I have the most adorable kitten of about a month old who has been down lately. She isn't active at all, barely eats, and drinks little. Once this started to occur...I brought her into a emergency vet clinic in which they sent me home with just advice...it coast 180 just for that. I than have been watching her eat and drink which i thought was increasing but now has began to be so bad that she can barely stand up...I don't have 500 dollars to get her all these tests to find out whats going on... I know the that it's not the vets problem but come on...that's ridiculous that most vets don't have a pay plan for you..animals deserve care with every circumstance...I was wondering if anyone knew how i could get financial help or just advice for what to do. I'm a student and live in the city moneys always tough for me!
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » General Chat
Why are theres not more help for animal care...
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Hi Nay Nay! I am glad there is someone else here not sleeping! I am so sorry about your kitten. I am not the most knowledgeable but there will be others who will come on later who will be. Is there not a care credit program at your vets office? If not I would suggest finding another vet. Usually they have a program for helping you pay off bills. Also, have you tried calling your local Humane Society to see if they have suggestions on a low cost clinic? With the current economic situation I know many towns have vet services available at a lower cost for people who can't afford those high prices. I know for sure I couldn't come up with $500 right now and DEFINITELY could not have in college! My goodness I wish I knew what to tell you to help your baby! What is your baby's name?? By the way, welcome to TDK, this is a super group! We are glad you came here, you came to the right place. Lots of knowledgeable people.
Posted 2 years ago by mollycat71 #
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That's terrible, NayNay, I'm so sorry. I thought vets were expensive enough here in New Zealand till I started hearing about what you guys pay over in the States. I suppose pet insurance is the answer but you need to be able to afford that too :(
Are you keeping kitten comfortable with a heat pad or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, in a comfy box with room for her to crawl off if she gets too hot? Has she had any of her shots? Are you keeping an eye on her hydration, with the 'tent' test (does her skin snap back when you grab it and hold it for a while or does it stay up for a bit -- if so, she needs hydrating). Are you giving her pedialyte? it helps more with hydration than plain water. Smearing a little Karo corn syrup or Nutrical on her gums and mouth (not a big blob, nothing she could choke on) might help give her a little more energy to keep fighting. Keep trying to get her to take her KMR formula.
Poor little thing, I hope she can come through this and I hope you find a vet who can help.
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NayNay, I just noticed there is a dehydration tag on your thread. Is that what is wrong with your kitty? Here are some useful websites on kitten care:
http://www.kittenrescue.org/pages.php?pageid=15
http://www.fanciers.com/cat-faqs/orphans.shtml
http://www.feralcat.com/raising.htmland here is some of the information on poop and dehydration from the first website:
WELL HYDRATED
Okay, this sounds intimidating, but it’s not. Hydration is basically how much water we have in our system. Since water drives all of our metabolic functions, you can see why adequate hydration is essential.
Checking hydration is a lot simpler than trying to spell it. If you pull up on your own skin, you will see the skin snaps right back down. This is called skin turgor (how well it snaps back). A well hydrated animal will have quick skin turgor.
Listed below are some guidelines.
For healthy kids with no signs of illness, just check skin turgor once daily. It should be quick and immediate, if not, seek medical attention.
4. NORMAL STOOL AND URINE
Let’s summarize and say: Poop should be brown and formed. Urine should be yellow.
Guide to the Rainbow of Poop
and Urine Colors (The Scoop on Poop):Color:
•Bloody - Actual red blood seen in stool. Could indicate panleukepenia. Grossly abnormal, must be seen ASAP.
•Mucous - yellowish/white/clear slimy substance. Indicates severe bowel irritation. Grossly abnormal and needs immediate care.
•Black - True dark black color to stool. Usually indicates bleeding high in the bowel. Severe sign, needs immediate attention.
•Brown - Normal color. Be happy!
•Orange - Usually indicates way too much bile in stool, can occur with reflux.Seek medical advice.
•Yellow - Almost always indicates bacterial imbalance in the bowel. If has diarrhea also, usually related to coccidia. Seek medical advice.
•White - Grossly abnormal color, usually indicates, severe bacterial imbalance and severe infection in the bowel. Kitten at risk of dying, needs medical attention, ASAP.
Consistency:
•Dry/hard - Abnormal, usually indicates dehydration. Seek care, promptly.
•Firm - Normal, be happy.
•Formed but soft - Low range of ‘normal’. If stools change from firm to soft you should seek medical advice.
•Toothpaste - Still has somewhat tubular form but falls apart once touched. Abnormal, needs medication.
•Cow-patty - Never formed but thick enough it falls into a ‘cow-patty’ shape. Abnormal, animal is at significant risk and needs immediate attention.
•Liquidy - Just fluid that falls out of rectum, thin and may have mucous. Abnormal, animal is at severe risk and must be seen immediately.
•The ‘Squirts’ - Animal has no control over bowel and watery fluid squirts out of rectum. Grossly abnormal, animal in danger of dying, must be seen immediately!Water Makes the World Go ‘Round:
Overview of hydration: Skin turgor:
•Immediate snap back - Excellent hydration. Watch however at this stage for over-hydration.
•Quick snap but not immediate - Hydrated. Monitor other signs to be sure the kitten is overall(full body) hydrated.
•Snap back within one second - Adequate hydration. However, if ANY other signs, this animal is at risk and needs constant care.
•Within 1-3 seconds - Dehydrated. Needs immediate attention.
•Stands up on own - SEVERE dehyration. DYING. Must be seen immediately!Urine color:
•Red/Dark Orange - Severe sign. Severe at-risk, must be seen immediately.
•Dark yellow/almost brown - Extreme dehydration or bilirubin in urine. Either way it’s BAD! Needs immediate aggressive treatment.
•Intense yellow - Concentrated urine. Animal is not getting enough fluid for total body hydration. Needs immediate care.
•Yellow - Mildly concentrated urine. Monitor closely and if ANY other signs, seek care immediately.
•Light yellow - Mildly dilute urine. Overall body hydration should be adequate if no kidney disease. With sick/injured or at-risk animals, this is the color we shoot for.
•Pale yellow - Dilute urine. Hydration should be excellent if no kidney disease. With any significantly debilitated or severe risk animal, this is the color we shoot for. Be aware however of possible over-hydration and keep urine this color, only if under medical care.
•Almost clear - Severely dilute urine. Risk of over-hydration. Urine should only be this dilute if under constant medical supervision. -
Okay, this sounds intimidating, but it’s not. Hydration is basically how much water we have in our 70-291 exam system. Since water drives all of our metabolic functions, you can see why adequate hydration is essential.
Posted 2 years ago by benson.oo888 #
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•Liquidy - Just fluid that falls out of rectum, thin and may have mucous. Abnormal, animal is at severe 70-620 exam risk and must be seen immediately.
•The ‘Squirts’ - Animal has no control over bowel and watery fluid squirts out of rectum. Grossly abnormal, animal in danger of dying, must be seen immediately!Posted 2 years ago by ninja.turtle88 #
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Poor Pipa..nothing like sharing cats. Hope they get better soon. Now that visual of two cats 642-524 exam walking down the aisle at your wedding Pipa's Mum is cute.
Posted 2 years ago by arnold.smith88 #
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Reported to KM
Posted 2 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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Ditto. And I got the other two threads as well. I think we were reporting at the same time, CBM!
Posted 2 years ago by Bellantara #
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