something to consider.  Hope it helps.  :-)

alianne87

If stones are a recurring problem for you kitty, you might look into Science Diet's special food for kitties with recurring bladder stones. I used to work at a vet hospital, and that's one of the easiest ways to control the problem if it keeps happening. There's some special something-or-other in it that breaks up the crystals that would form stones, so he can urinate easier. Also, is your kitty intact? Sometimes intact males have more problems with stones than neutered males.