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My Cat

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Ally

Skilled Investigator
I just found out that my three year old cat might have a fatal liver problem. So far in just diagnostic tests this has added up to 750 dollars. How do you put a price, and when do you stop, on a life that you love?
 
Ally, You can't. If you can afford it. My cat is worth over $1000 per pound right now. I just couldn't face having the ability to do something and then not do it. Hope everything turns out OK.
 
Oh Ally, not easy. If you can afford it, I'd do what I could, ya know?

My kitty cost us a pretty penny a few yrs ago, when she was attacked by a dog. She still has a bit of a lame leg, but can walk and run with no problem. She's my favorite kitty and continues to bring me many days of happiness, comfort and laughs. THAT is priceless, really!

I keep you and your kitty in my thoughts!
 
if it is fatal then maybe let nature take its course and keep your cat as comfortable as possible. at some point you have to ask yourself are you doing all this for the cat or for yourself?
 
i have a 14 year old cat that had a "fatal liver disease" too. the vet said she would die very soon. she lost a bunch of weight to the point i could see every bone in her body. she developed a tumor on her neck which she scratched open to the point where you could see inside her body. she couldnt hardly walk at all and was very yellowish, i gave in to the fact that she was going to die probably the next day so i went out and dug a grave then decided to clean her up for her burial. i got a pan of warm water, peroxide and a bunch of cotton balls and went to work cleaning up her wounds and the crust that accumulated around them. the next day she was still alive so that evening i cleaned her up again for about an hour. she started to purr like i never heard her purr before. so loud and strong... i let her fall asleep by my side thinking she would be dead in a few hours... the next morning came and her wounds looked a bit better and i got her to eat something finally. everyday she seemed to get better and better. now she is in perfect health, runs around like a little kitten, challenges the male cat for the alpha cat position and every sign of tumor, yellow skin, etc is completely GONE. my vet is astonished and so am i. never give up on a cat OR dig a grave until they are actually dead.
 
All I know right now is that it looks very serious and the vet said that she probably had it for awhile. They took another blood test and an ultra sound will be taken on Monday. I will let her go if I have no other choice and she starts to suffer.

Her diet is good so I don't think that was the cause. Her name is Myeo. I got her from a shelter when she was six months old. She was the first cat I looked and and knew she was the right cat for me.

She has lost some weight but doesn't seem that sick to me.

As far as the money aspect is concerned well I am doing Ok in that department for now. I am not sure what this will look like when it is all said and done. I do have some other options, I think, that can help out if I need it.
 
Pixelsmith,
Thanks for that testimony. I out of all people should know this considering how many times I should have been dead.
 
Hey, Ally...I'm no certified expert, but I stopped feeding my animals commercial feed a while back. It only takes a little more time, and I believe it is actually cheaper to boil up cheap cuts of meat with whole grains. I don't have a cat anymore, but my dogs are noticably happier and healthier on a diet of real food. They cut the commercial crap every chance they can get away with to keep profits high.
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Skunk,
I get her food from the same trusted health food store I get my food. Now I just need her to eat anything so I will try whatever she tells me to. Cats do own their owners
 
I just found out that my three year old cat might have a fatal liver problem. So far in just diagnostic tests this has added up to 750 dollars. How do you put a price, and when do you stop, on a life that you love?

Why does preserving a life.,(pet, relative or self), always come down to money? Are we really that f____ up as a species? Yes., we are.
 
we had a dog that loved oatmeal porridge. go figure. but it was healthy, had a great coat, good muscle tone, and never seemed to get sick.
 
Well, I'll tell ya. I've had the opposite experience. My dog, Moses (that's him over there), is now 13 years old. He has been fed largely on Iams pet food from day one. We give him table scraps, but not too much. He loves garlic bread (hence: No fleas) and likes tomatoes and, everything else except onions and spinach. We really keep that to a dull roar and never feed him anything the least bit spicy.

Two of Moses' litter mates were kept by their 'birth father' who insisted on never feeding his dogs, including their mother, anything but home-cooked meals. He never fed them commercial pet food. When Moses would go visit his 'family,' he got the same treatment. Fortunately he didn't do that to often because all three of those dogs are now dead. One died of liver disease. One died of complications from diabetes. I don't know exactly what happened to the third, but it was illness, not an accident.

Our conclusion as a family is that Alan screwed up by insisting on the diet he fed them. Of course I quite understand that we can't tell for sure, but the only difference between these siblings was diet. Just FWIW.
 
My grandma had a Boston terrier that she fed the same crap she ate all too often...fried chicken, burgers, enchiladas...typical heart-attack inducing American cuisine. The dog croaked from liver failure when it was 8 years old.
I have a pit bull that is nearly 15 years old. She's showing her age and her days are now numbered, but that's pretty damn old for a big dog. She grew up eating practically anything available, from commercial dry food (no Sam's Choice, it makes her fart like a mule!) to game scraps. She can crunch a shoulder-blade from a deer or hog like a cookie. Various wild seeds and greens are also on the menu. It's kinda funny watching a pit bull graze like a cow.
It seems to me that a mix of scientifically-formulated commercial feed combined with a generous amount of what the animal's ancestors evolved to eat works best.
I used to have a cat that absolutely loved june-bugs. They taste very similar to Cheetos.
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And you know this how?
Tequila is a hell of a drug.
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onions are poisonous to dogs, along with chocolate. also, if your dog starts to eat grass, then drink lots of water, be prepared for their stomach to bloat and twist the intestine. very quick trip to vet is indicated soon as their tummy starts to get a bit bloated. red setters are prone to that.
experience talking here.
 
I've been there too, but in my case I spent several thousands (on a credit card) on emergency care for my late dog only to have him die 24 hours afterwards. I'm still in debt years later.

Ask the vet for best and worst case scenarios, and then take a good hard look at your financial situation. Do your best for yourself and your pet, but remember you may have other emergency needs in the future. Set a spending limit which you will not cross.

If you are in dire need your vet may provide pro-bono assistance, mine did for my sister-in law, whose cat has recurring tumors. The vets did an entire third tumor removal operation at no cost to her.

Good luck to you and your cat and don't second guess yourself too much.
 
She is getting worse at the moment. I am bringing her in to get fluids Friday and hopefully get the results from the blood work too. I tried the baby food but she wasn't interested. I have a lot of experience in dealing with difficult situations and hopefully some wisdom is earned along the way.
 
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