my kitty has pneumonia *UDPATE with donation request*
Last edited Fri Feb 14, 2020, 06:33 PM - Edit history (1)
This is Einstein my beloved Maine Coon being readmitted to the vet hospital today. He stopped eating Sunday and was hiding out in the basement. So I took him in Monday night and they suspected a respiratory infection, gave him antibiotic shots and sent him home. I kept monitoring him and he showed no improvement. I wanted to rush him back but the vet said wait 48-72 hours. After no improvement and slimming down a lot he was taken back first thing this morning. He's normally a big boy at 23 lbs he went down to 19.5 lbs. Further exams concluded pneumonia and a 104° fever. No organ damage seen in x-rays he needs quarantined for now with a catheter, medications, and appetite stimulants to get his weight back up. He's a sad kitty normally he hates his carrier but made no fuss this time. Needless to say the cost will be high and terrible timing. I'm am currently job hunting as I'm going through a divorce which pulled me out of early retirement and I've been using time to help my mother's hospice care with stage 4 glioblastoma, which all occurred last month. Only February and 2020 just keeps kicking me in the groin. Einstein just turned 5 so he's still pretty young and healthy and well cared for so I'm optimistic for his recovery. He's strictly an indoor cat so I don't know how he would get infected, unless it was the groomer at the same vet just two weeks ago.
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My heart is with you both tonight. May he heal fully and quickly. 
I love his tufted ears!
Its so hard when your fur kids get sick, and you feel helpless. Especially when money is tight, and you have other huge stresses going on. I feel for you. Been there.
Two years ago, our biggest Great Pyrenees had to have knee/stifle surgery. We found a great vet who did the operation for $900, when others wanted more than $3K. Now the big boy has blown out the other knee. In just this short amount of time, the cost has doubled to nearly $2K. They say its because the price of the meds have all gone up. What else can you do? Surgery scheduled for mid-March. Heavy duty pain pills till then. His weight has gone from 150 lbs, down to 128.
Even though its still much cheaper than human healthcare, maybe veterinary costs, and those pharma's, should be reined in as well.
I am so sorry for everything, Dukkha.
Best wishes with your current struggles, Dukkha. You're not alone as we're going through a rough patch as well but together in DU, we'll make it!
Please give us an update on Einstein and your other dilemmas when you feel it's appropriate.
KY.............
He's feeling better resting on the bed but not in the clear yet. He's still lethargic and not eating as well as he should. He'll require meds three times a day and will go back for a follow up Thursday. THANK YOU to everyone who has helped with his support it is much appreciated as he has to return again.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/einstein039s-pneumonia-fund?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1
We'll my boy has showed no improvement. He's still not eating and being lethargic and depressed. Rather than return to his vet, where I suspect he got ill to begin with, I went to another local vet. After an hour wait the doctor did an exam. She said his breathing was problematic and weight is low so he should be hospitalized. But they didn't have 24 hour care so they sent me to the Emergency Room Med Vet. After another 90 minutes he got x-rayed and examined. They concluded pneumonia buildup in his lungs but a chance of heat disease, which is not uncommon in a pure breed male Maine Coon. They wanted to keep him overnight in care and examined by a specialist in the morning. The nurse came back with an estimate: $3000 - $4400! I said "Go get him!" this was NOT an option. Another hour wait and they bring a pack of new stronger antibiotics and anti-nausea prescriptions. That and his x-ray and visit came to $660. It will probably take 2-4 weeks to rehabilitate him with meds plus force feeding when I can and humidifier and chest massage work. The poor guy is stressed over the ordeal and got sick on himself on the ride home. I managed to get the first round of pills into him tonight and he did eat a handful of treats. They're not high in calories but at least he got something in his stomach.
Here's his lovely $300 image. The white around his heart by the mouse cursor is where the buildup is in his lung. Being so close to his heart is why it may be masking heart disease. He's only 5 so that's not too likely.
