[Life] I guess we were lucky we had anything in savings at all, really.

[moonvoice]

The only good news is that we caught it early. About as early as you could catch something like this. And that we didn't go the conservative route. Dr. Barry was really good about reassuring us that we are doing everything right.

Maybe is currently on pre-meds and strong opiate painkillers for what is very likely an intestinal obstruction from some foreign matter she ingested last night (read: the fabric part of a necklace I've had).

The vet mentioned words like 'life-threatening' and 'you can't be too blase,' and we'll know in an hour and a half what's going to happen in terms of surgery. There is a tiny chance it could be severe intestinal spasm (and therefore, possibly, no surgery necessary), but either way, she definitely ingested that foreign body, she's definitely been vomiting for twelve hours (and not remotely interested in food), she's dehydrated, and she's in a lot of pain.

The other bad news is that it's likely to cost us between $1000 / $2000, which will effectively wipe out every inch of savings in every one of our savings accounts, and we don't even know if we'll have to borrow from others yet (which we hate doing). That was our 'paving for the back of the house and possible cheapie holiday for the first time in two years' money. The great irony is that we had just about decided on pet insurance for the cats, but were still weighing up the different companies.

Some more good news is that I got to pat a german shepherd puppy today, but then immediately afterwards we got all of THIS news and now mostly I feel like crying.

Comments

[liondaughter.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. *hugs*

I hope she comes through it okay.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I actually prayed to Bastet last night. I knew things were bad. :/

The things I do when I'm worried about my animals...

I hope she comes through it okay too, I trust that vet implicitly, and so it will be up to Maybe and how early we caught it now.

I find it ironic that we took her in last night for her ears and she was fine, and then one hour later she's got this life threatening condition. *sighs*

*hugs*

[liondaughter.livejournal.com]

Cats can be so stupid some times with the things they think are good things to eat.

I will say a prayer for her in shrine tonight too.

[witchchild]

poor Maybe. :( I hope everything turns out alright!

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping as hard as I can for you that it's a spasm, and she'll pass the obstruction on her own, without need for surgery. And if you do need to go the expensive route, talk to your vet. Often they can be quite reasonable about splitting payments up provided you pay a balance (so they know they're not going to get ripped off).

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Some vets here don't offer payment plans, but as it is, we can definitely pay $1000 today. We will make this work. Or as I said to the vet 'she's my girl, do whatever you need to do.'

The vet made lots of worried faces. At first he was like 'so she's had a bowel movement last night? She's not thrown up any blood? It's a velvety fabric as opposed to string? This could be good just let me feel her abdomen ohhhhhhhhhcrap.'

Still... German shepherd puppy!

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

You know me and GSDs. :) Hopefully the puppy will be a good omen, and she'll pass the obstruction herself with a bit of help. Even if they do have to do surgery, I'm certain she'll be fine -- you didn't leave it too long, and modern veterinary medicine gets better practically by the *minute*.

It sounds callous, but if you discuss finances with the vet up front they can often be very helpful. When my previous dog was ill the doctors *knew* I was dedicated to his care, and the consequently cut fees for us wherever they could. It was probably $3000 all told, and meant that I could give him the best possible care for his remaining time without going over the edge myself financially. Sometimes, granted, there's nothing they can do, but they will often try because they really do care about the animals, and the owners too.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

We will talk to him. Definitely. The fact that we can pay the majority upfront, in cash, should probably help. And we both literally get paid next week.

But Glen and I are a bit morose as well. We've been trying so so hard to get a buffer in savings lately, for about six months, and it's all about to go. We don't begrudge it of Maybe, we just want her better, but I don't think 2010 will be the year we 'do okay with savings.'

[storm-seeker.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

Thinking of you guys. I hope there'll be no need for surgery. Hopefully the painkillers help soon too. :/

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I hope so too, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm planning for the 2k scenario, at this point, so that anything less than that is a pleasant surprise.

[darakat-ewr.livejournal.com]

*hugs* we had this choice when it came to Merlin, after already spending at least $2000 we had to chose between sending for (several thousand dollars) tests to tell exactly why he was dying or putting an end to his misery (which became moot anyway as, as soon as the medication he was on started to wear off his temperature was high enough to render him brain dead anyway). Pet insurance is a good idea if you can afford the premiums.
We have even had to choose for me to go onto the public waiting list for surgery on my nose as we can't afford it without spending pretty much all our savings.

[darakat-ewr.livejournal.com]

I sincerely hope you get Maybe back and he is fine.

[sidheblessed.livejournal.com]

This post made me think of Merlin, too. The difference is that Maybe is young, healthy and strong and her diagnosis is very different. She has a very good chance!

[goth-kittie.livejournal.com]

Argh! :(

I hope she will be ok. I really do. I don't really have any money to loan, but if it is needed I'd donate my last cent to her wellbeing.

I'm sending her lots of love and get well soon vibes... and I hope the next update will be filled with good news.

[leecetheartist.livejournal.com]

That's the thing with pusses, they lick something, and the way their tongues are with all those rasps pointing backwards, it gets directed back.

What I want to know is why doesn't this work to advantage when trying to give a cat a pill!?

When I worked at a vet's once, a cat came in that had swallowed a needle, and it recovered just fine after surgery. The vet swore a lot though.

>.<

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

Now I don't feel as bad. My dog swallowed a fricking needle & I felt like the World's Worst Pet Owner Ever. She passed it w/very little interference, but still - World's Worst Pet Owner.

Re: >.<

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Not the world's worst pet owner, these things happen. The 'world's worst pet owner' is someone who does nothing about it. And even those people don't always know what to look for.

Animals chew things they shouldn't. Sometimes they swallow them. Sometimes that gets impacted (most stuff passes through just fine, but sometimes it doesn't). I mean cats and dogs in the wild eat stupid crap too... and they're not 'the world's worst animals' because they do it.

*hugs*

[shimmerhawk.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. :( I know how it feels to have huge bills like this and have it take all of your savings. Hopefully you can get pet insurance in case they get sick with anything again.

As long as Maybe is ok, that's the most important thing. Best of luck.

[jet-ski.livejournal.com]

Petplan is the best for my doggies. It was also the cheapest (I think $470 a year, which is a bit more than Bender's first premium about 3 years ago!). Kitties are uninsured. Mainly because they are inside cats and I'm pretty sure that they are past this kind of thing :P

I'm sure Maybe will pull through. She is a fighter. She won't give up. And I know you won't give up either.

Hoping that it's not as bad as the vet thinks it could be...

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

The vet nurse recommended Bow Wow Meow, because she'd never had any problems claiming, and she said she didn't recommend RSPCA (for the same reason; problems claiming).

No we won't give up. I really hope it's not as bad as the vet thinks it could be too. Abdominal surgery = unfun.

Moet doesn't do any of this, but he's grown out of it, Maybe's hitting 6 months so she's pretty much well into that horrible kitten stage.

But still, never had an animal do this before. She's played with that necklace intermittently for a month and only just now eaten/chewed it. :( Cry.

[jet-ski.livejournal.com]

yeah, she is still testing out her environment... we were very very lucky that mittens didn't eat anything when she was younger, she sounds like a very similar personality type to Maybe...(except that Mittens is much more aloof)

Petplan have been great with Bender's claims. There have been... 3 I think... maybe 4... all for quite significant amounts of money! It's a growing market and there are new insurers all the time. I did have another look around when I insured Barbie but all the others cost more.

Vets would know the most about it really since they deal with all the different insurers.

[psychrobia149.livejournal.com]

((((((oh dear))))))) :(

Is Maybe at home with you, or is she staying at the vet's?

I'm just glad that you *are* so observant of your kitties, *are* such a wonderful pet parent, and did catch the problem so early. (((((more hugs))))))

Hopefully, she won't need surgery, but if she does, you seem to have a good skilled vet who cares about her too, and that is win. (((((snugs)))))

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

She's at the vets for medication / observation / x-rays / etc. We should be getting a call in the next hour to know if it's going to be surgery or not. And then... surgery. :(

((hugs & hopes))

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

I hope Maybe gets through this ok.

I don't know if it's available in Australia, but I applied for assistance through this program: http://www.carecredit.com/ - ended up being a credit card financed through GE, but hey... We ended up not needing it when Chelsie ate the needle, but it's good to have a 'just in case' option.

[faerysprl.livejournal.com]

I'm sososo sorry. poor kitten, that is so scary. I really hope that it's just a spasm, it would suck for her to have to go through a surgery after already suffering through so much and you two having to pay all that. thinking healthy thoughts and prayers for Maybe.

[silere.livejournal.com]

Maybe is in my prayers, also. Been through similar things with my dog who loves to eat string. I hope she passes the obstruction and doesn't require surgery.. and if she does need the surgery, i hope everything goes smoothly and she heals well and quickly.

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

I really hope she's going to be okay.

Do you mind if I pimp your at on my LJ in connection with impending vet bills to hopefully help raise some fundage?

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

That would be awesome! I haven't got the latest totems up yet, but everything else is up to date here:

http://moonvoice.livejournal.com/975531.html

And here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ravensdreaming

I'm thinking about opening up for commissions, but I was already very low on energy, so I'm not sure if I can. :/ Ah well.

*hugs* It's okay too, you don't have to, Glen and I will make this work.

[malignlibra.livejournal.com]

Sending Maybe lots and lots of healing energy. Hopefully everything will work out and you'll have a happy kitty once more.

[anrui-ichido.livejournal.com]

Many positive vibes for Maybe, and also you and Glen (and Moet too, because he's family). *HUGS*

I really, really hope everything will be okay and that it won't completely wipe your savings. Poor kitty. It sounds like you have a solid vet who knows what they are doing, thank gods.

<3

[jayonas.livejournal.com]

Aw. :(

I hope she pulls through okay, and that you don't need to totally drain your savings in the process. I'm saying prayers and thinking good thoughts.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thank you.

And the look in that icon is the look Maybe gave me when he palpated the impacted area of her abdomen.

[jayonas.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. *hugs*

I hope that she never has to make a face like that again, and I'm glad that she has such a caring person there to help her through it this time.

[sistahraven.livejournal.com]

::big safe hugs:: As a former vet-tech (who worked emergency surgery for years), I want to let you know - a FB is always life-threatening, but they rarely, rarely result in death. It'll either pass or it won't, but having caught it early gives Maybe her best chances.

Of the thousands of foreign body critters who came through our hospital, I only knew of one who died. You caught it early, and that's good.

As for finances, I'm so sorry. It's so hard to get cleaned out over an emergency.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Dr. Barry said that too. He also said that because we caught it so early, the most expensive option (removing the section of bowel where the obstruction is because of decay/infection) is the least likely, because that tends to happen the longer you wait, vs. the less expensive option of still opening her up, but only having to remove the obstruction, rather than part of the bowel as well.

Poor thing though. She was in so much pain when he was palpating the area. :( She cried and clutched at me with her claws. Poor thing.

Thank you for your comment. The vet techs (both there and now it turns out here) have been very reassuring. They don't lie about the seriousness of the surgery, but the general gist is... because we caught it early, the prognosis is good.

[sistahraven.livejournal.com]

Totally - catching it early maximizes the chances of a positive outcome, and reduces the likelihood of needing the really expensive surgery (R&A).

For what it's worth, I once met a dog who ate an entire couch - over the course of a year. Everything from cushions to springs to frame to fabric - all of it. His owners never brought him in for the "couch incident," but he ate a towel a few years after the couch, which didn't pass, and needed to be removed.

Sometimes, animals will eat, and pass, the most amazing things. I very much hope Maybe doesn't need surgery, and that she will be comfortable in the meantime. :)

[makhsihed.livejournal.com]

Oh, no. :(

*hugs tight*

I hope she'll be okay! Praying for her.

[makhsihed.livejournal.com]

aaaaand art pimped everywhere! Hopefully you'll get a bite or two.

[wolftale.livejournal.com]

=(
Poor Maybe! Hope she'll be okay, and that a surgery is not needed..
*offer a hug*

[sidheblessed.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I really hope Maybe pulls through ok. She is young and healthy, though, so already she has a good fighting chance of getting through this and going on to never have another sick day in her life.

[earthguardian.livejournal.com]

I hope she'll be okay. :(

[naamah-darling.livejournal.com]

I hope she is okay. Please keep us updated. *hugs*

I know she has a good chance, but the worrying and not knowing suck beyond the telling.

[sheistheweather]

Thinking good thoughts for Maybe and for y'all.

[bunny-m.livejournal.com]

=[

*sends healing wishes for Maybe and all the calm/coping energy he has to you and Glen*

[tsukikokoro.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry I wasn't online between the time this first started happening and now. *hugs tightly*

> That was our 'paving for the back of the house and possible cheapie holiday for the first time in two years' money. The great irony is that we had just about decided on pet insurance for the cats, but were still weighing up the different companies.
I swear, this is the year saving is impossible. :| I was soo looking forward to you guys getting to go on vacation for the first time in so long. I hope that the fund-raising efforts/art sales rocket to help cover everything so that you don't have to miss out. O life. :(

[firehauke.livejournal.com]

Maybe is a strong kitten, she'll be fine. You I'm worried about :) *HUGS* dear one. Thinking of you and holding you and Maybe in my prayers.