Vet or Vet tech question

[Mickey527]

here is the story. My son is in the Marines, I am disabled and on a tight budget. My son's cat got into a fight and has an area that has become infected.
I called the vet and explained everything to them. I have used this vet for 23 years, sometimes I paid in full, other times I have owed him some but paid it within 2-3 months.
The receptionist said that the cost to take care of the cat on what I was telling her would be between $600 and $800 and that with the economy being the way it is they accept only cash now. They told me they would probably need to lance and clean the area, put in a drain, keep him overnight and start antibiotics.
I don't have that kind of money, and can't get in touch with my son right now.
The cat was licking the wound and either bit it or it just opened on it's own. I cleaned it and washed it with antibacterial soap and put a gauze and dressing on it.
I have to keep antibiotics on hand for myself in case I get a cut to take right away to prevent infection. I know in the past the Vet has given these cats amoxicillin but not sure of the dose.
I know, I will hear from the pet lovers saying I should never self medicate the cat, but I would never self medicate myself or a family member, this is a cat who is not even mine, who I don't really like, but promised my son I would feed and clean his litter while he served our country.
So, what is the dose for a cat that weighs about 12-14 lbs.

 

[Order66]

Take this advise at your own risk..... but treatment for a simple bite abcess shouldn't cost near that much. Perhaps you can find a vet that will give you the most basic treatment and script some antibiotics out. Try calling a clinic in your nearest big city/lower income neighborhood. We tend to be a lot more used to dealing with people with limited money to spend.

Cat's do not tolerate bites from their own species very well due to the bacterias they have in their mouths. That it has opened on it's own is good. Usually cats run quite a fever with abcesses, but if it's draining now the fever should go down. Keep the wound washed, water is fine. If he will let you soak it or wrap it in a wet towel (hot compress) for 10 minutes a day do that.

DO NOT give him any anti-fever meds like tylenol or aspirin. It can be lethal to cats. Make sure he is eating and drinking. When cats are ill they tend not to eat and then you have a whole new set of complications that can arise from it.

An average cat is generally given 50mg of amoxicillin twice a day. It's going to be difficult to figure that out properly with a human capsule. Cat's are usually given liquid or pills made especially for pets due to their need for smaller doses.

Good Luck.

regards

 

[secretpantssam]

I don't have any advice to give, but I hope your kitty feels better soon

 

[NYCDiane]

I agree with the other poster who said it shouldn't cost nearly that much for this type of thing.... I don't know where you're located, but are there any low cost spay/neuter clinics by you? The reason I ask is because many of these places also offer very low cost veterinary care. My cat (who died last year ) was sick and I took her to one of the ones by me and he only charged me $150 including an overnight stay, 2 weeks worth of meds, and a follow up. A regular vet would have probably charged $600 at the very least.

Good luck to you and your grand-kitty. And THANK YOU and GOD BLESS your son for protecting our country!

 

[Mickey527]

Thanks so far for the advice.
I did call the ASPCA and the local pound and they both recommended the vet that I use and told me they are the cheapest and the one that the city pound uses.
The cat looks so much better already. He has been chewing at his bandages so much that we have had to replace them a few times a day.
It drained green for a while but I pressed it until I got serosanguonous (mixed with blood) hey, I didn't go to nursing school for nothin... and it drained clear for a few days.
I finally got in touch with a friend who lives in PA and works for a vet and she said 200 mg per day is the amount they give (50 mg 4 times a day) so I guessed correctly on that one.
I took the cats temp using a baby rectal thermometer on tuesday, the first day I cleaned the wound, and his temp was 100 which I am assuming is normal for a rectal in a cat. He is and has always acted normal, other than crying when we touched the area before it started to swell.
So I will continue this and watch him for anything further.
My friend also said I should get the cat a rabies shot so I am going to call the vet tomorrow and get that done, but not going to let them treat the other stuff.

 

[pixiewings71]

Ok my cat just had this....we did not take her to vet, it was something we could take care of at home BUT my BFF is a tech and did get us the correct meds. Not taking the cat in is your choice but please use the advice you receive with the knowledge that most people who are going to post are not vets or vet techs.

We cleaned the area and drained the wound ourselves, OMG that was the most DISGUSTING thing I have EVER smelled...it was nasty!!!! I mean gag inducing stink. Anyway, what needs to be done is the area around the wound needs to be cleared of hair, then the wound needs to be cleaned and drained, then the cat will need meds, we had an oral and a topical. We gave both for 10 days. Do not bandage the wound, leave it open to the air so it can dry out, you just need to watch it to make sure it does not get dirty again. Do not use soap....that was the first thing my BFF said, the soap will irritate the wound, I know you've done it once but please, don't use it any more. You can put Neosporin on the wound itself, the topical will help. We did get something from my BFF, it was the same thing as Neosporin but made for animals and called something else. We also got amox for Mouse, we gave her 1 ml per dose, twice a day for 10 days. FTR, when I asked my BFF what it would cost if I just took her in she said "a couple hundred bucks", no way should an abscess cost what you were quoted!!!
Thank you for taking care of your DS's kitty while he is taking care of our country. And Thank your DS for taking care of our country!

 

[digitalsiren]

I recently took in a stray-turned-house cat for the something similar. I was given a choice of two treatments: an e-collar, flushing, antibiotics and a few weeks of strict rest (one room, no jumping or playing with other pets) or an e-collar, flushing, antibiotics and sedate for suturing. I chose the second (so I could neuter him as well) and even though I work there I don't think it would have cost beyond $300-350 with follow-up care for a regular client. I find it odd that they would quote you a price over the phone for something they have never seen. Anyhow, it would be worth an office visit and a request for at least some antibiotics - even if you can't take it further. I got a Convenia injection for him so I didn't have to struggle pilling him and put him through further stress. You may also want to consider Care Credit and see if any veterinarians in your area accept it - just go to the Care Credit website.

 

[zumbergc]

neighbor kitty had something close. He must have gotten bitten on the back leg. It was all pick, and swollen, loss of fur, tender.

Neighbor took kitty in, she chose to go wait and see along with anti-biotics, she went with the shot anti-biotic, so she didn't have to pill him. The wound got better, was healing, but still was a little swollen at the 10 day check-up. He got another penacilian shot, and he is all better, running and jumping etc.

I probably would have went with lancing and cleaning the wound out... I would recommend keeping kitty inside the house, and getting the cat a toy, to keep his mind and body active, while he isn't getting all the running and playing outside.

If you go in to the vet. You can tell them what you want to get done. Have it looked over, and rx for anti-biotics....
Just make sure thats clear and they will listen to what you want done.

 

[Order66]

Take the bandage off. Most cats are just irritated by it anyway and it's better to let it drain.

You should also wait 10 days before vaccinating him. First because his immune system is compromised due to the infection and it's not the best time to stimulate it with a vaccination. Also due to a bite involved the legalities usually involve a 10 day waiting period for Rabies. It's highly unlikely the other cat was infected but for everyone's safety wait it out.

FWIW, I am a vet tech.

regards

 

[Disneyliscious]

My cat got shot a couple of year ago. She looked like death. The bullet went in behind her right front leg and came out right in the middle of her front legs....below the neck. There was a gaping hole in her chest.

Took her to the emergency vet who bandaged her up and cost $160. Took her to my regular vet 2 days later and was told I could "risk it and see how it healed" or I could have her front leg amputated because the bone was shattered so bad - at a cost of $700.

I took the risk and today you'd never know the cat was ever shot. She doesn't even limp.

Cats have a way of healing themselves. I agree about taking the bandage off.....and let the cat do his own thing.

 

[torinsmom]

Just so you know, you never have to do everything the vet recommends. I will always ask what is absolutely necessary to get the cat better. The overnight stays are expensive, and I would rather stay up all night tending to the cat myself(actually have done that) I have said no to bloodwork when it was an obvious infection. I just waited until the infection was gone and decided. Usually, antibiotics work with no need for the bloodwork.

A good vet will not think badly of you for not doing everything that COULD be done. They will also give you the cost of things BEFORE they do them. I love my vet!

Marsha

 

[clutter]

Keep an eye out for a free or low cost rabies clinic. Most vets will charge for an office visit and perform a check-up in order to give the vaccination.

 

[trip]

I hope the cat is doing well, maybe you can keep the cat indoors so it won't happen again. I'm an animal lover but not a fan of wandering cats or dogs.

 

[lisajl]

speaking as someone who works for a vet, that receptionist must not know what the H she is talking about.
There is no way it should cost that much. If you call and make an appt, when you see the doctor tell him you have $100 or whatever. He will do what he needs to do and keep the cost down.
That what happens where I work. Maybe she misunderstood what was going on with the cat. One more thing...if you have the cat bandaged, take it off, if there is an infection there, it needs to drain.

Lisa

 

[Mickey527]

Just wanted to let everyone know that Wicket is doing better. I did take the bandage off. It is not draining, but he won't stop licking it. That is what makes me want to cover it up because he is biting his hair off around the area. He has already pulled alot out but he is spreading the bald spot larger than the wound.
I wish I lived near some of you though, our vets are expensive.
I took my brother's dog to the vet today for him because he has had diarrhea for a week. the vet did a stool sample test and gave him a shot of IM fluids, 2 antibiotics, an Imodium type pill and 6 cans of special food for dogs with diarrhea. The bill came to $292.
Wwhile I was there I asked the Vet what he does for cats with an abscess. He said lance and clean the wound, put in a drain if necessary, antibiotics, a stay overnight and a no bite collar. I asked him what he would charge and he said between $300 and $400.

 

[flick]

I am glad that your son's cat is getting better

Kim

 

[lisajl]

I'm glad he is doing better, but he may be cleaning the wound. It may just look like nothing is coming out because he is licking it away. Plus, if it is draining, he is trying to keep it clean and pulling out his fur to keep it clean.
That is just crazy what they are charging, but at our place sometimes we estimate high just to make sure we are covering everything.
Then when it is less expensive people are happy, we are happy too.
Good luck with the kitty!
Lisa