Loco is neg for Feline Leuk!!!!!

[amy jo]

It is nearly 5:00 in the morning and I have been between this site and Google all nite. I finally found out what Loco eye problem is called and I have been crying so hard, I couldn't tell you. The site explained it and showed a picture of it and said that there is only a couple of reasons trauma or serious deadly diseases. Cancer or Lukemia or that other thing. It all fits, his age the time since he was at the pound for the spay neuter program, and I thought I was being a responsible pet owner. I felt so good about having that done, I really did, I saved that money up and got both of my boys done. Now I am going to loose him. There is really no other choice for me, I can't afford hundreds of dollars for medications that will only prolong his life for a few months. If I had that kind of money I would do it in a heart beat, but I only have $650 a month to live on and some food stamps which I am selling to pay for this Vet visit Thursday. I feel like my heart is breaking in half all over again.

He is the one who sits on my chest and knocks my glasses off when I cry about things. I just don't know what lessons I am supposed to learn here since the end of 2003 but I have suffered enough major loss and death to last me for the rest of my life. I just don't know how I am going to do this. Should I put him to sleep now, or should I wait until he gets sicker or how do I know. Please help me to know, I don't have an established relationship with this Vet. I know I have probably been driving you people crazy with all of these posts, but I just don't have much of a life besides my cats and church. I need all the input you can give me on this okay. Thanks

 

[charmed654321]

Before you get yourself this upset, why not wait until you see the vet on Thursday. There have been many times I went to the vet with a pet convinced I would have to put them to sleep, and what I thought was wrong wasn't wrong.

If you do go and find out there is something they can do to save his life but you can't afford it, all is not lost.

Here is a list of places you can apply to for emergency help in paying a vet bill for something like an operation or emergency procedure. It's my understanding that some of them, if you send them your info immediatley, can step in even within 4-7 days. And from what you've said, your income would entitle you to the help.

Go to this site, http://www.ddaf.org/faq/ and click on the 2nd link down, Can DDAF help me pay my companion animal's medical bills?

Check those out (In Memory of Magic I think is not accepting applications right now, but the other 3 are, but check out In Memory of Magic anyway, I haven't checked that out in a while. Then go to general/miscellaneous (i haven't looked through those yet, you might find something else).

But at least those 3 I know will help with emergency vet bills for low-income people.

I'd suggest printing out the applications tonight, filling them out and getting everything ready so that if, in the worst case, need to apply, it's ready and you can simply send them out as fast as possible.

Hopefully it won't be as bad as you think. We scare ourselves sometimes when it's not necessary.

And if the vet is competent, they will be honest with you about what the best thing to do is, and when.

I'll be rooting for you and your baby.

 

[charmed654321]

Here's one that was in the general/miscellaneous ...

It's really worth reading through all those.

http://www.catsincrisis.org/policies.html

 

[batgirl2good]

***hugs***
Charmed gave some good advice. I am certainly praying for you, and I will look for updates from you. There are lots of people here who will be rooting for you and for your kitty.

 

[rosiemac]

I've just posted in your thread in the bridge, and i really would advise against googling symptoms until the vet has had a look because things can always look worse than what they really are

My bf was having tests done on his lungs and because i googled lung problems i had him with only 5 years to live!, but it turned out it was an allergy, so pleased don't google.

 

[dazeemazeegraze]

Originally Posted by amy jo

It is nearly 5:00 in the morning and I have been between this site and Google all nite. I finally found out what Loco eye problem is called and I have been crying so hard, I couldn't tell you. The site explained it and showed a picture of it and said that there is only a couple of reasons trauma or serious deadly diseases.

I do know how you feel. Several months ago, Mazeeâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s left eye swelled up one evening. She also had some discharge. Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s appearance had me convinced she was going to lose it. The vet exam revealed Conjunctivitis. It was treated with an eye ointment.

Noticed in your other thread about allergies. Once got a new shampoo that made Chance sneeze every time he got near me. Someone asked about any new cleaning products. Perhaps you could make a list of personal & household cleaning items for the vet visit?

Best wishes that Loco is better soon.

 

[jlutgendorf]

It's going to be ok.
You can't diagnose him yourself as you aren't a vet, so don't worry just yet.
Also realize that anyone can post anything on the internet. There is no quality control out there. What you read about may not even be acurate or true.
You will be doing the best you can by taking your kitty in to see the vet. Discuss your concerns, and don't leave there until you have all your questions answered. Start thinking of questions now and write them down to take with you.
Meanwhile, stay calm and we're all sending you and your kitty healing vibes. Hopefully it's nothing more than allergies or a scratched cornea.
Please let us know how he does.

~Julia

 

[lorie d.]

First of all, WHY have you started a thread in the Crossing The Bridge Forum????? There are many diifferent problems that can develop in a cat's eyes and only a vet can tell you for sure what is wrong. This could be a minor eye condition that can be easily treated, and the office visit and medications might inexpensive. So please don't give up on Loco, and please don't believe everything you read on the internet.

 

[zissou'smom]

You say it could have been trauma, right? Maybe he just has a kitty black eye that you don't know about! A cat back home got stung in the mouth by a bee, and his little face was all swollen and everybody was freaking out, not knowing what it was, until someone went down in the basement and got... stung by a bee. Apparently he had tried to eat it or something. He was perfectly fine a day later, just very wary of bug-hunting.

Pictures online can be very very misleading. Please don't be sad until you know whats wrong, and it might not be anything big! Esp if his only symptom is his eye!

If you have a stomachache and go online looking for answers, all of a sudden you think you've got West Nile and ulcers and IBD and every other thing, then you go to the doctor and he says, oh, here's some heartburn medicine!

 

[amy jo]

Okay, I will take your advice and try to think positive. My mother is the one who started me with the terminal stuff. She said that whenever that inner eyelid is showing in both eyes and the eyes begin to change shape in conjunction with dramatic weight loss it is serious. I guess having had a Vet in the family we always think we know. We usually are right, I pray we are wrong this time. I am going to relax and just love him up like crazy the next couple of days. I think I may feed him some of the kitten food to see if that may fatten him up some too. Thank all of you sooooooo much, I have frog eyes and that is so unattractive :.(

 

[jlutgendorf]

How was Loco's vet trip? What did they think was wrong?

~Julia

 

[hell603]

got any news?

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by amy jo

Okay, I will take your advice and try to think positive. My mother is the one who started me with the terminal stuff. She said that whenever that inner eyelid is showing in both eyes and the eyes begin to change shape in conjunction with dramatic weight loss it is serious. I guess having had a Vet in the family we always think we know. We usually are right, I pray we are wrong this time. I am going to relax and just love him up like crazy the next couple of days. I think I may feed him some of the kitten food to see if that may fatten him up some too. Thank all of you sooooooo much, I have frog eyes and that is so unattractive :.(

Amy Jo - I hope I'm not reading this right and that you aren't taking him to a vet. You need to take him to the vet for examination and treatment. Even if the inner eyelid is showing he may well have something that can be treated easily. Sounds like you have given up and are just going to "love" on him. Please, please take him to a vet. The inner eye showing indicates he is sick but not necessarily terminal.

 

[czari]

{{{{{Amy Jo}}}}}

Sending warm thoughts and prayers to both you and Loco.

I agree with the other posters about the googling online. There's something to be said for being informed, but I tend to "catrastophise." I'm on some meds and when I have a side effect and check it out online, I'm just sure the outcome is going to be dire. In fact my Dr. told me to not check things out as much, knowing that about me.

Waiting to hear something from your vet visit.

 

[lunasmom]

Originally Posted by amy jo

Okay, I will take your advice and try to think positive. My mother is the one who started me with the terminal stuff. She said that whenever that inner eyelid is showing in both eyes and the eyes begin to change shape in conjunction with dramatic weight loss it is serious. I guess having had a Vet in the family we always think we know. We usually are right, I pray we are wrong this time. I am going to relax and just love him up like crazy the next couple of days. I think I may feed him some of the kitten food to see if that may fatten him up some too. Thank all of you sooooooo much, I have frog eyes and that is so unattractive :.(

Is your mom the one that is the Vet in the family? If not, whoever is, have them give Loco a thorough examination for the eye or a trusted vet outside the family.
We thought Whitey might be diabetic when we first got him because of number of times he drank water and peed. After week he didn't do that so much. We just figured it was all part he may have been nervous in a new environment.

Self-diagnosis can lead to more hurt then just going to see someone that does this for a living. About a year ago B thought that he was on his way to esophigical cancer because of some of the symptoms he had, including chest pain...after a visit to the doctor his physical being was healthy, he was just having panic attacks (from the job he use to have).

Good luck and let us know what you find out from the vet!

 

[amy jo]

I want to thank all of you for your good vibes and prayers, Loco is responding to antibiotic therapy and has tested negative to Leukemia. Apparently in Monroe County NY it is worse than many places in the USA. I have worried myself sick over this. At least the rest of my "babies" are safe at this point. I am making arrangements to have them vaccinated, it is costly but to avoid another scare like this it is worth it. I am not sure what I am going to immunize them against yet but the Vet and I are going to talk it over. Since they are total indoor cats I guess that makes a difference. I will never take another animal to our city pound for neuter/spaying again that is for sure. He said that is a very bad idea unless your pet is protected against everything. He called it the "Den of Iniquity", I like this Vet he is one of the least expensive general Vets in the city. I called around and I was shocked at the variance of the prices. I am just so happy that he is responding to treatment, and that so far the rest of my "herd" is safe.

Thank you so much for your support, this is one of my favorite places to be.

 

[jcat]

Threads merged. That's very good news! What did the vet say about Loco's eyes?

 

[amy jo]

He said that when that inner eyelid begins to show that indicates a very sick cat. He did have a temperature of 104 and he got a shot of antibiotics Thursday and I am following with pills 2X's a day. We didn't test for the other 2 big ones because of the prevalence of the Leukemia in Rochester. He wants me to finish the antibiotics and call him in a week and a half to let him know how Loco is doing. At this point his inner eyelids have drawn back largely when he is up and around. They are still unusually pronounced when he is relaxed or grooming himself. He is up and around much more and is eating better and seems to be filling out a bit.

Again, as I read through all of your posts, thank you so much for your support. I was just crying most of the time when I was up all night stressing out over this. With the loss of my daughter 2 years ago and my seperation from my husband (he is in jail, and I hope that all of you don't act funny with me now, he broke the law not me) that started 2 1/2 years ago I got my cats right after all that happened. So they have really filled a huge void in my life. I have always had cats but we had a dog that didn't like them. I had to get rid of that dog when my husband left so I was able to get my cats again.

The only good thing about all of that.

What a great bunch of people you are. Thanks again.

 

[jennyr]

You sound like you have been through a lot and no one would blame you for being stressed. But I am sure you should try to calm down now that you know things are not so bad and then you can think about the good things in your life. Good luck with Loco and the other kits.

 

[czari]

It's WONDERFUL to hear this good news!!

You sure have been through a lot!!! So very sorry to hear about your daughter.

Hoping you, and Loco, and get some good, relaxing rest.