Chris/China (GA)/Garfield
Member Since 2013
Last condo
Hi Everybody! Been awhile since I updated on Garfield but it's been pretty crazy around here (plus the Facebook group keeps me busy along with multiple doctor appointments).
Garfield's fast drops did improve by manipulating his foods but as spring came in, he started coughing more and more. He had previously been diagnosed with asthma, so he'd been on Albuterol and Flovent inhalers, but they just weren't helping anymore. He was coughing up to 10-12 times a day.
So I scheduled his yearly exam a few months early and took him in. They did bloodwork and x-rays. (Bloodwork is in the Labs section of spreadsheet) and he said it either looks like cardiomyopathy or lymphoma. We're starting with treating him for cardiomyopathy so he's on Lasix, Enalapril and Vetmedin (chewable, which contains lactose and starch, so his BG is all out of whack now). After 2 weeks, he had shown little improvement, so we increased his lasix from 25mg BID to 40mg BID. At that time, I started charting when he coughed (orange cells on spreadsheet with C in them). I have had to increase his insulin up to 3.5 due to the carbs in the Vetmedin too.
He does seem to be doing better on the higher dose of lasix, but still coughing and if it continues, the next step will be a cardiac ultrasound which would have to be done at the University of Missouri vet specialty clinic.....and if that doesn't nail down that it's a heart issue, we have to go on to see if we're dealing with lymphoma (and all that might entail).
His latest xrays do NOT indicate asthma, but the vet was very up front about not being a heart or lymphoma specialist. He did do a quick ultrasound of his heart and said there did seem to be some thickened muscle but there also seemed to be some lymph nodes that looked suspicious.
Anyway, as the old-timers here know, I live on SSI of less than $1000/month. His vet bill was over $600 and his meds are approx $250/month, so I've had to start a fundraiser. Thankfully, I have been blessed with enough donations that I could pay for his next 30 days of medications, but I'm still in the hole and if he doesn't get much better by the time we're done with the meds, he'll really need to go to the University. Vet schools are often recommended for people who can't afford regular vets, but what they don't tell you is that yes, you'll be seen by vet students, but behind every student is a real vet, and because they see the worst of the worst, they have the most cutting edge diagnostic equipment and all that stuff has to be paid for through billing, so you really can't walk in the door for less than $1000. No matter what I did, there's just no way I can afford that kind of bill. I could get Care Credit, but you still have to be able to pay the monthly bill and there's very little left over from my income as it is (and the price of gas and food isn't helping).
I have posted my fundraiser in the fundraiser forum, along with his xray pictures if any of you are interested it seeing them. I know we are all struggling these days, but after losing China (and then my 2 civvies), I finally wanted another kitty and found Garfield, a very large Norwegian Forest cat at a shelter. He was listed as a "senior, special needs" cat and had been there over a year with no interest. Of course his "special need" was diabetes but since I'd been there, done that, it didn't scare me off.
I've only had him for 2 1/2 years. He's only about 12 years old. I'm not ready to lose another kitty!!
Hi Everybody! Been awhile since I updated on Garfield but it's been pretty crazy around here (plus the Facebook group keeps me busy along with multiple doctor appointments).
Garfield's fast drops did improve by manipulating his foods but as spring came in, he started coughing more and more. He had previously been diagnosed with asthma, so he'd been on Albuterol and Flovent inhalers, but they just weren't helping anymore. He was coughing up to 10-12 times a day.
So I scheduled his yearly exam a few months early and took him in. They did bloodwork and x-rays. (Bloodwork is in the Labs section of spreadsheet) and he said it either looks like cardiomyopathy or lymphoma. We're starting with treating him for cardiomyopathy so he's on Lasix, Enalapril and Vetmedin (chewable, which contains lactose and starch, so his BG is all out of whack now). After 2 weeks, he had shown little improvement, so we increased his lasix from 25mg BID to 40mg BID. At that time, I started charting when he coughed (orange cells on spreadsheet with C in them). I have had to increase his insulin up to 3.5 due to the carbs in the Vetmedin too.
He does seem to be doing better on the higher dose of lasix, but still coughing and if it continues, the next step will be a cardiac ultrasound which would have to be done at the University of Missouri vet specialty clinic.....and if that doesn't nail down that it's a heart issue, we have to go on to see if we're dealing with lymphoma (and all that might entail).
His latest xrays do NOT indicate asthma, but the vet was very up front about not being a heart or lymphoma specialist. He did do a quick ultrasound of his heart and said there did seem to be some thickened muscle but there also seemed to be some lymph nodes that looked suspicious.
Anyway, as the old-timers here know, I live on SSI of less than $1000/month. His vet bill was over $600 and his meds are approx $250/month, so I've had to start a fundraiser. Thankfully, I have been blessed with enough donations that I could pay for his next 30 days of medications, but I'm still in the hole and if he doesn't get much better by the time we're done with the meds, he'll really need to go to the University. Vet schools are often recommended for people who can't afford regular vets, but what they don't tell you is that yes, you'll be seen by vet students, but behind every student is a real vet, and because they see the worst of the worst, they have the most cutting edge diagnostic equipment and all that stuff has to be paid for through billing, so you really can't walk in the door for less than $1000. No matter what I did, there's just no way I can afford that kind of bill. I could get Care Credit, but you still have to be able to pay the monthly bill and there's very little left over from my income as it is (and the price of gas and food isn't helping).
I have posted my fundraiser in the fundraiser forum, along with his xray pictures if any of you are interested it seeing them. I know we are all struggling these days, but after losing China (and then my 2 civvies), I finally wanted another kitty and found Garfield, a very large Norwegian Forest cat at a shelter. He was listed as a "senior, special needs" cat and had been there over a year with no interest. Of course his "special need" was diabetes but since I'd been there, done that, it didn't scare me off.
I've only had him for 2 1/2 years. He's only about 12 years old. I'm not ready to lose another kitty!!