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Jack | 4 weeks ago
What Is The Cost To Remove Polyps In A Cats Nose ?

What is the cost to remove polyps in a cats nose ?

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Parham | 1 month ago
Hello All, I Wanted To Follow Up On My Question About Mercury From Two Months Ago. …

Hello all,

I wanted to follow up on my question about Mercury from two months ago. He had been suffering from recurring urinary blockages, and after several ER visits, I scheduled him for a PU surgery at The Bridge Clinic, a non-profit vet hospital in Bensalem and Philadelphia. The surgery was done on Aug 14th, and the surgeon recommended doing the PU first to see if the stones would pass naturally, which they did. The surgery cost me $1,181.

Unfortunately, the issues didn’t end there. Mercury seemed to recover for about three weeks, but then he started frequenting the litter box and peeing only small amounts, sometimes not at all. He also began peeing outside the litter box and seemed very uncomfortable, especially at night, so I took him for a follow-up on Sep 12th. An X-ray and urinalysis were negative for stones or infections, but crystals were found, leading to a diagnosis of FIC/FLUTD. They suggested Gabapentin for pain and more water fountains and litter boxes (this visit cost $191).

Despite following their advice, Mercury’s issues persisted, so I scheduled another appointment on Sep 19th. The vet confirmed FLUTD and suspected a possible infection at the surgical site, so he received a Convenia and Buprenorphine injection (visit cost: $134). Still, no improvement.

I then took him to his primary vet at Telford on Oct 3rd, where they suspected a different bacterial infection and prescribed Clavamoxin, though I declined a urine culture due to cost (this vist was $170). I also put him on a strict urinary diet (he was on dryMetabolic Urinary food and regular wet food which I diluted with water). He showed some improvement, but then, last Monday, he seemed blocked again. After giving him Amitriptyline, he was able to urinate, and Telford said their only recomendation is a urine culture, and they don’t have any time to see him that week, so I reluctantly agreed to. (Urine culture + 7 Amitriptyline + 14 Clavamoxine was $323), today the results from the culture came back clean, meaning I spent $273 for nothing.

What’s frustrating is that I haven’t spoken to the vet directly since the first visit, only through techs and nurses, and I’m running out of time and money. Mercury is still in pain and struggling to urinate, and I don’t know what else to do.

So if you have any insight or recommendations to what I should do next please let me know because I am at my wits end and have no idea what to do. (I’ve attached the visit’s summaries and the receipt from my last time at Telford to this post)

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I applaud your dedication and devotion and on your cat. I’m sorry it has been such a long and arduous road.

    I’m sorry but I also think these cases need lots of time to resolve. They are usually complicated and multifactorial. So expecting or hoping for a quick resolution is often not feasible.

    I do think that it is hard to manage a budget and a complicated case. I don’t know if anyone has done xrays or an ultrasound but these are also still on the list of possible places to look for your answer. If you are running right on funds than lean harder on pain medication and anxiety medication.

    I like long term gabapentin and fluoxetine. I also offer lots of options in the litter and litter box department. I like a big, shallow uncovered box with potting soil, or play sand. Don’t remove what you have just add something like this and see which box they choose to use. Also add anything that you can to help keep him relaxed and calm.

    I also like feliway and lots and lots of toys.

    I hope this helps. Please let us know how things are going.

    Good luck
    Krista.

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Maryam | 1 month ago
Hello All, I Posted On Here Earlier This Year Asking For Some Advice About My Cat …

Hello all,

I posted on here earlier this year asking for some advice about my cat who had a very advanced cryptococcosis infection.
Her right lymph node (submandibular) was swollen the entire time, and the left one but to a lesser degree.

She developed anisocoria and horners syndrome, droopy right eye, and she had a mass that felt like bone on top of her eye.
The anisocoria disappeared after 3 days and her pupils were entirely normal again.

Things escalated last week. Her nose has always been blocked, to various degrees, since she developed the symptoms, 1.5 years ago, but it seemed like she was able to get enough air in with some gasping and mouth breathing. I didn’t know how comfortable she was, but I had to try the last recommendation the vet suggested: 150mg of fluconazole a day. She was on this massive dose for 3 months. (4 kg cat)
Previously, she was on 37.5mg for 6 months, her nose and lesions cleared up and she was able to breathe again (most importantly!)
But, in March, a big lump (cryptococcosis mass) exploded into an abscess. It wouldn’t heal. The vet performed surgery to remove it and other lesions nearby. It was an eyesore, I felt so bad for her. She had a cone on for nearly 3 weeks because the suture area got a bit infected. Raised her fluconazole dose to 75mg a day.

Last week, her nose got much more inflamed and distorted very rapidly. It began bleeding and ulcerating, drying up and then bleeding repeatedly.
She looked so uncomfortable and basically slept all day in various positions to keep her head elevated. When near me or when sleeping with me at night, she’d clamp onto my arm or neck with her teeth to keep her mouth open so she could breathe and fall asleep. I can’t fathom how difficult it was to sleep having to make a conscious effort to get air in through her mouth. I understand cats are not “mouth breathers” and can’t fully relax that way.

I took her in to see her vet, 11 days ago, after noticing blood on her paw, and no wound. The vet looked inside her mouth and looked said the fungus was pushing through her soft palate (roof of mouth) into her front teeth. She recommended euthanasia and said she was not going to “get better” in her professional opinion. And that my cat was suffering and it wasn’t ok, I asked outright if her quality of life was ok. She said no. My cat had lost 1 kg since her last visit. This also factored into the vet’s recommendation.

The vet was ready to put my cat to sleep at the time of our consult, but I requested some time to digest and take her home to say goodbye.
Then, 4 days later, I took her in for euthanasia. I wish I had canceled. Am I wrong to feel that she should have died on her own terms?
What she had was like a breathing disability, in other ways she was a strong and vital cat. She was still eating, though appetite decrease by 30 or 40%.
Why did her nose not clear up (while the cutaneous lesions cleared) and in fact get worse after 3 months on a higher dose?
I’m so devastated and confused and wish I could have done more to save her life.
I felt selfish for letting her live this way, knowing there was no hope and I’d just be prolonging the inevitable (probably suffocation).
I am in so much pain recollecting what’s happened.

I wish I had kept her at home and only taken for euthanasia if she had collapsed and refused to eat. Taking her in to have her put down when she still asked to be fed, showed playfulness in some moments, trotting around when it was food time, it felt hasty but also inevitable. I felt I was saving her from experiencing more suffering as the fungus grew.
But, I will never know how it would have gone if I left her. Maybe nature would have performed a miracle, and she would heal, or she would die without my intervention and without pain (like a quick heart attack). I feel so terrible for having made the choice to snuff out her little life when she was still very strong.
She fought the sedative the vet gave, they took her back to insert a catheter and didn’t bring her to me until 40 mins later, saying she was fighting the sedative.
It pains my heart thinking she was in terror during her last hour on earth. When they carried her in, sedated, she looked absolutely petrified and braced. I could see her spirit fighting with all its might.

The vet told me that she had a more thorough examination of her nose and that the masses had hardened/were like concrete all through her nasal airway and that she was breathing through a “pin prick” hole. She said she was never more certain that euthanasia was the right choice.

I am so heartbroken. I still feel like I took her life away too early. Why should it be up to me? I can barely trust myself now.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Based on your description and the photos I feel about as confident as I could that this was a cancer in the nose/face/brain and that you did the right thing.

    No matter how much money you would have had, or how many specialists you could have brought her to she was not able to survive or get better with this.

    I am so sorry. I do believe you did everything you could have and that your cat was so lucky to have had someone who loved her as much as you did.

    Sending love and condolences.
    Krista.

    1. Maryam Post author

      Thank you for your input, Dr Krista!

      It never occurred to me that it might be cancer. She had a biopsy done last year (for the cutaneous lesions) and it came back positive for cryptococcosis. They didn’t want to touch her nose or interfere with it, since it was so sensitive. Once she was on fluconazole, her nose response (clearing up) was so rapid, within 3 weeks all the crust, nasal bridge disfigurement and inflammation had virtually disappeared. She was breathing well. That was on 37.5 mg a day.
      When she developed a big ulcer on her side, and then later her nose starting to inflame and ulcerate again, I felt so solemn about it all. Previously she was in what appeared to be a “stall” state with her nose. Upping the dose did not do a thing, imo. It continued to worsen.

      Could it have been fungal AND cancerous? My theory was the fungus developed resistance to the meds, and also was far too embedded to loosen its grip. In months past, I looked up nasal cancer to get an idea what that looks like but it didn’t seem to fit her. Also looking it up because I was so worried about her not being able to get air in, and whether this was humane, while we searched for a cure. Cryptococcosis cases in cats are not well documented online. I have not yet found one where the cat’s nose was so blocked up, from nostrils all the way up, like hers was.

      She was very loved, I am amazed at her resilience and that is what also hurts. She was so intense and sensitive, with immense all-round hardiness. It really felt that whatever was afflicting her was not going away.

      Thank you for your reassurance. I felt I took her life too soon, and also concerned she was not comfortable. It’s challenging to separate what I want and see her /the situation objectively and compassionately.

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Jean | 1 month ago
Almost 2-yr-old Pomeranian. Broke Her Leg 9 Days Ago. Has Been Splinted Twice (she Got The 1st …

Almost 2-yr-old pomeranian. Broke her leg 9 days ago. Has been splinted twice (she got the 1st one off).

Vets are pushing surgery. We’ve already put almost $3k into her treatment. Surgery estimate is up to $10k which is way above doable, even with CareCredit.

We want to do what is best for her. My question is – what is the chance she can heal properly without surgery. When do we decide if she is definitely not healing properly ?

Current xrays are uploaded.

Thank you for any advice !

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Summer | 2 months ago
My Border Collie 2 Years Old Recently Started Staring At Shadows. She Will Just Sit And Stare …

My border collie 2 years old recently started staring at shadows. She will just sit and stare for hours. When the light moves and the shadow is in a different spot she will move with it. What could be going on? I can’t get her to play or cuddle or anything once she starts staring.
I took her to the vet for bloodwork and everything came back normal.

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  1. Laura

    This sounds like an obsessive behavior. I would be working on training and mental work daily in the hopes this can be curbed.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I would also ask your vet about the possibility of focal seizures and whether a referral to a neurologist might be helpful.

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Sandy | 2 months ago
What Products, If Any, Can You Recommend For A Dog That Is Urine Marking In The …

What products, if any, can you recommend for a dog that is urine marking in the house.

A little background which I think is important.. My grandson adopted 2 dogs a couple of years ago from Tall Tails Rescue about a year apart. They were both very shy with strangers (almost fearful) but have come around somewhat. Back in May my grandson had to move back home and lives in the lower level of the house. Leo and Diesel have adapted well thanks to my daughter who has gotten them into a routine. However, Diesel is urine marking in the house. Right now there is only one recliner downstairs because Diesel chewed the sofa down to the frame. He has also chewed blankets and an area of her wood molding.

I guess I should mention that he is a hound dog (not sure if pure bred) and he is neutered. He has been checked by a vet and there does not appear be anything wrong with him physically. Not sure if this is important but both dogs are by themselves for a good part of the day. My granddaughter lets them out at lunch time before going to college.

Diesel obviously has a behavior problem and probably needs professional help which they cannot afford at this time.

In the interim do you have any suggestions?

Are any of the otc products effective (either plug-ins, supplements, etc.)?

Thank you

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  1. Laura

    Is he marking or is he emptying his bladder? If the former, that’s a training issue. I would go back to square 1 with housebreaking – leash him to a person when he isn’t crated, and take him out every hour. When he cannot be supervised, he should be crated. Reward the desired behavior and correct any signals that he’s going to mark. With him leashed to a person, he can’t wander off to mark anywhere, and any unwanted behavior should be much easier to prevent.

    If he’s emptying his bladder, that could be a urinary problem, and he should be checked out.

    Regarding the other naughty behavior, I’ll bet he’s bored. He should be getting daily mental and physical work. Again, crate to prevent unwanted behaviors when unsupervised.

    For either situation, clean all areas with enzyme cleaner. Nature’s Miracle has worked well for us.

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Genesis | 2 months ago
Hello! I Was Listening To A Lecture On Animal Nutrition, And It Brought Up The Topic …

Hello! I was listening to a lecture on animal nutrition, and it brought up the topic of grain-free diets. I used to feed my dogs the blue wilderness grain free diet. But is grain free safe for my dog? Should my dogs have grain in their diet? They are currently eating team dog and that has grains in it. Thank you!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I avoid grain free. I don’t think there is likely any benefit to it while there is still a risk of heart issues. So I just don’t recommend it. Why worry about something that is avoidable?

  2. Laura

    There appears to be a link between diets using legumes to boost protein and dilated cardiomyopathy. Whatever you feed, I would avoid anything with peas or other legumes high in the ingredient list.

    Furthermore, if I’m feeding kibble, I have seen actual stool changes between grain free and grain inclusive. The latter seems to produce smaller, more solid stool than the former. My dogs have all done better on grain inclusive. I have found Purina’s Pro Plan to be the best for my specific dog’s gut – she has had almost no loose stool since we started her on it.

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Nikki | 2 months ago
My Dogs Eye Keeps Getting Gooped Shut. I’ve Had Many Dog In My Life And …

My dogs eye keeps getting gooped shut. I’ve had many dog in my life and never seen this, reminds my of pink eye in people but his eyes aren’t pink. I’m going to call the vet tomorrow I thought it was maybe allergies at first with the weather changing but now I’m thinking it’s something more…. Anybody have any ideas?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I do think the vet visit is the best idea. Someone needs to look at the eye (get the eyelids to open just enough to allow a visualization of the cornea) to see if that is the source of the problem. You also need some pain meds and an ophthalmic antibiotic I think. Please go asap. Damage to the cornea can have serious consequences, including loss of vision, and they can get very bad very quickly.

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Josh | 2 months ago
Hello, Firstly Thank You For Making This Site And Sharing Your Message And Trying To Help …

Hello, firstly thank you for making this site and sharing your message and trying to help both Vets and pet owners do better by and for their sake.
The cold weather in Oregon is setting in, I attached some photos I hope help. I’m trying to figure out the best way to identify and treat this issue.
The following are my observations of the marks located at the base of the tail areas side and underside only, surface level circular with some being slightly more crater like. Hair loss and area effects remain the same after what feels like over a month already. Plasma is typical puss in 2 or so spots, no swelling since first observed till present day, skin near effected area looks okay, over grooming of the area likely but not believing this is a source of pain. We live in a farm setting he is a stray I will watch over like my own and treat as such, I’m not against funding anything from big or small for his care but he’s strictly outdoor hunter and sometimes I wont see him for days. Would be most appreciative to any insight in what this might be or how I can help, likewise if there is a wound spray or dewormer I could purchase he is 100% outdoors and I see no signs of worms but he drinks from bird bath dishes. He will allow me to handle him but only so much I’d be much more worried when his patience runs out. I’d say he weighs about 15 pounds and overall health and appearance / dental is amazing. I always offer him a safe clean area and access to the property I will be buying a breakaway collar with a GPS tracker for him, he’s a farm cat my neighbor and me watch after. Would this be something to just give more time to mend? or should I step in and apply or seek help. Thank you! I will 100% be doing a donation, really wish more Vets were like you or highlighted in the community.

EDIT, the donation link via paypal says this is indelible, you can click 1-2 photos below that say Ads to be redirected to those to donate, if you have a place in mind please add it to the response I’d be happy to donate to your place of choice.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    Thank you for taking care of this kitty. It sounds like he really needs to have a friend in his corner.

    I think that a few things are really important to discuss. One, although the skin wounds are concerning I think that too often pet parents are focused on an exterior (often transient and benign things), and forget about all of the immensely important things going on in the inside. Like, is this cat spayed, neutered or vaccinated? These are the absolute foundations for a healthy pet.

    I also think that your vet can help you understand if this is a parasite issue like fleas?
    I wish I could tell you that this is and give you the answer to help it get better, but, medicine isn’t just looking at a picture. It is about helping the pet from the inside and out.
    I think that you need help from a vet. I think this cat needs to be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. I also think they need an antibiotic and a product to help with fleas.

    Good luck.

    1. Josh Post author

      I will search for a Vet office and bring him in for some treatment or an ER clinic for results. Glad I’m he does not have flees presently, as I comb him and check with flea combs. Those things are terrible as for infestations go and I love Food Grade DiatomaceousEarth for getting rid of that mess. My neighbor is a farmer who lives offsite and does not visit, more or less he picked up this cat some years ago and it only gets put in doors when they spray chemicals on the crops. I was worried with cold weather approaching and any injuries present much less bald spots like this. They either seen this on his tail by now or would have got him help. In his words he is just a friendly stray, pretty sure he is fixed but I will bring him in and get everything covered. He will be okay though I will make sure of it just wanted to get some insight on this. Could be days or sometimes a week or two before I see him day or night, but I will always watch for him and over him. Thanks again for your time and care you give in this field. The donation links did not work for me paypal related / sign up email Have a great day, take care.

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john | 2 months ago
Hi, I Have A Male Cat (Mugzy) Less Than 2 Years Old With A Broken / Dislocated Right …

Hi, I have a male cat (Mugzy) less than 2 years old with a broken / dislocated right hind leg, he was probably hit by a car. After his injury he was removed from a colony and taken to a vet. digital scans were taken of his leg. Aside from this injury he appears to be in good health. The injury occurred approximately 2 months ago and he had gone missing for 1 month before he reappeared. The veterinarian recommended the leg be amputated at the hip. He has good blood circulation in his leg and foot and is coping well despite his injury. My question is can surgery restore partial mobility to his leg as an alternative to removing his leg ? See pics. Appreciate your opinion. John

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    That’s a pretty significant injury. It looks like the hip is dislocated and the femur is broken at the knee. For the hip you could talk about an FHO surgery as a good option to keep the leg, and stay functional without pain, but the knee needs to be addressed. I’m not sure how to manage that without help from a surgeon.

    I always recommend a second opinion before making the decision to amputate but this has to be done in person with a vet. It cannot be done safely online via a photo alone.

    Good luck.