so my dear orange tabby has hypertrophic congestive heart failure

[grasswire]

The other night I asked for vibes for my kitty Keiko, who is the sweetest of the sweet big marmalade ringtail cat. He's been wheezing for a few days. Tonight he was worse. Much much worse. So I had to take him to the emergency clinic -- a humiliating and expensive solution. Humiliating because I could not afford the options they suggested, and had to bring kitty home rather than leave him there for oxygen and care. They said the bill could go as high as $2800 for care and procedures for 24 hours.

Diagnosis: hypertrophic congestive heart failure.

So now I'm off to read about the ramifications. And I'm mad. Why aren't there low-cost clinics for fixed-income pet owners? Why, in this animal-loving country, aren't there some donors who could sponsor some kind of care?

This problem is going to get worse as the economy worsens. Where will all the pets go whose owners can no longer afford to care for them?

[Heidi]

1. Dang.

grasswire, I'm so sorry to hear this. Love and protection to your sweet Keiko. :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Muttocracy]

2. oh, hugs to you and your kitty

:hug:

Here's a link - and it makes me wonder - are there any vet schools near you? Cornell is near me and for some things it's cheap, for others expensive, but maybe it would be worth calling one of the vet schools or vet tech schools near you and finding out if they offer any reduced rates, maybe if students get to observe your kitty.

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/hcm.aspx

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/11215.htm