Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
I have a cat that is dealing with urinary issues. Started yesterday with him straining but nothing coming out. I like many others do not have the $2k that the vet will most likely charge.
**I will take him in tomorrow to have bladder emptied, get antibiotics & anti inflammatory which will be around $300. That I can handle. My question is, what can I do at home to help the situation?
I saw online that apple cider vinegar has been used? Does anyone have any experience with home / natural remedies of any kind?
I do understand that it can be fatal if cats bladder is not relieved because of accumulation of toxins and electrolyte imbalance.
And I know that often we are referred to rescues & animal shelters for options with financial help. But unfortunately all of them in my area are already asking for help from community. And last vey I took a cat to for this recommended euthanasia if couldn’t afford to treat, so I’m also well aware that vets aren’t going to help either.
So is there ANYONE in this community that has experience with homeopathic/ natural remedies that can assist?
I am looking to discuss a possible polyp removal you, Dr. Krista Magnifico. I have an upcoming appointment and have a few questions prior to visit. I have done a lot of research and have found your YouTube to be encouraging and informative. Blake is a 8 month Maine Coon and a lovable, gentle giant. He is otherwise super healthy albeit what looks to potentially be a polyp. I would like to discuss his journey to date and look forward to our upcoming appointment with you.
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out here.
I will do my best to help.
If there is anything we can discuss publicly you can add it here. Or call the clinic and leave your number. Tell them we spoke here and that I asked you to call. We can go over details at that time.
Krista.
Thank you so much Dr. Magnifico. I will surely give your office a call and leave my number. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to schedule a short discussion with you. It has been a long journey with Blake and I am hopeful that we are nearing resolution. I will be talking to you soon.
Dr. Krista, we have sent Blake’s test results and records to your office for your review. We will bring his remaining (paper) records with us and present them to you at our upcoming appointment. His test results, according to his current doctor, did not communicate anything alarming or concerning. Blake did have 2 things that stood out on his test; slight crystals in his urine and his phosphorus was a little high, but ultimately, his doctor did not have any cause for worry per his review.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
I have a friendly boy cat I need someone to foster/quarantine till June unfortunately where we were tnring he was dumped and got into a fight then someone turned him into bcas and because he had a wound here we are. He comes with 200 dollar donation and all supplies needed during quarantine. Please contact me asap. 410967 2976. Pat. Ty for any help
Hello,
Can you send a photo to us at jarrettsvillevet@gmail.Com. Along with a good description. Maybe someone on our Facebook page can help.
My 9 year old Potcake (probably shepherd/lab/etc mix) has a long history of lipomas, which grow fairly large. In late October of 2022 I found a lemon sized mass on the back of his right hind leg, which was not bothering him but was firm. Our vet in Ottawa ON is a VCA practice nearby; I was able to get an appointment the next day. The vet and I were both concerned at the location, size and consistency of the mass.
She recommended an xray of the limb and a chest xray to rule out cancer and metastasis as well as blood work. (all normal) She sedated him for the radiorgraphs and aspirated the mass multiple times with a presumptive diagnosis of lipoma. We discussed the fact that it was probably and inter-muscular lipoma, between the two muscles of the hind leg at the back . To remove it she advised a board certified surgeon elsewhere, who she said would want to do an MRI of the limb first to evaluate the extent of the mass in preparation for surgery. When I expressed concern about the cost she offered a surgeon at the VCA who is not board certified but who may be able to attempt a surgery without the MRI.
Since October the mass has grown, especially medially, and is now the size of a grapefruit. He is still not lame or uncomfortable when I feel the mass. I want to prevent problems for him with this leg but I also worry about the invasiveness of the surgery – and the cost, which I can’t afford right now. I am waiting and watching at this time. I worry about having the mass return even after surgery and wonder about removing the majority of it just to give him more comfort when moving – is it ok to wait until it gets bigger? I know that lipomas don’t tend to spread to other parts of the body like malignant cancer – this is why we took the xrays, to look for other signs of cancer in his body. Now i wonder if this was too soon, and should have waited on those tests.
Hello,
Almost all of the lipomas hat I see are easily removed as they tend to form in a capsule that makes it easy to remove. Usually they can be shelled out without much if any bleeding and other than resolving the issue of left over dead space ( a drain might be needed) they heal quickly and easily. I have seen a few invasive lipomas that seem to form from within the muscle and are embedded within in the adjacent muscle. They do not shell out but often can be “debulked”.
If cost is an issue see if you can find an independent veterinarian who is comfortable and proficient in surgery. I don’t think that many of these cases need or can afford an mri or boarded surgeon. At least in my cases I offer to try to remove and I usually know within a few minutes of surgery if this is going to be a routine lipoma surgery or something else. Talk about options cost and scenarios. Be available by phone while the surgery is taking place and know that it’s ok to both wait and monitor and look for affordable options. Lastly I would recommend you find an independent vet practice and avoid corporate practices as they tend to be more expensive and refer cases to specialists most people struggle to afford.
I hope this helps.
Good luck
thank you for all of the advice, it helps a lot in decision making
I feel every time I need to see a veterinary, no matter how small a problem, I end up spending over $500. How do others afford to take care of their pets? I feel these costs have greatly gone up over the last many years. I understand this is a service that is hard for people to turn down, since our pets are our family. Just like healthcare, food and education. Necessary things in life seem to have the largest markup. Where is the rip off coming from? I read veterinarians are not rich. I understand. So what is the problem? Is it the ownership of the company by someone that is only in it for money and makes all the calls? Opaque costs? Lack of transparency? Why does a checkup to see if there is an ear infection cost $500 even if there is no issue and is just over concern from the parent? Why am I charged $80 for an “exam” that literally has nothing to do with the actual exam for the specific problem that brought me in the first place. Why isn’t it just called a visit fee which is exactly what it is. Is it the business owner? Is it the practice? Is it a field that is able to be exploited due to our love for our family pets? Constantly pissed the F*ck off that veterinaries that I used to frequent for years suddenly change and now cost a car payment or mortgage for every non emergency simple visit.
Hello,
I understand completely. Are you upset enough to want to try to both understand and do something about it? I am. If you are then please share your stories on the storylines section above. I’m hoping to start to build a network of transparent vets with both credibility and integrity who are affordable
Hi… my dog had that dry flaky piece of onion in his mouth last night.. it was small and he only had it in his mouth for a minute until I noticed and took it out… I’m just super scared he’ll get sick.. any advice?
If it wasn’t ingested you have nothing to worry about. The concern is when it’s ingested – depending on the individual dog’s tolerance and the amount ingested it can cause kidney issues.
Hi. My cat has been straining to pee and either getting none out or very little. Took him to ER today. Gave us meds to go home with. They said they “pre emptivly” put a catheter but weren’t charging us for it. It was a $800 bill. Our cat has perf twice since coming home but now it has been a couple hours. Idk what to do next. They quoted us 3500-5000 for his surgery to get unblocked and I cannot afford.
Hello
Call alll of the local vets and rescues/shelters to see if they can recommend someone. Also I have had some success with medication and cold laser therapy. An X-ray yo look for urinary stones in the bladder is also an option. The cats with urinary stones often need a prescription diet. Weight loss and encouraging water intake, or switching to a high quality canned cat food and adding water can also help
Lastly I would like to know which vet clinic you went to by adding your story and the cost of care to the story line section available here.
Let me know what happens
Hi,
My 1 year old lab was taken for neutering. We were aware that he would be a crytorchild situation as his 1 testicle was not descended. VET did check for 2nd testicle by his abdomen incision but couldn’t find the other testis for a long time. N now recommending to go for a higher level ultrasound with a surgeon..to confirm if there is another testicle or not in the body. N then do the next procedure accordingly.
1. Is that possible to have just one testicle in Labrador dog?
2. If its hard to find the undecended testicle via ultra sound, can we take plan B – the visible n descended testicle is removed n then blood test is done in 4 -5 months for testosterone hormones in blood if anything changes to be sure if there is another testicle in body?
Youemf valuable inputs are much appreciated
Thanks mahesh
Hello?
I am not a reproductive specialist. But I think your vet can ask their lab services rep about progesterone checks or go get an ultrasound or refer to a surgeon for help. These cases can be frustrating but it is really important to make sure a testicle was not left behind in the abdomen.
Misha, 5 years next month, German shepherd, either pulled it strained her left hindquarter. Today is Monday. Vet can’t see her till Friday. I hate that she’s in pain, is there anything I can do? There is no bony deformity, can walk, steps are a struggle. I just need to be able to help her!
Hello,
You can rest her. Or go to the ER. Or call your vet and ask for pain management assistance until you can be seen.
Thank you! Already asked for pain management, I was told “not without seeing her” it’s a catch 22. She’s walking, can go down steps now, very hard to walk up them, but she’s so stubborn! Making her rest, hoping it helps
Crate rest and support her hind end (if you don’t have an appropriate harness, a rolled towel works in a pinch) when going up and down stairs.
So far today, she seems to be able to move fine on a flat surface – we have NO squirrels, birds, or cats in our garden! It’s UP stairs, which she can do, but very slowly, at least she’s not screaming now.
She was talking these 5 steps in 1 or 2 leaps until now.
She is fine with the right side being touched, but not the left. She is resting, apparently almost pain free on her cushion by the TV, and seeing off seagulls on the state farm commercial.
By now you probably have an idea of her personality. She’s very opinionated, drama queen, who thinks vets and vet techs are snack food.
hi! my dog is a 3m old shepherd mix and she was attacked by another dog, she has multiple fractures in her jaw. I was referred by Dr. Trout to UPenn but they’re quoting 6-10k and I just dont have it, I’m very young so no one will lend to me and rescues that I’d contacted basically said they would euthanize because of the costly procedure, shes only a baby and I really want to save her, is there any financial aid for hardships like this anyone can recommend? Dr Trout said to get in contact with Dr. Magnifico and her practice referred me here to get in contact with
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear about your pup. I spoke to two of the vets who are taking care of your dog to try to get a better idea of what kind of injured there are. This is absolutely imperative to try to formulate the cost of treatment. In some cases a broken bone can be more affordably managed by a splint or cast IF very very!!! strict cage rest is implemented for the 6-8 weeks that it takes for a bone to heal. But your pup has a brown jaw which needs to be stabilized very quickly so your dog can go back to eating normally. We don’t have weeks to see if it heals.
The degree of injury is so severe that a surgeon (an expert and not a regular surgeon like me or other vets) is needed. We have no margin of error to oaky with. UPenn had the best of the best and that’s why you are being sent there. They are not a rescue or non profit. If you don’t have the ability to pay for this (provably over $5,000) then your options are very limited. There are some pet care financial services like a credit card, care credit, go fund me , selling items, or asking friends and family. If those aren’t options I strongly recommend you look into rescues you can surrender her to so she can be treated and find a home. Otherwise there is only suffering with a very badly injured mouth where she may never be able to eat or euthanasia.
In cases like this I know it’s hard but if anyone will take her and take care of her I urge you to let her go to them.
As a personal note I will offer this. Before I went to vet school o found a puppy walking on the street in Balt Maryland. I had her for two days while I tried ti find her family. On day three she became very sick. So sick she needed to go to the er. I was 21. She came up positive for Parvo. The er bill was $200. The estimate to care for her was $3,000. Which I didn’t have. It killed me to have her put down. KILLED. so much so that I decided then and there I would never be in that position again. I went to vet school 8 years later. If anyone has offered to care for her I would have been so grateful. But no one did. Or would in those days. Sick puppies were everywhere.
I wish you the best.
If no one will take her call my clinic jarrettsville Veterinary Center. I will see if I can get a rescue to take her.
Krista.
Hello,
I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. And all of the others in his situation.
I do not have any experience with apple cider and honestly I am too worried about what is likely already going on with your cat to try to advise anything else other then the er.
I’m working really hard to accumulate a list of affordable places and options. Please let me know if you find anyone locally. Please keep calling everyone and everywhere.
If all else fails offer to surrender your cat to get the care he needs. I know it’s not fair but it’s better to save his life.
Keep me appraised of what happens.
Best of luck