Cat Gingivitis

[Carlo]

I need some advice. My vet says my six-year-old cat has the worst case of gingivitis she's ever seen in her life and needs her teeth pulled right away. However, she said it would cost about $1000. I can't afford that and as cruel as it sounds I am unwilling to pay that much. Meanwhile, the cat is in excruciating pain. She is skin and bones. She also has become the grumpiest of cats and hisses and/or attacks anyone who comes near her. When in a really bad mood, she will urinate on our beds. She drools everywhere and the drool is very toxic. If I lay my head on any pillow she has drooled on my eyes will become inflamed. We love her but can't put up with this any more, nor can we afford the vet's recommended treatment.

Is there any affordable way to fix her? If there is nothing affordable we can do we feel our only option is to give her to the humane society and hope she finds a better home with someone who can afford to take better care of her.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Tambrey]

you can try carecredit
and see if they can help with financing....

talk to you vet about payment options....most vets are willing to work out a reasonable plan with their clients...

is there anything of value that you can sell to raise the money...

when a family adopts a cat or dog...they do so for life...knowing that it could possibly cost alot of money....it is not fair to let the cat be suffering as she is...it is not fair to send her away...she would not understand and the Humane Society would not be able to adopt her out...she would be euthanized...

hopefully you can find a solution that works

[mamaof4soon]

I agree with Tambrey.

Adoption or buying an animal is for life. She is in PAIN right now! there are plans out there even if your vet doesnt have one. try somewhere else, ask them what it would cost to do it. Get the estimate from your regular vet and call other places and say what would the estimate be if you had these types of procedures done? Make sure they are reputable. You need to be reponsible for your pet, and like tambrey said she will not know what is going on. You are her care taker, take care of her. ANd yes she will be killed if you take her to the humane society even a no kill shelter does put down some animals.

Of course the cat is in a bad mood. Have you ever had a toothache? Well you go to the dentist and pay what you have to to get it fixed. Your cat cant she relies on you to fix her pains. Brushing the teeth of a cat would be helpful but as her teeth are very bad that would be meaningless at this point and you could wind up hurting her.

Search around and see what other vets can offer, try carecredit like tambrey suggested. BUT DO THIS FAST, your cat can go septic with all of that stuff going down into her from her teeth. This is a very serious important situation that needs to be fixed NOW. I certainly wouldnt want someone telling me I had to wait to get my teeth fixed or not at all just because i wasnt human. What gives us that right just because we might want to spend it on something for us. I get that most of us live from pay check to pay check but we find ways of doing things. find a way please and fast.

Please

[Marty]

May I ask what you are feeding your cat? 6 yrs seems a bit young to me for this kind of problem...

[Carlo]

Thanks. I will contact the vet right away to see about a payment plan. We feel like horrible parents! But my wife and I are starving artists and can't even afford to pay for our own medical/dental problems. We had fulltime jobs when we got the cat and would have had no problem paying for this before, but our lives have changed and we had to make sacrifices. Our poor cat "Shmoo" is suffering because of this. I have a friend who works at the local humane society and she actually said that a large amount of the pets at her branch get adopted, even the one-eyed scraggly ones. But I think it is because I live in a hippie city where a lot of people are into rescuing animals.
She was pretty sure she could give the kitty a better home. It pains me to say it but even if she has to be put to rest at least she wouldn't be in pain anymore. But I will try everything I can afford. Thanks for the advice.

[Tambrey]

maybe she will be rescued...but will she then get the proper care, or would she go to someone else who could not afford her dental care....you have to think of that as well...

[Carlo]

Marty - the vet said it is genetic and has nothing to do with the food. We actually use a top of the line cat food that is supposed to be good for teeth.

[mamabear]

Do you know what the genetic problem would be? I mean of course brushing the teeth does help and the hard food does help scratch off stuff but brushing is best.

I would like to know just for my own curiosity what genetic disorder this one is. Thanx

Oh and congratulations for doing what you dream of doing. I know it must be hard being a starving artist but I would have loved to do something like that with my life. Although I enjoy being a mother and wouldnt think of anything less but the artist in me comes out sometimes (poetry for me)

[mamabear]

Carlo is the vet referring to stomatitis? Have you spoken to him about a payment plan? Also did the vet run a FELV/FIV test on him as well?

[Carlo]

mamabear - the vet said that some cats have a gene that makes them unusually susceptible to gingivitis. We haven't had her tested for stomatitis, but I know it is a possibility that she might have it.

I'm glad you have a passion for poetry. My wife writes poetry, too.