I woke up this morning and went to feed my cats as I normally do each morning. I look at my cat Austin and he looked like he had a walnut stashed in his cheek.

I had to wait til 8:30 to call the vet and they had me bring him in. They thought he had a abcessed tooth and needed it pulled. So I told them go ahead and do it. Well I just got back from picking him up and it wasn't his tooth it was just a abcess from sparing with my other cat. They put him under and drained his face and he should be fine. Thats the good news. Bad news is it cost me almost $500.00 Ouch!!! I wasnt ready for that one. Thank goodness I have a back up animal fund I keep money in but darn in the past few months it is dwindling fast. I have spent more money on animal healthcare this year than I have on my own. I love all my animals and I know their healthcare is part of taking the responsibility for them but I just had to mumble a little bit about it because even though I had it it still hurt lol.

Austin is doing well his poor face is so small comapared to his body since they shaved it. Poor thing had to sacrafice a few whiskars too. He weighs ready for this 22lbs! so picture a small now grey head on a black body of a 22lb cat. My other cat keeps walking up to him and looking at him like DUDE! what happened to your face? lol.

Whoa! My son's cat was recently diagnosed with asthma. It cost him $2400 to find out. The medicine for her inhaler is $280.

My other cat has asthma. We did the 4 days in the hospital oxygen tank thing to the tune of $2000.00 last year.

I take in alot of strays and with strays comes alot of health issues. That is usually the reason people dump them they can't afford to take care of the medical problems.

I am a big sucker and I take them in and take them to the vet and get them all fixed up. I now have 4 cats because people dump them in my yard. This summer I had a female cat dumped off that was almost dead she was so skinny and matted that it made me cry to look at her. Finally she built enough trust in me I could catch her and off I had to take her to the vet for shots and to get spay. She is an older cat and no one wanted her so she now lives in my home with the rest of the gang.

I have to give my hubby alot of credit here. He knew when he met me I was an animal lover. I am very lucky to have a husband that does not complain ever when I spend money on the animals or take another stray in even though he likes animals he is not the big animal lover I am and he puts up with it all just for me.

I feel your pain!
I took my two boys in for their first annual physical in August, that alone was $200.
During the exam the vet said one of them had abnormal tissue growth on his gums that should be removed and his teeth could use a good cleaning. I am thinking no problem probably $50 - $100 max.
Yeah right it cost just shy of $300!

Austin got a teeth cleaning today while he was under. I should have asked for an estimate. I usually do but this morning I just walked out without even asking. Not that it really would have made a difference in the way I treated him but they wouldn't have had to get me a chair after I got the total if I would have asked first lol.

I find this amount over-the-top shocking! Do you think unnecessary tests were performed?
A few months ago, my golden pup, who was about 4-5 months at the time, was acting kind of lethargic. I wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with him but suspected that he might of eaten a sock, which had happened before, but he passed it. Anyway, I went to a different vet, since I wanted him seen right away (my usual vet will close for a couple of hours around dinner, then open again). Anyway, this new vet, who I had never been to before, was recommending all these tests, like a bloodwork test and so on. I felt like I was being pressured into getting tests that maybe he didn't need. Then scaring me by saying that he may need surgery to remove the sock if its blocking anything. I ended up leaving and going to my regular vet. He didn't mention anything about a bunch of tests, and just said that we will give him a day and see what happens. He prescribed something for an upset stomach, and that was it. My pup did pass a sock that night (scary, he's done it more than once). Anyway, I just think some vets like to puch tests that might not be necessary in order to make money.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

I used to go to an old farm vet who started every treatment plan with: "Welllll, we could treat him or we could not treat him". Most often, we voted for non-treatment and "tincture" of time except the one time my old hunting dog has esophilic myositis. The vet had to sedate the dog and literally yank his jaws apart---the muscles controlling the jaw movement froze up secondary to inflammation.
Keowa- is your other cat declawed? $500 seems HUGE for a draining of an abscess and teeth cleaning.

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Lyn Clarke

Ahhhh ...

"The things we do for love."

+

Terence in Brook Park, oHIo

I know I hate when taking my doggie to the vet, because it always adds up, and quickly......we have a seperate vet fund savings acct......so no matter what's going on if Cinnamon needs something we know we have the money for it......

Poor Kitty, hope he feels all better soon........

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

[quote=Crittles1;2897572]I find this amount over-the-top shocking! Do you think unnecessary tests were performed?

I don't know that the cat really needed an MRI. My son had to take her to a specialist who was very expensive. I told him to get the vet to prescribe a different breathing treatment. She prescribed Flovent which is new and there are altermatives.

I really wish that people would get their animals spayed. He and his roomates took in this cat's mother and they all got a cat out of that relationship. He's also taken in 2 more strays. He lives in a large apartment complex and has also found homes for 2 more strays with me and one more with a friend.

It's funny when he visits to have 5 cats like a little herd around your feet in the morning.

Awwwwww, poor kitty!! He's lucky to have such a concerned owner. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Believe me, they are worth every penny.

How is the kitty doing today?

__________________
"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

Hi thank you for asking

I'm sorry its taken so long for a update I'm at work posting shhh don't tell anyone.

Austin is doing good. His face is almost back to normal size though still shaved and he has a few tufts for whiskars on that side poor thing. He looks so funny with the peach fuzzed face and furry body.

I am still having to hot compress his face 4xs a day and give him his antibiotics 2xs a day. Let me tell you he just loves that lol. But I have to admit he is so laid back that he lets me do it and I have no battle wounds so that is good. If this was my other cat I would have no arms or face left he would shred me to pieces. He is a stray and has major attitude but I love him for that attitude

I used to work for a vet. I won't declaw them after seeing what is done to do it. I do have their nails clipped and capped. Which I find works pretty well until the caps come off and I believe this is what happend to poor Austin. Him and the other cat box in the window and I think one of the other cats caps fell off leaving just one possible nail to get him and it did. Murphy's Law you know.

Thank you again for asking. It makes me smile that people care.

Glad he's doing ok.....you need to take a pic of the poor kitty, sounds like one of those things that will give you a giggle down the road when you look at it!

__________________
"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O