Well, I must have spoken too soon. Elsie isn't out of the woods just yet. She's eating tiny bits (and only if I stand down in the basement with her the whole time and praise her profusely) and I haven't seen her drink since we've been home from the ER. Although, she's using her litter box a bit, so she must be drinking at least a little.
After Leigh left (she was here this weekend; more on that another time), I asked my mom if I could call the vet in the morning to take her down to get her steroid shot. You see, Elsie has some sort of muscle wasting disease that causes her to throw up a lot. It affects her GI system. She takes enzymes in her food every time she eats, probiotics once a week, and she gets a steroid shot every 6-8 weeks. She does really well for those two months after the shot, then she starts to throw up, and we know it's time for another shot. Although she's only thrown up once since this whole ordeal started, I'm wondering if her stomach doesn't feel good and she needs a shot. She's way overdue for one, so given that everything about her is healthy except for the eating and drinking, I think it's time for a shot.
This would be fine, except for that she is out of enzymes ($30), just went to the ER ($336), and you never know what the vet is going to charge when she goes because he just does whatever he needs to do and then expects you to pay. The shot is usually $20. Mom said she could get the enzymes, but having just spent so much in the ER, she just can't afford to get the shot. The enzymes are useless if Elsie can't eat the food to take them. I decided that I would contribute the $20 needed for the shot and take her to the vet myself. I'll just stay home this week instead of going to the animal shelter a few times. I'll drink less Diet Coke. I won't go out to eat for a few weeks. I'll entertain myself from home.
So, please, good thoughts and prayers that this shot does the trick? It's the last idea. Elsie hasn't eaten more than a few bites at a time since Wednesday, and this is Sunday night. If this shot doesn't work, there's no more money to do anything else. I don't think I need to tell you how much my cat means to me.
I'm so, so worried.
Those are good sacrifices to make for Elsie.
ReplyDeleteI'll pray for her.
I would hate to see Elsie put down for lack of money.
Is she perhaps having issues with her kidneys? One of my best friends has a cat that essentially went into kidney failure at about age 3 or so (this was around 13 years ago) and had a lot of the same symptoms as Elsie does. She responded very well to subcutaneous fluids (which was what Elsie had the other night at the ER) and so Renee (my friend) gave her fluids every night (I learned how to do this so I could help out when Renee was out of town) and kept her on a kidney diet (I think Science Diet KD). It was not a cheap or easy solution, but Simmie the kitty is still around and doing okay (though getting old--she's probably around 18 or 19 now). I don't know if they already checked for this, but if not, it may be worth checking out!
ReplyDeleteSending prayers your way.
ReplyDeleteLove and happy thoughts coming your way.
ReplyDeleteCan you not get help from an animal charity? We have people like the Blue Cross who help people care for their animals when they can't afford vet bills. Just a thought.
I'm thinking about you and Elsie and hoping it gets sorted without breaking the bank.
ReplyDeleteAbby, her kidneys looks "perfect." That was the vet's first though too, considering her age. But because it's fatal (though they can live years like that), I'm thrilled.
ReplyDeleteWe talked to the vet this morning and he thinks it's IBS acting up and the shot will fix it. She goes in tomorrow morning.
Sending prayers and good thoughts your way!
ReplyDeleteHope the shot does the trick!