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#11
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Bloated kitty....
"FaeryKitten12187" u19346@uwe wrote in message news:5cd254f46bc92@uwe... Niel Humphreys wrote: My cat is about 11 and 1/2 years old, and in very good shape. She looks healthy and acts healthy as well. About a year ago she seemed to ba having [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] please reply!! Thank you!! Never fails to amaze me how many people can tell there is something wrong yet come on here asking instead of doing the obvious and taking the poor animal to the vet. Not exactly rocket science is it? so people are a little worried and don't have the money to go and have x-rays and surgery done, when there is a possiblity that there is nothing wrong. I'm 18 and cannot afford surgery if that's the route i'm following, so i wanna see if anyone HELPFUL has any advice. Obviously you don't think of the person on the other end of things.... Only a vet can possibly answer the question you raised, and it is obvious that your cat needs to see a vet ASAP. Something like this simply cannot be diagnosed at a distance. I realize that it may seem that we are taking the easy out by telling you to see a vet (and that others with financial problems have felt the same way when confronted with that advice), but it is really the *only* way out if you want to help your pet. Many of us really *do* understand the economic difficulties this entails, but our cats are part of our families, and we take care of them just as we would take care of other family members. I am fortunate that I do not need to worry about moderate expenses, but I did at one time. Believe me, I have not forgotten what it was like to worry about even the smallest of expenses. I got my first cat when I was a graduate student and soon found that he was seriously ill. I had barely enough money to live on and certainly could not have considered any luxuries such as a car (*any* car). So, I took my cat in a carrier on the public bus, transferred to the route that took me closest to the vet, and then walked several blocks while carrying the carrier. I made this trip several times over the next several weeks. My cat needed surgery, and I had no money at all. I didn't even have a credit card in those days, but I made arrangements with the vet to pay the bill on time. It took me a very long time to make all the monthly payments, and I then ate maccaroni and cheese several times a week so I could afford the specialized diet my cat needed. Well, it was worth it!! He lived to be almost 20 and was my wonderful friend and companion. So, yes, I do think of the person on the other end of things even when I say, "Go to a vet." However, that is the only reasonable advice in a case like this. Please make whatever arrangements are necessary and take your cat for an examination. You may even find that the problem is minor and that it will cost far less to control at an early stage than to let it progress. Either way, you owe it to your friend to do what you can. MaryL |
#12
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Bloated kitty....
"FaeryKitten12187" u19346@uwe wrote in message news:5cd27b2c39bd0@uwe... cybercat wrote: so people are a little worried and don't have the money to go and have x-rays and surgery done, when there is a possiblity that there is nothing wrong. I'm 18 and cannot afford surgery if that's the route i'm following, so i wanna see if anyone HELPFUL has any advice. Obviously you don't think of the person on the other end of things.... The most HELPFUL thing, as you know, is to take the animal to a vet. You'd find the money if it were for something else. A checkup is what, $25? Use your head, and for God's sake don't go on the offensive when you are in the wrong. It's your cat, take care of it. Or is it that it is only a cat, so worthy of a few Usenet posts but not the price of a CD? my cat means a lot to me and if it came down to it i'd sell my car and all my belongings to take care of her, i'm just affraid of what i'll hear in response. the last thing i want is to loose her. I printed a reply just before I saw this message. Please do not let your fear prevent you from seeking the care that is needed. Many people have made that same mistake, both for themselves and for their pets. The irony is that the problem is often something that *could* have been treated but became untreatable because of delay. So, despite your fear (which is *very* understandable), please take your cat to a vet *tomorrow.* MaryL |
#13
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Bloated kitty....
The old maxim, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," is
certainly the case when it comes to senior adult cats. a quote on Phil's site it is so true What do you expect no offense this is a usernet forum not a ask a vet advice forum. Vets won't do this for the same reason doctor's won't do this malpractice. Now I am going to write a response it is not to be taken as rude, flaming you, belittling you or dressing you down. I am a very blunt writer, speaker and tell it how it is. If the truth hurts that is your hang up I always say :-) The reason people are saying this to you is that you have obviously discovered a problem that needs a vet visit. If your vet missed this while the examination occurred. It is time to learn to speak up about the problem or find a new vet. Just because they are a vet does not mean they know what they are doing. When it comes to caring for an cat; they are notorious for hiding the fact they are sick. I don't mean to be rude but Personally if I can't lay my hands on the cat, my eyes or observe the cat there is no way to know. Blood works needs to be done a stool sample examined. I can think of 10 reason right now that could be the problem that would only require medication. I can also think of 10 reason that would require major medical procedures. Here are some examples food allergies, parasitic infection, distended adomen, blockage in the intestines, diabetes, kidney stones, fluid on the lungs so many things can be named. Your cat is almost 12 do you know how old that is in human terms? He is over 60 years of age http://diabellalovescats.com/agechart.htm http://www.bettycat.com/home/ages.html http://www.geocities.com/catcare2000/agecat.htm Now the part about you being 18! Your point is? You took on the responsibility of having a pet as you being an adult. Treat your pet as a child both need to go to the doctor when they are sick. If you can't afford vet care there are plenty of places that help out people in need of financial assistance contact your local animal society. FYI I am not being an a@@ here but you realize that if there is a problem with your cat and you don't get medical treatment you are committing a crime and the excuse of not having financial backing will not fly with any judge or animal control officer. You might love your cat but if you can't afford to take care of it. You need to find help to. Can you find someone to help out such as your parents or guardians. Your cat is an older cat and problems are going to arise more with an older cat such as teeth cleaning, adult senior nutrition requirements, possible more vets visit due to age. There is a lot to consider right now I am not going to be one of the ones to say get rid of it. You obviously care if you are taking care of a 12 year old cat. BUT A VET VISIT IS A NECESSITY for this incident. Almost any vet will work out payment plans with you if not find another vet that will. If you have any questions I and others will gladly help out if I can here is some reading from Phil's site http://www.maxshouse.com/caring_for_your_older_cat.htm and others about older cat care http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/catg...iatriccats.htm Matthew "FaeryKitten12187" u19346@uwe wrote in message news:5cd254f46bc92@uwe... Niel Humphreys wrote: My cat is about 11 and 1/2 years old, and in very good shape. She looks healthy and acts healthy as well. About a year ago she seemed to ba having [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] please reply!! Thank you!! Never fails to amaze me how many people can tell there is something wrong yet come on here asking instead of doing the obvious and taking the poor animal to the vet. Not exactly rocket science is it? so people are a little worried and don't have the money to go and have x-rays and surgery done, when there is a possiblity that there is nothing wrong. I'm 18 and cannot afford surgery if that's the route i'm following, so i wanna see if anyone HELPFUL has any advice. Obviously you don't think of the person on the other end of things.... |
#14
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Bloated kitty....
"FaeryKitten12187" u19346@uwe wrote in message news:5cd27b2c39bd0@uwe... cybercat wrote: so people are a little worried and don't have the money to go and have x-rays and surgery done, when there is a possiblity that there is nothing wrong. I'm 18 and cannot afford surgery if that's the route i'm following, so i wanna see if anyone HELPFUL has any advice. Obviously you don't think of the person on the other end of things.... The most HELPFUL thing, as you know, is to take the animal to a vet. You'd find the money if it were for something else. A checkup is what, $25? Use your head, and for God's sake don't go on the offensive when you are in the wrong. It's your cat, take care of it. Or is it that it is only a cat, so worthy of a few Usenet posts but not the price of a CD? my cat means a lot to me and if it came down to it i'd sell my car and all my belongings to take care of her, i'm just affraid of what i'll hear in response. the last thing i want is to loose her. Well good!! Not everyone feels that way. Take her in the morning. (Also, every good deed you do comes back to you with things ten times as good--especially things you do for little creatures that depend upon you.) You could have her for ten more years. Bloating can be a sign of something serious that has a simple and cheap solution--could be constipation! |
#15
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Bloated kitty....
Now I say after the fact when I posted that you are scared what is
going to happen or what you are going to hear. It is a scary thought process. every time I take my 6 year old eplilptic cat into the vet for his problems I braces myself for having to may have to put him to sleep. That is my biggest fear that I will have put down a friend that I love as much as life it self tears shed thinking about this But here is somethng to ponder what if you find out something later that you could have fixed earlier. The guilt would eat people alive. There are so many thing that could be wrong. So many simple things that it could possibly be easliy treated. Please take the furball to the vet to find out. Please let us know out here was the results were. When we know what the problem is there are plenty of us out here that have years of experince in working with cats ( not as vets thou) We will gladly help out how we can When you go into the vet remember to do the flollowing 1 Take a stool sample 2 Talk to the vet about what you have observed behavior such as eating and litter box use. 3 If the cat has been in any pain or acting oddly tell them the small things can be the victory in diagnoses 4 DON"T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS bring a note pad ask anything and write it down the procedures and responses. a informed pet owner is a smart pet owner 5 You know how much the vet initial visit will be up front. If they want to do any prcedure inform them you are on a budget and is there anything that can be done naturaly first. If surgery is required GET A SECOND OPINION FIRST unless you trust your vet completely If you got any questions PLEASE ASK Good luck purrs and huggs for the furball Matthew |
#16
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Bloated kitty....
FaeryKitten12187 wrote: so people are a little worried and don't have the money to go and have x-rays and surgery done, when there is a possiblity that there is nothing wrong. I'm 18 and cannot afford surgery if that's the route i'm following, so i wanna see if anyone HELPFUL has any advice. Obviously you don't think of the person on the other end of things.... The problem is that your cat cannot be evaluated and examined over the internet. I'm sure you're well aware that having a pet is a lifetime responsibility, and that it does cost money. Perhaps you can go to a family member for a loan, or work out a payment plan with the vet. Clearly what you have posted here indicates a more serious problem that we can help you with. Please try to get your cat to a vet as soon as possible so she doesn't suffer . |
#17
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Bloated kitty....
cybercat wrote: The most HELPFUL thing, as you know, is to take the animal to a vet. You'd find the money if it were for something else. A checkup is what, $25? Use your head, and for God's sake don't go on the offensive when you are in the wrong. It's your cat, take care of it. Or is it that it is only a cat, so worthy of a few Usenet posts but not the price of a CD? or the price of internet access sigh |
#18
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Bloated kitty....
"FaeryKitten12187" u19346@uwe wrote in message news:5cd0dba4fb3b8@uwe... My cat is about 11 and 1/2 years old, and in very good shape. She looks healthy and acts healthy as well. About a year ago she seemed to ba having problems eating and was very thin and hardly seemed to eat, that did get better on it's own and she seemed to be fine again. Lately i've noticed she has gotten very fat, but when i feel her stomach she feels bloated. She cannot be pregnant because she was fixed when she was about 2. So i've ruled that out. I was thinking that maybe she just started eating a lot, but i NEVER see her eat, and even when she does, she only eats a few bites then walks away. Is there something wrong with her????? Guesses won't do your or cat any good whatsoever. Have her check by a vet. Older cats should see a vet at least twice a year. |
#19
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Bloated kitty....
"FaeryKitten12187" u19346@uwe wrote in message news:5cd27b2c39bd0@uwe...
cybercat wrote: so people are a little worried and don't have the money to go and have x-rays and surgery done, when there is a possiblity that there is nothing wrong. I'm 18 and cannot afford surgery if that's the route i'm following, so i wanna see if anyone HELPFUL has any advice. Obviously you don't think of the person on the other end of things.... The most HELPFUL thing, as you know, is to take the animal to a vet. You'd find the money if it were for something else. A checkup is what, $25? Use your head, and for God's sake don't go on the offensive when you are in the wrong. It's your cat, take care of it. Or is it that it is only a cat, so worthy of a few Usenet posts but not the price of a CD? my cat means a lot to me and if it came down to it i'd sell my car and all my belongings to take care of her, i'm just affraid of what i'll hear in response. the last thing i want is to loose her. Oh, I see. So you think that if your cat has something life threatening and you ignore it then it will go away and be miraculously cured? - but if you take the pet to a vet you will have to pay for a cure or hopefully just a basic check up. Come on, I can't believe anyone is this stupid! -- Niel H |
#20
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Bloated kitty....
FaeryKitten12187 wrote: my cat means a lot to me and if it came down to it i'd sell my car and all my belongings to take care of her, i'm just affraid of what i'll hear in response. the last thing i want is to loose her. You won't know til you take her to the vet. It could be bad news, or it could be something very simple. For example, when Maynard was 9 or 10 years old, he had a lump growing on his side. It felt like half a grape, just behind his shoulder. I was terrified he had cancer. I rushed him to the vet, expecting them to do a biopsy which would have to be sent out. Expensive, and a bad waiting game. I was lucky. They did a biopsy, and their first test was a simple look under the microscope. What was it? Fat. In a weird spot, on a very lean cat. Unusual, but certainly no harm. It cost me $22, and I went home totally relieved and happy. Same cat, last May. His ears were yellow. I knew that was a liver issue, and I took him to the vet right away. But this was more serious, and it's usually too late when the skin turns yellow. In this case, the tests were expensive, and the news was bad. But I had 3 days to try some medication, and I got to spend some special time with him and say good bye. And he didn't suffer. He was still eating and acting normally when I discovered his yellow ears. So, even though I could not cure him, I was able to spare him a long suffering death. Maynard died a week and a half before his 19th birthday. In both cases, a trip the vet was in order. And even though the results were bad in the second example, I was still relieved to know what I was facing, and to know that I was doing what needed to be done. My only regret is that I wasn't doing twice yearly bloodwork on him. I thought once a year was enough, and I was wrong. Now, to your specific case. There are lots of simple easily fixed problems (constipation, hairballs, etc) and several more serious diseases. No way to know without a vet check. You may come home very relieved with a very relieved cat. You may have some tough times ahead of you. Either way, you will feel better when you know what it is, and have some kind of action plan. You will find that worrying is usually much harder than facing reality, even when reality is what you were worried about. It just seems easier to deal with it, once you know what "it" is. I took Kira in a few weeks ago. She had some growling sessions with sensitive belly a couple times. Once, she felt bloated. Once I thought I felt a mass. Both times, I massaged her, and that helped. But I was still very worried that she might have a tumor or something. She had also vomitted a couple times. The vet did a check, felt no bloating or masses at that time. He determined that it was most likely a hairball I had felt, and that she was having a harder time passing hariballs, which is common in older cats. She is also 11 1/2 years old. He prescribed a hairball remedy, and she has been doing great ever since. Hopefully, it is something that simple. If so, you and your kitty will be feeling better right away. |
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