Hi, I'm brand new here and am posting in hopes that someone can offer comfort or advice.
I took my 5-year-old cat Sophie to the vet Thursday after she spent the morning vomiting. She didn't seem super interested in her food that morning but ate a little, and then vomited it back up, followed by intermittent periods of throwing up clear or foamy fluid.
The vet felt her abdomen, took X-rays and found nothing abnormal. They gave her fluids under the skin and a dose of anti-nausea medication and sent her home.
She was very lethargic and wouldn't eat last night, but the vet had warned me both were side effects of the anti-nausea meds. But this morning she still wouldn't eat and was still lethargic so I took her back in. The vet took follow-up X-rays and did a full lab workup. The bloodwork came back normal and the X-rays showed that Sophie was severely constipated, so they did an enema on her to relieve that and gave her more fluids. They sent her home with oral anti-nausea meds that are also supposed to stimulate appetite.
Once she got home she slept for awhile and then vomited again. The vomit was all clear liquid and some whole, undigested treats that she ate at the vet's office yesterday. I gave her the dosage of the oral anti-nausea meds but she still had no interest in food. I gave her some critical care food with a syringe and now she is sleeping. She doesn't seem herself, at all, but she doesn't seem to be in any pain, either, though I know that cats are masters of disguising that.
I'm panicking because I have spent some time on Google and am terrified that she has an intestinal obstruction. I called the emergency vet and they of course recommended bringing her in, where they'll run a barium X-ray series for an estimated cost of $500-900.
My regular vet is going to call tomorrow to check on Sophie and I really would prefer to wait until I speak to her. If it is a blockage she will need surgery and I can't afford or justify going to the ER vet and spending $900 just for them to confirm that she then needs a $2,000 surgery. That would be a stretch for me anyway but after a $900 diagnostic test there is no way I would be able to do it.
I know those types of statements tend to be hot-button among pet owners, myself included. I want to justify them by saying that my other cat, who has cardiomyopathy, also had an episode this week and spent the night at the emergency vet. Between that and Sophie's two visits, I'm barely afloat financially and it's just the beginning of the month.
My plan is to just keep an eye on her all night; if anything happens or changes I will take her to the emergency vet but will otherwise wait to speak to my regular vet. Their office opens again at 7:30 Monday and I could have her in there for surgery at that time.
I guess I just want some support or sympathy or advice, but please please please no lectures on how I shouldn't have pets if I can't afford them. They see the vets for their routine checkups and vaccinations, but I have just never had this many medical problems at one time with my pets ever and I am exhausted and panicked and overwhelmed and sad.
I took my 5-year-old cat Sophie to the vet Thursday after she spent the morning vomiting. She didn't seem super interested in her food that morning but ate a little, and then vomited it back up, followed by intermittent periods of throwing up clear or foamy fluid.
The vet felt her abdomen, took X-rays and found nothing abnormal. They gave her fluids under the skin and a dose of anti-nausea medication and sent her home.
She was very lethargic and wouldn't eat last night, but the vet had warned me both were side effects of the anti-nausea meds. But this morning she still wouldn't eat and was still lethargic so I took her back in. The vet took follow-up X-rays and did a full lab workup. The bloodwork came back normal and the X-rays showed that Sophie was severely constipated, so they did an enema on her to relieve that and gave her more fluids. They sent her home with oral anti-nausea meds that are also supposed to stimulate appetite.
Once she got home she slept for awhile and then vomited again. The vomit was all clear liquid and some whole, undigested treats that she ate at the vet's office yesterday. I gave her the dosage of the oral anti-nausea meds but she still had no interest in food. I gave her some critical care food with a syringe and now she is sleeping. She doesn't seem herself, at all, but she doesn't seem to be in any pain, either, though I know that cats are masters of disguising that.
I'm panicking because I have spent some time on Google and am terrified that she has an intestinal obstruction. I called the emergency vet and they of course recommended bringing her in, where they'll run a barium X-ray series for an estimated cost of $500-900.
My regular vet is going to call tomorrow to check on Sophie and I really would prefer to wait until I speak to her. If it is a blockage she will need surgery and I can't afford or justify going to the ER vet and spending $900 just for them to confirm that she then needs a $2,000 surgery. That would be a stretch for me anyway but after a $900 diagnostic test there is no way I would be able to do it.
I know those types of statements tend to be hot-button among pet owners, myself included. I want to justify them by saying that my other cat, who has cardiomyopathy, also had an episode this week and spent the night at the emergency vet. Between that and Sophie's two visits, I'm barely afloat financially and it's just the beginning of the month.
My plan is to just keep an eye on her all night; if anything happens or changes I will take her to the emergency vet but will otherwise wait to speak to my regular vet. Their office opens again at 7:30 Monday and I could have her in there for surgery at that time.
I guess I just want some support or sympathy or advice, but please please please no lectures on how I shouldn't have pets if I can't afford them. They see the vets for their routine checkups and vaccinations, but I have just never had this many medical problems at one time with my pets ever and I am exhausted and panicked and overwhelmed and sad.
