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- Feb 25, 2021
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Hi everyone. Not sure if I'm doing this correctly or where I should go with this issue but I am at my wits end and feeling defeated. I apologize about how long this post will be and thank anyone who sticks around for it.
A little over a month ago (January 10, 2021 to be exact) my boy cat, Link, was rushed to the ER vet due to blood/mucous in his stool. We were charged an arm and a leg to only be told theres nothing wrong, he's fine here's a $600 bill and some IV fluids. After that Link did not have another bout of that stool but he did start to act funny -- lethargic and not wanting to eat at all (not even tuna or his favorite treats). We were back at the ER vet again (10 days after first visit), again..nothing wrong with him follow up with primary vet. We scheduled a visit with primary vet and find out that he had a bit of a fever -- making him feel icky and not wanting to eat. We started him on liquid Orbax once daily with a measured dose of 2.5mg. All was good until one day when the medicine was given it seemed as if he aspirated on it. Rushed back to the vet right away (primary vet) because his breathing was seriously scary. We were told that since the medicine was just given (within 30 minutes of getting him there) that they could not be sure if it was aspiration pneumonia yet, so to wait it out for 24 hours keep an eye on him and go from there. Well it did NOT get better, only worse so a third trip to the ER vet was due. We explained to the vet there how horrible Link's breathing was (open mouthed at home, coughing/gagging and clear foam coming up, showed a video of the coughing fit). We were told it would be HOURS for x-ray and result. We opted to just go to our regular vet, it was 4am at that time and the vet opened at 7am and it was way cheaper to do it there. We got him in ASAP and they did the x-ray and told us that Link has asthma/bronchitis and proceeded to prescribe us the expensive Flovent inhaler along with prednisolone daily and Albuterol for emergencies. Here we are, SEVERAL weeks later and Link is NOT doing much better. He continues to have labored breathing episodes and occasional coughing. He has made several trips to the vet due to his labored breathing episodes that I cannot seem to get him out of myself with albuterol. He has now started taking Terbutaline in effort to open his airways up more and help him breathe. But now one of the vets (we have seen 3 vets at our office, we prefer the main one but he is not often available -- popular guy) is suggesting that it could be lungworms and has NOW started Link on Panacur for 10 days on top of the predinsolone and terbutaline and flovent still. I have read crazy things all over the internet and am getting fed up with this vet telling me that i have no other option but to put my 7 year old cat to sleep if these things do not work. When he is good he is good but when he has these labored breathing episodes it is sometimes difficult to get him out of it and seems to be happening at night mostly (8pm-1am ish). I am strapped on money as I just lost my job a few days ago due to having to call out to stay home with him and rush him to these appointments or watch his breathing for several hours.
My question is, has ANYONE at all ever experienced this? Or anything like this? Am i doing something incorrectly? Is it possible that it is not asthma and maybe something else? Lungworm, heart worm? Any advice, help, ANYTHING is appreciated. Link and I are both very tired and stay up most of the night together just snuggling on the floor until he feels better but we need some kind of help.
A little over a month ago (January 10, 2021 to be exact) my boy cat, Link, was rushed to the ER vet due to blood/mucous in his stool. We were charged an arm and a leg to only be told theres nothing wrong, he's fine here's a $600 bill and some IV fluids. After that Link did not have another bout of that stool but he did start to act funny -- lethargic and not wanting to eat at all (not even tuna or his favorite treats). We were back at the ER vet again (10 days after first visit), again..nothing wrong with him follow up with primary vet. We scheduled a visit with primary vet and find out that he had a bit of a fever -- making him feel icky and not wanting to eat. We started him on liquid Orbax once daily with a measured dose of 2.5mg. All was good until one day when the medicine was given it seemed as if he aspirated on it. Rushed back to the vet right away (primary vet) because his breathing was seriously scary. We were told that since the medicine was just given (within 30 minutes of getting him there) that they could not be sure if it was aspiration pneumonia yet, so to wait it out for 24 hours keep an eye on him and go from there. Well it did NOT get better, only worse so a third trip to the ER vet was due. We explained to the vet there how horrible Link's breathing was (open mouthed at home, coughing/gagging and clear foam coming up, showed a video of the coughing fit). We were told it would be HOURS for x-ray and result. We opted to just go to our regular vet, it was 4am at that time and the vet opened at 7am and it was way cheaper to do it there. We got him in ASAP and they did the x-ray and told us that Link has asthma/bronchitis and proceeded to prescribe us the expensive Flovent inhaler along with prednisolone daily and Albuterol for emergencies. Here we are, SEVERAL weeks later and Link is NOT doing much better. He continues to have labored breathing episodes and occasional coughing. He has made several trips to the vet due to his labored breathing episodes that I cannot seem to get him out of myself with albuterol. He has now started taking Terbutaline in effort to open his airways up more and help him breathe. But now one of the vets (we have seen 3 vets at our office, we prefer the main one but he is not often available -- popular guy) is suggesting that it could be lungworms and has NOW started Link on Panacur for 10 days on top of the predinsolone and terbutaline and flovent still. I have read crazy things all over the internet and am getting fed up with this vet telling me that i have no other option but to put my 7 year old cat to sleep if these things do not work. When he is good he is good but when he has these labored breathing episodes it is sometimes difficult to get him out of it and seems to be happening at night mostly (8pm-1am ish). I am strapped on money as I just lost my job a few days ago due to having to call out to stay home with him and rush him to these appointments or watch his breathing for several hours.
My question is, has ANYONE at all ever experienced this? Or anything like this? Am i doing something incorrectly? Is it possible that it is not asthma and maybe something else? Lungworm, heart worm? Any advice, help, ANYTHING is appreciated. Link and I are both very tired and stay up most of the night together just snuggling on the floor until he feels better but we need some kind of help.