Spending on pets? Cat in the ER

[Turbo29]

I had a cat who lived to be 18.


When she was 1 year old she developed a fungal infection, cryptococcosis. I went to the local university and read several articles in veterinary journals. The drugs used to treat it were fairly expensive and had to be given for a long time (>1 year usually). But, if treatment was started early enough recovery was almost 100%. So I went through with the treatment.


I tell this story to any vet I use. I tell the vet that if they have a good idea what is wrong, and if the treatment will prolong the cats life by a significant amount then I am on board.


On the other hand if the treatments are, we don't don't really know what's wrong lets do this invasive intervention or that invasive treatment and try this and that and maybe the cat will live another month or two I won't be on board. The animal just suffers. I think many times when pet owners pursue these types of treatments they are doing more for themselves than for the animal.

 

[badatmath]

On the other hand if the treatments are, we don't don't really know what's wrong lets do this invasive intervention or that invasive treatment and try this and that and maybe the cat will live another month or two I won't be on board. The animal just suffers. I think many times when pet owners pursue these types of treatments they are doing more for themselves than for the animal.

100% this. I just never really thought I wouldn't have the vets I trust available when something was wrong.

Thinking over why they were so confusing too, I think just didn't know what they would find and were trying to explain it might be complicated/take longer/etc.

 

[Amethyst]

WTF? What does the neighbor know about treating sick cats?? I'm sorry you had to get his lip on top of worrying about your cat.

Thank you. My neighbor already jumped my a** about "leaving him alone in a cage"..

 

[Amethyst]

Exactly. The best, most beloved cat I ever had, suddenly got very sick at the age of 8. The vets couldn't tell what was wrong, and wanted to try everything; in my naivete and grief, I let them. At the end of a week the cat was a miserable wreck who no longer recognized me; I told them to stop treatment and let him go.

The bill came to thousands, and this was 26 years ago.

They offered to do the euthanasia for free if I would allow them to autopsy the corpse. Turned out his whole body was riddled with bad white cells. He must have been in pain for a long time, but cats are the world's biggest Stoics.

I had a cat who lived to be 18.


When she was 1 year old she developed a fungal infection, cryptococcosis. I went to the local university and read several articles in veterinary journals. The drugs used to treat it were fairly expensive and had to be given for a long time (>1 year usually). But, if treatment was started early enough recovery was almost 100%. So I went through with the treatment.


I tell this story to any vet I use. I tell the vet that if they have a good idea what is wrong, and if the treatment will prolong the cats life by a significant amount then I am on board.


On the other hand if the treatments are, we don't don't really know what's wrong lets do this invasive intervention or that invasive treatment and try this and that and maybe the cat will live another month or two I won't be on board. The animal just suffers. I think many times when pet owners pursue these types of treatments they are doing more for themselves than for the animal.

 

[MC Rider]

We had a cat that was diabetic. I spent lots of time and money going to the vet to check his blood sugar, not to mention the insulin. Giving him IV fluids at home was not easy. He hung in the at least a couple years after the diagnosis. So we thought it was worth it.

 

[badatmath]

Latest update is they want more money, still don't know, and since it is not a weekend now they are doing more tests. The ones they should have done the first day probably like ultrasound, etc.

 

[swakyaby]

What is happening with your feline?

 

[4legsgood]

For me the issue comes from trust in your vet. We moved 5 years ago and the first vet we used, highly recommended, and she was nuts. She told me in the same visit that 1. My dog was blind because of cataracts and I was cruel not to treat them 2. the dog had Cushings and would die if it wasn't treated. She had a huge $$$ treatment plan for him.

I put him down this January and he was seeing just fine, he didn't have Cushing either. At 14 he had other issues including his knees that our new vet said could have been fixed at 15k apiece.! He recommended against that and gently said euthanasia was what he would do if it was his dog. I've developed a trust in his office, doesn't hurt a dog loving friend told me a story about how he treated her dog. I've seen how the office operates and it's consistent with how we treat our pets. Vet care has gotten on par with people care and it's costs.

I'm sorry for your loss and sounds like you did right by your buddy.

I was told 6+ years ago that my dog wouldn't be walking in a year unless he had double femoral head ostectomies and by the way his spine was fusing too, which is inoperable. It seemed like a terrible thing to put him through and he was still going to have the spine problem. He's still getting around pretty good, other than stairs. Still jumps off the dock and enjoys the dog park even more than he used to because instead of being tennis ball obsessed he's become a social butterfly. I still haven't found a vet I trust, and at his last checkup was suggested stem cell treatment, hmmm.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I have told myself when it comes to euthanasia of our beloved pets (which is one of the worst experiences you can deal with, IMHO) that the pets don't know what is happening. They don't know "it's the end", it is us that suffer the loss. With that, we have adopted the thought that being maybe a little "too early" is a better outcome than a little "too late."

In our last two losses, both were able to have a fantastic "last day" with good food and lots and lots of loving as opposed to an emergent procedure when they are suffering too much.

Of course, sometimes this can't be planned.

 

[Marita40]

It is very expensive. I was just quoted over $1000 for teeth cleaning and 2 extractions for my one cat. I have a (human) dentist friend who was astonished at that high number. They insist on doing prior bloodwork, etc, all of which used to be optional and is now part of the package.

Some years ago I had a cat with thyroid disease who had to undergo radiation three times. I was told it was highly unusual to have to do it 2 times, much less 3. He did manage to hang on until passing at 16, but I spend thousands on his treatment. Sadly while I'd like to own several cats, as I believe they are good companions to each other, I can no longer justify the expense of more than 1.

 

[badatmath]

What is happening with your feline?

He didn't make it. I'm devastated. He had excellent blood work and cardiology checkup (for a cat with HCM) in October and they found he was filled with cancer. Hug your pets today because things can change fast. I really do think the ER vet did everything they could in the end too. I was skeptical at first but had no reason to doubt once things started happening.

 

[Marita40]

Oh, I’m sorry badatmath! It never gets easier.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

He didn't make it. I'm devastated. He had excellent blood work and cardiology checkup (for a cat with HCM) in October and they found he was filled with cancer. Hug your pets today because things can change fast. I really do think the ER vet did everything they could in the end too. I was skeptical at first but had no reason to doubt once things started happening.

Ugh...I am so sorry to hear about this. Losing these furry buddies *is* devastating. Our last fur buddy was diagnosed with a cancer that was aggressive and I was told that his spleen could rupture at anytime and there was nothing we could do, so yes things can change very, VERY fast..all this after spending a good 6 months of getting him back to normal after a CCL tear surgery.

 

[travelover]

He didn't make it. I'm devastated. He had excellent blood work and cardiology checkup (for a cat with HCM) in October and they found he was filled with cancer. Hug your pets today because things can change fast. I really do think the ER vet did everything they could in the end too. I was skeptical at first but had no reason to doubt once things started happening.

I'm so sorry. It is devastating.

 

[pacergal]

My condolences to you.
Our fur babies are such a big part of our lives.

 

[kcowan]

We are with our third cat. One died of a fall resulting from a tussle with a neighborhood cat at 16. Second died at 18 of kidney disease (Put down). Third is one year old rescue. She might outlive us.

Second one had a urinary tract infection and contributed to our vets yacht when he was 5.

My condolences to you BAM.

 

[tmm99]

So sorry to hear that, badatmath.

 

[finnski1]

Sorry to hear about your pet. We have been there several times and know what it's like.

 

[MRG]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Calico]

He didn't make it. I'm devastated. He had excellent blood work and cardiology checkup (for a cat with HCM) in October and they found he was filled with cancer. Hug your pets today because things can change fast. I really do think the ER vet did everything they could in the end too. I was skeptical at first but had no reason to doubt once things started happening.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Our furry family members mean so much, and it is always devastating to lose them.

I had a similar experience many years ago. I had a 15-year-old cat who had her annual checkup, and everything was fine. About 3 months later her behavior very suddenly changed - she was having difficulty navigating around the house, and she would miss her target and fall when jumping from one piece of furniture to another. She was suddenly very "wobbly" in her gait. It was a holiday (naturally) so all regular vets were closed. I took her to the specialty vet about 25 miles away, and they examined her and did bloodwork and x-rays. Turns out she was "riddled" with cancer, they said.

I was not about to put her through aggressive treatment, so I said goodbye and held her while they euthanized her. I went from having a seemingly perfectly healthy cat to losing her in the space of about 48 hours. It was a terrible shock.

I can only imagine how you are feeling now, going through something similar. You did the kindest thing for your cat; remember that. It is harder on us than on them, as another poster said.

 

[Amethyst]

So sorry for your loss. I feel your hurt. Some of my best friends have been cats. They are loyal, loving companions.

He didn't make it. I'm devastated. He had excellent blood work and cardiology checkup (for a cat with HCM) in October and they found he was filled with cancer. Hug your pets today because things can change fast. I really do think the ER vet did everything they could in the end too. I was skeptical at first but had no reason to doubt once things started happening.

 

[gattara]

I'm awfully sorry to hear about your loss. Have been through this numerous times, most recently this summer with an 18 year old cat who had gastrointestinal cancer. The pain of losing a pet is ... just beyond words. Again, I am sorry.

 

[FREE866]

So sorry to hear badatmath. My deepest condolences.

 

[Amethyst]

With a cat, you get all the awesomeness of a panther without the danger.

 

[Dreamer]

I am sorry for the loss of your cat.

We went from having 5 cats to losing our last one this past summer. We were on vacation and our son called us stating she was having problems, so we came back home. Four of our cats were 16, 17, 17 and 18 almost 19. It is never easy.

We have been pet free since July. We miss having pets, but don't think that we will get any more. We are afraid that any cat would outlive us.