Expert: Ali - 8/21/2011

Question
Wendy had the same exact question I have regarding my cat,that I rescued from a neighbor after what I believe was hit by a car or something traumatic. He was neutered yesterday and came through that ok but the vet has assured me that Tango has a very serious situation going on. He's about 2yrs old and is such a loving animal. It kills me to see him so short winded. Before his surgery yesterday he tried to be a normal cat, playing hide and go seek, chasing the laser until he would just have to stop. He seems to be eating less and losing weight(all of the symptoms, other than vomiting, but does act he tries to cough up a hairball, but can't).The vet showed me the xray of his organs up in his chest and said that the procedure is probably the most difficult that he has to perform. I live in the east side of Houston, Tx. I can't imagine what the procedure would cost and am in terrible financial shape so could please help me find someone that can help in both areas. He's such company to me. I'd hate to lose him knowing that there could be help.

Thank You Very Much,
Karen

Answer
Karen,

Unfortunately I must be the bearer of bad news... This is a very serious injury, in fact it's life threatening and the repair should have taken precedence over the neuter (I don't know if this is related to the vet's judgement call or what!). Ultimately with abdominal organs in his chest breathing is very difficult... The repair must be done ASAP if you're going to do it, otherwise the most humane option would be to euthanize this kitty. I'm not sure if you're able to work out a payment plan for this repair with your veterinarian or if there is a clinic nearby that offers subsidized care (check with your local animal shelter they should be able to tell you about any resources that might exist locally that aren't showing up online). It sounds to me like you love this kitty very much and I know that times are tough but this kitty is in serious trouble medically as a result of his injuries and I know that some vets in my area would charge upwards of $3000 to fix this while others would charge around $1000.... Shopping around may be the answer, but I think in your circumstances subsidized care or a payment plan would be your best bet. I really wish that I could have offered more help, unfortunately I haven't found many resources online in your local area (that doesn't mean they don't exist, they may simply be hard to find unless you know what you're looking for by name). Please feel free to keep me updated as to how your little guy is doing. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again at any time - I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can.

Kind regards,

Ali