My cat is sick, how can I treat him?

Your cat is suffering and is very ill. He needs to be seen by a veterinarian now. Most vets will work with you if you cannot afford treatment.

Please do not let your pet suffer- take him to the vet.

:(

@Dog Well hes not that ill. And I’m not that broke, its just that my parents will not allow me to spend over that amount. I’ve heard rat ulcers can be treated without going to the vet but I do not have any specific information other than that. Taking him to a vet would be too costly as I would only take him to a holistic vet and the ones around me are highly expensive. I don’t even have health insurance let alone have the money for a good vet. :(

@Dog I agree with you completely!
@Ailia Please please please do not let your cat suffer. There are many organizations in most areas that can help you if you cannot afford treatment. You may want to call some local shelters or the ASPCA to see if they have any suggestions. These organizations are more concerned with the welfare of your pet than your financial status.

Is he throwing up or pooping blood? How do you know he only has an ulcer?

Personally, I know we couldn’t necessarily afford it if one of our cats got sick, but we would still take them to the vet for emergency care and deal with the bill later. It’s just what you have to do.

what you don’t want is for your cat to die and then say “coulda, shoulda, woulda.” take him to the vet. a cat owner is responsible for the cat and he needs medical attention. he can’t talk and so he can’t tell you he is hurting, but don’t delay.

@casheroo Just throwing up at random times and no is he is not pooping blood. I am pretty sure he only has a rat ulcer which really isn’t an ulcer at all. It looks like a fat lip and they are usually signs of poor immune systems. My cat has had them on and off for the past years. Last year his immune system was very bad and he almost died. Thankfully he was taken to the vet and he became better. Now I’m thinking I should take him again because this rat ulcer may be a sign that this problem is flaring up. So the only barrier between him and the vet is my parents. I need to give them a strong case if I am allowed to take my pet to the vet. @Dog Do you know of any places in the Dallas area that have inexpensive or free evaluations or sessions?

If people can’t afford a vet visit they can’t afford the cost of owning a pet.

Please take your cat to a vet. Do what you have to to get the cash.

@Ailia I did some checking here and while you are correct that in some cases the ulcers can be due to poor immune systems, they can also be caused by or lead to cancer. In any case, I really believe you owe it to your cat to have it checked out. It’s all well and good for all of us to voice our opinions on the situation, but you really need to seek out the advice of a professional. Please express to your parents that the cat cannot take care of himself and is relying on you to care for him. I sincerely hope they are compassionate enough to understand- if not, please show them this thread.

Tell your parents hat you will work off the vet’s bill with sweat equity. If money is tight in your household, do some baby sitting to earn cash.

By “rat ulcer” do you mean Rodent Ulcer? If so, you need to be aware that these are from an autoimmune disease that is only controlled with steroids such as Depo-Medrol, and that they can occur inside the cat as well as on his lip. When Rodent Ulcers occur inside a cat, the cat may not be able to eat or swallow, or may suffer something like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. They are also called Eosinophilic Ulcers.

They are quite serious and cause quite a bit of pain. Your cat needs to see a vet.

As to inexpensive vets, ask the local Humane Society or ASPCA or any no-kill shelters in your area for recommendations. I have been told that the VCA Lindley Animal Hospital is relatively inexpensive in your area.

Supposedly these two are also less expensive:

Animal Clinic of Farmer’s Branch
14021 Denton Dr
Farmers Branch, TX 75234
Phone: (972) 247–2221

Pet Vet Animal Hospital
12801 Midway Rd # 210
Dallas, TX 75244
(469) 522–5100

From personal experience I have found that vets in the poorer parts of town often charge less, too, so you might think that way.

You also might see if your parents would consider CareCredit, which is in essence a vet services credit card but with convenient monthly payment options, no up-front costs, no prepayment penalties and no annual fees.

Take @casheroo‘s advice and get emergency care. Most vets will let you make payments over time on your bill.

@Darwin : You’re on fire!!!

I had a friend whose cat had Rodent Ulcer, and for a while it was one of the diagnoses for one of my cats. However, he turned out to have auto-immune gingivitis, which has a different mechanism.

There is a good rule of thumb to keep in mind when dealing with cats who are sick. They are much closer to their wild instinctual roots. In the wild an animal does everything it can to hide illness of any type as it’s sign of weakness and makes them vulnerable.

By the time that we humans become aware of a cat being ill, it is VERY VERY SICK.

This is not so much the case with dogs but is DEFINITELY true for cats.

You mentioned only wanting a holistic vet, but if the only affordable vet is a conventional one it comes down to a very simple choice. Would you prefer conventional treatment and a live cat as the final result or would you prefer to save up money for a holistic vet and end up with a dead cat due to the delay?

Sorry to be so blunt, but youve said he was already close to death once. Those of us who have cats simply do not often have the luxury of time. This cat has been sick for way longer than you have been aware. There is no doubt about that. Cats are very skillful at hiding signs of not being well so much better than dogs or other pets.

Please do not delay. Doing so could literally possibly kill him. Listen to all the excellent advice folks have offered and PLEASE do SOMEthing.

I hope you have treated this problem by now. Please consider giving the cat to someone who can afford to take proper care of it.

I agree with @YARNLADY also, what kind of parents are not going to let you get help for your sick cat?

Regarding funding there is always a way. You are talking to a person who is still paying student loan payments to pay for treatment for a pet that passed away 10 years ago. And NO I do not regret it.

Okay everyone I have taken care of the issue and my cat is about to undergo treatment. I was advised to change his diet and I am currently buying what he needs. He isn’t really sick, thankfully, and he just needs a little less stress and a better diet. @Darwin Thanks for the information it was really helpful, and thanks to everyone else who contributed. :)

Glad to hear your cat is on the road to recovery. To those who responded to your request for help: Telling someone they shouldn’t have a pet if they are on a tight budget is not helpful! Obviously you love your cat and want to take good care of him. There are a lot of things people on a budget do without, must they also give up the love and companionship of a pet. Let’s be helpful and not judgemental.