My cats ear is hurt & cant afford a vet

daisymoon

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I have always been a good pet owner. My pets went for vet checkups, are upto date on all their shots, eat the best food, etc... I have 2 cats & a dog.

I had a good job and my own nice apartment and even money saved away. But recently I was fired from my job, it was very unexpected. I have no family I could turn to for help. Luckily I had my boyfriend who has been a rockstar through all of this. Never complaining once and being there for me. He let me move in with him, and I used a chunk of my savings to break my lease because it was still cheaper that way. Then on top of it my car decided to break down on me. I used the very last of my savings, some money from my boyfriend and selling off pretty much everything I owned to get it fixed.

I have been working very hard to find a new job, with zero luck. I have barely even gotten an interview.

Sorry for the whole life story there, I just want to express that I am a good owner and I am just in such a bad place right now.

My cats & dog got eat mites. I took pretty much the last bit of cash I had to get them over the counter treatment. And it seemed like it was working really well. But now my oldest cat (9years) has developed what seems to be a hematoma in his ear. Like under the skin in his ear is filled with liquid & his ear is bent/folded funny.

IMy first thought was omg run to the vet...but I literally can not afford even the visit. I asked my boyfriend for the money and he said no, that he just can not afford it. I don't want him to seem like a horrible guy, here. Admittedly he never had pets and while he cares for mine, he isn't much of an animal lover but he wouldn't want one to suffer. That being said he works really hard and is taking all the overtime he can to help us both just live. We are living paycheck to paycheck...barely. He is already buying their food, paying for my cell phone and car insurance, and even paid the pet depost/fees on his apartment so they could live here too. I even suggested turning my phone off to help but he pointed out that I needed my phone to hear back from jobs and he refused that idea. (just to be clear- we don't drink or smoke or go out to eat, we don't even have cable tv)

I am so upset right now. I have never been in this position before.

A friend of mine suggested turning him into the shelter so they could help him and find him a new home, which would kill me but when she called them they told her they were not accepting any cats because they have no room.

I don't know even exactly what I am looking for. Advice? has anyone been in this situation before?
 

momto3cats

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According to this article by a vet http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-i-hate-ear-hematomas, one valid way of treating it is to simply treat the underlying problem (could be the ear mites, which you have already treated) and let the hematoma heal on it's own. It takes a while and the ear might not look pretty, but it should be able to heal.

I am not a vet and not giving treatment advice; I'm just pointing out that this may be a case where you can let time heal the cat rather than go into debt over it.
 

BonitaBaby

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Some vet chains offer a free first visit. Can you use this for your cat? The vet could examine his ear and you'd at least get a professional opinion. Do you have a PetSmart  Banfield in your area? VCA Vet Hospitals? Sorry for your present situation. 30% of my savings I saved up last year in case of losing my job unexpectedly are gone now after my cat started vomiting one morning and then went into shock. I realize now I could have avoided spending so much if I had already planned out where to take her (cheaper vets in a nearby area) and figured out some basics. Please stay optimistic and keep searching for a job. Try making personal calls to the HR departments for the ones you really want and are suitable for. I wish you the best of luck!
 

BonitaBaby

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Sorry if my last post came across as flippant. I've been unemployed numerous times in my life before with only a tiny bit of $ to pay a couple bills. I didn't really have anyone I could ask for money and if there was, I didn't want to ask since I quit those jobs except for layoffs once. I made it through those times by temping. I forgot to mention that that is a good way to make some $$ while you're unemployed. In addition, the employment agency will help you find jobs that may be temp-to-permanent jobs that can tide you over while you find a new job (or land you a new job if you like the assignment).

And really don't give up hope. I was in a really tough situation for the previous 6/7 years where I wasn't working, but also couldn't really work due to a serious medical condition. I thought I'd never get the kind of job I had before, which wasn't high-paying, but was white collar. I kept emailing an old temp assignment that had wanted to hire me and then suddenly, out of the blue, my old position was available again. But it took years of emailing. I tried working at Macy's as a seasonal cashier for a bit during Thanksgiving & Christmas one year. I did get offered the job, but it would have been too stressful for me. Employment agencies can be a great resource during unemployment and you can sign up for multiple ones. Best of luck to you!
 

nansiludie

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I am sorry but if its filled up like that, you're going to need to have a vet drain it and clean it. It must be painful. Is there anyone anywhere who could help you? You could try Red Rover as its for pet grants for certain incomes, they might be able to help. Its for emergencies and for special cases, its worth a try. http://www.redrover.org/program/redrover-relief
 
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