Ear Polyp

[georgez]

Hello,

I came here looking for some advice for my cat, hopefully someone can be of help. Last year at some point, our 10 year old female cat started showing signs of an ear infection. After taking her to the veterinarian, she was diagnosed with an ear polyp, and we were referred to a specialist. The Specialist confirmed the diagnosis, and gave up 2 suggestions. The first method was a procedure to pull out the polyp. Unfortunately, in many cases, the polyp simply regrows over time, negating any benefit from removing it. The second option was to remove the polyp surgically, which is more likely to get rid of the problem completely, but the vet really wasn't that reassuring when we asked about potential damage to hearing.

Either way though, the overall problem is the fact that although we love and adore our precious kitty with all our hearts, neither procedure was affordable to us. The removal procedure was in the neighborhood of 800 dollars, while the surgery was over 1200.

Since then, the problem has gotten worse. Our cat shows no visible signs of pain or discomfort, but she's been experiencing bleeding in her ear, and the polyp has grown to the point where it's clearly visible. Now I would never do anything to harm my cat, but is it possible for our cat to continue to live a happy and healthy life despite this problem? Can anyone give any advice? Thanks.

 

[strange_wings]

Cats can hide pain very well. If her ear is bleeding you can probably be sure it hurts, afterall your ear would be.
Sorry that the procedures cost a lot, but your kitty needs to have something done.

Is there any way you can talk to the vet about payments? or even a low interest loan from a bank?

 

[cathyc]

Goodness that is expensive. Maybe you should talk to another vet and see what they would charge. I say this because my kitty has something similar...a cyst in his ear. He digs at it a lot and it has been bleeding. He is having surgery next week to remove the cyst, have a tooth pulled, teeth cleaned and pre-op blood work. The total is going to be $248. I hope you can find a way to have it done. Good luck!

 

[alleygirl]

It wouldn't hurt to check around to other vets to see if any of them have a better price. Will he not work out a payment schedule for you at all?

I'm sure its uncomfortable for the kitty so something really should be done.

 

[mytoys2u]

An untreated ear polyp can cause damage ... and be very painful to the cat. If you can see about payments, that would be great.

One of our cats had a polyp removed "the simple way" a year ago and was told that they grow back in 50 - 80% of cases.

Wednesday, he is scheduled for the surgery ... unfortunately, the place we go to is one of the best animal hospitals in the southwest ... and they charge quite a bit. The surgery is going to cost about $3,500 ... ouch!!

 

[leto86]

We have had 3 cats that have had this same thing. (rescue)

The first one they just pulled it out and it regrew. The next time we took it out surgically. For her she had over $2000 worth of the 2 procedures and aftercare, it would have been alot cheaper and better for her if we went the surgical route the first time.

The next was a kitten, who had the surgery and was adopted out.

The last is a current cat we have that we are going to have to schedule the surgery for. She has constant pus coming out of her ear, and I can imagine it's extremely painful, though she doens't show it.

We adopted out a kitten to a family this past December, and last week or so we got an email from them saying that the cat had a polyp in his ear and they were reffered to a specialist and had the surgery done. Thank god they were good people and didn't put him to sleep instead of pay for the surgery!
He's doing well, but has lost the hearing in that ear. But it doesn't make him any different. They still love him the same as they did, if not more.

I personally think that the surgery is the best way to go.

Good luck and I hope that the kitty feels better soon.

 

[white cat lover]

I just thought I'd toss out that I have 2 deaf cats & while surgery may result in hearing damage, the cat adjusts. There is a kitty at the shelter here with hearing damage due to a sever inner ear infection & the only way she's different is she's very noisy when she meows.

 

[georgez]

Thanks guys, I may opt for the surgery after taking my cat to another vet for a second opinion. While I certainly am not an expert int he field, and I know I'm going to take a lot of heat for this statement, but honestly while there are many wonderful and honest veterinarians out there, I believe there are many out there who are running a racket and taking advantage of the irrational emotional attachment many of us have for our pets. There is just no reason at all why such a minor procedure should be so expensive.

 

[white cat lover]

Originally Posted by GeorgeZ

Thanks guys, I may opt for the surgery after taking my cat to another vet for a second opinion. While I certainly am not an expert int he field, and I know I'm going to take a lot of heat for this statement, but honestly while there are many wonderful and honest veterinarians out there, I believe there are many out there who are running a racket and taking advantage of the irrational emotional attachment many of us have for our pets. There is just no reason at all why such a minor procedure should be so expensive.

If you aren't comfortable with a vet, for whatever reason, always get a second opinion! Although, on the same note....watch out for the "cheapest" vet...I know one vet locally charges 1/2 price for spays/neuters...he doesn't use stitches(at all) for neuters & he uses a cheaper, not so good anesthetic.

 

[mnjulz]

http://www.sonic.net/~pals/ - Pets Are Loving Support.


http://www.help-a-pet.org/ - A Non Profit Organization Helping with the financial medical costs of pets.


http://www.pbrc.net/home.html - Pit Bull Rescue Central - may help with medical costs for Pit Bulls.

http://www.westiemed.com/ - Websites in need of medical attention is our Mission. WestieMed, Inc., is an all-volunteer, IRS-recognized non-profit corporation created to distribute financial aid to injured or ill rescue Westies.

http://www.labmed.org/ - May help with labrador medical financial costs.

http://www.labsr4u.com/ - This organization is dedicated to providing financial aid to rescued and privately owned labs in need of a helping hand.

http://www.corgiaid.org/ - CorgiAid is a nonprofit organization founded to provide financial assistance to corgis and corgi mixes. We help out those who rescue dogs from shelters or other non-permanent homes, then foster them until a new home is found. Medical and other expenses for these dogs can become high; CorgiAid gathers donations from those who want to help, and, within our funding guidelines, and gets funds to those rescuers who apply for help.

http://www.doberman911.org/ - Help for Dobermans.

http://www.gsd-rescue.org/ - Help for German Sheperds

http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/ - The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.

http://www.ashleyfund.org/ - They help dogs in North Carolina.

http://www.nysave.org/index_2.html - New York Only

http://www.petdiabetes.com/ or http://www.petdiabetes.net/ - For Diabetic Pets Only.

http://www.IMOM.org - This site will help with Financial Assistance of Medical Costs for fur babies. You will have to fill out a form to find out if you qualify.


http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html: United Animal Nations. Established the LifeLine fund in 1997 to aid companion animals in times of life threatening emergencies when their caregivers, with low or no incomes, are unable to afford the entire cost of treatment.

http://www.pawssf.org/ - May help with financial support if you qualify


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[catladyx8]

I have an older cat, named Callie. She has been battling an ear infection for some itme now.  Whe she saw the vet two weeks ago the vet said she had a pseudomonas infection in her ears and gave her an oral antibiotic for two weeks.  Callie was a good gril and took all the doses.  today she went for a two week follow-up and the news was not good.  the vet had to do some serious cleaning and it was a mess.  Lots of brown/black gunk came out as well as pus and blood.  Ocne the ears were clean enough, she was able to visualize polyps in each ear.  the left ear was worse and the polpy was raw and irritated from infection. For now the treatment is to gvie a daily enzymatic ear rinse adn she received an antibiotic injection adn a stgeroid injection for the inflammaiton adn itching.  the vet said to get rid of the polyp it owuld require major surgery with a dissection of her ear.  Not happening.  I considered putting her down seeing as this will be a chronic life long issue but the vet said Callie wasn't at that point yet.  Other than the polyps, Callie is healthy, so ti will be a wait and see situaiton.  Does anyone know of other treatment to shrink the polyps and/or kepe infections at bay? Any natural treatments?   I love my kids, all 8 of them, but  money is always an issue, especially when it could be thousands of dolalrs for one cat.  All my kids are rescues or strays.  Suggestions welcome!  Thanks!

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• catladyx8
• Sep 30, 2014

 

[john watson]

Old thread but in 2015, and around here, no vet will touch Polyps of any kind (my 9yo Tortie has a middle ear one) and all of them will send you to a specialist where just for the initial consultation is $115.00 then around 2-3 thousand dollars more for the surgery + going home meds cost. 

No vet around here will even attempt a traction anymore due to the dismal rate of return (and because most vets are scared if anything goes wrong a lawsuit might be filed) and instead send you to a specialist who does the VBO procedure and for my 9 year old cat that is a very rough surgery.  My kitty had a knot/raised bump between her shoulder blades when they had her under anesthesia to see into her ears and it took a month to go away (her belly was flat on the table) so I am too afraid of what might happen and the cost itself.

So, I will continue to fight the ear infections with what I can (the vet will no longer see her if it is an ear problem of any kind until I go have the polyp removed).  Boy has the cost of owning a pet/companion gone through the roof and when both of two remain babies pass away I am done.  I love my babies but suddenly cats are so delicate (I never heard of cats being this delicate growing up) in the modern age and vets are so hungry for money (gone are the horse doctors it seems).

Sad thing is all vets around here are like this so simply dismissing it and say go find another vet will not work here and here is within a 75 mile radius around Memphis, TN.

 

[bbmuffin]

Hey John I saw your post and was wondering how you treat your pets ears without the surgery or vet.

 

[john watson]

I just did a week of Apple Cider Vinegar and the last of Tresaderm I had and POOF in 3 days all infection was gone and was coming out like dead skin. I am going to try this (don't go for the Hydrocortisone version) as I have heard nothing but good about this and while I asked how it stacks up against Tresaderm I did not get an answer. I did do a lot of research and it is almost as good and just as good for most stuff. What it does is the enzymes get to the gunk and create a Hydrogen Peroxide from eating the gunk and the natural milk ingredients does the rest.

So, the next time she gets an ear infection (she had it in both ears not just the right one with the polyp) I will try just Apple Cider Vinegar (anti fungal/anti bacterial/anti viral) and if that doesn't do it I will try just the Zymox but don't clean the ears or do anything else to them for 7 days.

As far as the polyp she will live however much longer she has as my vet showed me her polyp while under anesthesia and said it isn't life threatening. So, she only loses her balance when she shakes her head and has learned how to counter balance it mostly. I know my luck, and the operation is nothing simple I can tell you as they remove the bone (just gone nothing there by the ear) by cutting under their chins and there have been cases of death and cases of permanent droop of that side of the face (as if they had a stroke) , and she would either die during the operation or be a poster kitty for what a stroke looks like and live a bad rest of her life while I would be out the 3 grand. I just can't do that to her because she is over 9 years old now (most cats who get a polyp get it as kittens and pre 4 year old cats and it comes from a virus I read from current research) going on 10 and the surgery is a tad much. I know she is one tough cookie but not the procedure I saw at her age.

 

[john watson]

The stuff I am going to try, if the ACV doesn't work next time, is