My boy, (around 1.5 years, we're not sure) has been sick since I rescued him from a shelter three months ago. It has been stressing me out to no end, and absolutely draining me financially.
I'd like to preface this with the ENTIRE time I've had him, his appetite has been insatiable, he's very active, and every vet I've brought him to has said he's hydrated.
So- I've always wanted a sphynx but i live in California and struggle to save anything with the cost of rent and the lack of steady work. But much to my excitement, three months ago I saw a cat on a shelter's website in south lake Tahoe. I asked as many questions as I could but they told me they had no information as to who dropped him off or what his life was like prior to the shelter. Despite that, I paid the adoption fees, and started down the 6.5 hour drive to go get him.
Two hours away from my destination, I hit a deer and totaled my car. I spent a stressful hour pulling debris from the road, and continued the rest of the way, minus one headlight. We made it to south lake Tahoe about 1AM, spent the night at a hotel, and went out early in the morning to pick him up. I immediately fell in love. After they gave him his vaccines, they gave me blankets, a cat carrier, litter box, some food (provina sensitive skin and stomach wet food) And sent me on my way. So through the long car ride back, he was fine. Only really meowed through the last hour or so. Brought him home and gave him space, to let him de-stress after a 6 hour car ride.
Our first few weeks, scrote had constant diarrhea flecked with blood, and vomit flecked with blood. Obviously this wasn't a "he's fine and he's just adjusting" thought for me so I took him to two separate vets, three times.
The first vet, along with a 250 dollar vet bill, gave me proviable-forte and pro-pectalin to use. Other than that, the vet said my cat seemed very healthy and it was most likely stress causing this. So i listened and gave the recommended dosage. Upon reading the instruction on the tube of pro-pectalin, it said to NOT give to cats that were vomiting, and my cat was, as I made very clear to the vet, vomiting. Despite what I mentioned, the vet told me i should give it to him anyways, and so i did. But Scrote had immediate reaction to this medicine, and kept throwing it up. So i made the decision to stop him on that, and used the proviable-forte until i ran out. Because there was still no change in his movements, or vomiting, and it seemed like it was actually getting worse-- i took him into an emergency vet to get a second opinion.
300 dollars later they said he looked fine, but they wanted to keep him overnight to observe him. So i obliged, And let them keep him overnight. This vet gave him subcutaneous fluids, as well as a 24/hr anti-nausea medication. Twenty four hours pass, I get a call, and they say he did just fine, nothing out of the ordinary and not to worry.
For the first time since i brought him home, most likely due to the anti-nausea, his movements looked like they should, and were the least concerning they've been. But the next day, it was back to normal. (or what normal was for me.) I changed his diet slowly multiple times, As this was recommended by the emergency vet. To ensure scrote got the proper protein he needed, I was shelling out around 108 dollars every two weeks for RAWZ 96% rabbit pate, to be absolutely sure there was no chicken product in his food. The vet said just to keep him on a normal schedule and see if things change.
Which leads me to my most recent problem. Things have changed for worse. Scrote has started defecating everywhere, including on two blankets that were in my lap with him. This sent me into a panic, and I took him to the first vet the next day. After a 400 dollar vet bill, a fecal panel, bloodwork, all they had to tell me was that a single liver value seemed higher than it should be, but nothing to panic over. They recommended keeping him on solid food, start him on B12, and Metronidazole suspension. The pharmacy they selected is almost an hour away from me and I have no reliable transportation anymore. This has been the most stressful thing I've ever experienced. Between trying to save for a drivable car, paying all the vet bills, and making sure scrote gets all the help he deserves to live a good life. I don't want to give him up, but I'm at a loss, and don't quite know where to go from here.
No progress at all makes this feel pretty impossible.
Sorry for the long post, I just felt it necessary to give all the info I could.
Here's a picture of the lil dude for tax purposes.
Thanks for taking the time to read.
Anthony & Scrote
I'd like to preface this with the ENTIRE time I've had him, his appetite has been insatiable, he's very active, and every vet I've brought him to has said he's hydrated.
So- I've always wanted a sphynx but i live in California and struggle to save anything with the cost of rent and the lack of steady work. But much to my excitement, three months ago I saw a cat on a shelter's website in south lake Tahoe. I asked as many questions as I could but they told me they had no information as to who dropped him off or what his life was like prior to the shelter. Despite that, I paid the adoption fees, and started down the 6.5 hour drive to go get him.
Two hours away from my destination, I hit a deer and totaled my car. I spent a stressful hour pulling debris from the road, and continued the rest of the way, minus one headlight. We made it to south lake Tahoe about 1AM, spent the night at a hotel, and went out early in the morning to pick him up. I immediately fell in love. After they gave him his vaccines, they gave me blankets, a cat carrier, litter box, some food (provina sensitive skin and stomach wet food) And sent me on my way. So through the long car ride back, he was fine. Only really meowed through the last hour or so. Brought him home and gave him space, to let him de-stress after a 6 hour car ride.
Our first few weeks, scrote had constant diarrhea flecked with blood, and vomit flecked with blood. Obviously this wasn't a "he's fine and he's just adjusting" thought for me so I took him to two separate vets, three times.
The first vet, along with a 250 dollar vet bill, gave me proviable-forte and pro-pectalin to use. Other than that, the vet said my cat seemed very healthy and it was most likely stress causing this. So i listened and gave the recommended dosage. Upon reading the instruction on the tube of pro-pectalin, it said to NOT give to cats that were vomiting, and my cat was, as I made very clear to the vet, vomiting. Despite what I mentioned, the vet told me i should give it to him anyways, and so i did. But Scrote had immediate reaction to this medicine, and kept throwing it up. So i made the decision to stop him on that, and used the proviable-forte until i ran out. Because there was still no change in his movements, or vomiting, and it seemed like it was actually getting worse-- i took him into an emergency vet to get a second opinion.
300 dollars later they said he looked fine, but they wanted to keep him overnight to observe him. So i obliged, And let them keep him overnight. This vet gave him subcutaneous fluids, as well as a 24/hr anti-nausea medication. Twenty four hours pass, I get a call, and they say he did just fine, nothing out of the ordinary and not to worry.
For the first time since i brought him home, most likely due to the anti-nausea, his movements looked like they should, and were the least concerning they've been. But the next day, it was back to normal. (or what normal was for me.) I changed his diet slowly multiple times, As this was recommended by the emergency vet. To ensure scrote got the proper protein he needed, I was shelling out around 108 dollars every two weeks for RAWZ 96% rabbit pate, to be absolutely sure there was no chicken product in his food. The vet said just to keep him on a normal schedule and see if things change.
Which leads me to my most recent problem. Things have changed for worse. Scrote has started defecating everywhere, including on two blankets that were in my lap with him. This sent me into a panic, and I took him to the first vet the next day. After a 400 dollar vet bill, a fecal panel, bloodwork, all they had to tell me was that a single liver value seemed higher than it should be, but nothing to panic over. They recommended keeping him on solid food, start him on B12, and Metronidazole suspension. The pharmacy they selected is almost an hour away from me and I have no reliable transportation anymore. This has been the most stressful thing I've ever experienced. Between trying to save for a drivable car, paying all the vet bills, and making sure scrote gets all the help he deserves to live a good life. I don't want to give him up, but I'm at a loss, and don't quite know where to go from here.
No progress at all makes this feel pretty impossible.
Sorry for the long post, I just felt it necessary to give all the info I could.
Here's a picture of the lil dude for tax purposes.
Thanks for taking the time to read.
Anthony & Scrote
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