A Simple Little Prayer Request For my Mimi (Update at Post #170)

7/9/12 | Me

[NoGrayZone]

Long story short. My cat Mimi (she is actually a he), thought he was a girl when they lived in my backyard for almost a year, is going in for major surgery tomorrow.

I was vetless at the time I decided to bring her in. I took her to an holistic vet, to be sure she was fixed and didn't have anything she could spread to my 2 other kitties (now down to 1) and an over all healthcare check up.

I told the vet about her consistent cough and he said "sometimes cats just cough". I believed it, due to her 40,00 layers of down onto of her 4000 layers of fur.

Anywho, he wanted to do about $3500 worth of "vitamin" testing. I of course balked and asked them to just do testing for anything she could give my other 2 and go a general health check.

She came back negative for anything that could be spread to my 2 others, and that was that.

Mimi continued to cough. I've had her for almost 3 years now and noticed her cough was getting worse. Still vetless, I didn't take her to a vet. Soon before I found my new wonderful vet, I noticed she started panting after one of her fits.

I decided to bring her to this recommended vet. He's about 1 1/2 hours away, on the North Fork, but SOOO worth it.

I told him about the cough and he immediately imitated her cough to a tee. She was diagnosed w/ chronic asthma. I felt so guilty, knowing I allowed her suffering for so long.

He said an x-ray had to be done to be sure her lungs were clear, no fluid build up.

Well, there was no fluid build up, and they also took blood. I/we knew nothing about Mimi, nor her past. The x-ray revealed a mass in her chest. Of course the 1st thing you think of is cancer.

I took her back for a biopsy. With the biopsy results and blood work, it revealed a very high level of liver enzymes. The highest it should be is 103. Hers was 216.

The biopsy revealed not a cancerous mass but a diaphramic hernia......in which the diaphram was opened and her liver eventually moved into her chest.

I asked him what on earth would cause such a thing. He said he usually sees it with animals who have been hit by a car. I told him Mimi was an indoor cat (anyone who has tried to wrangle an indoor/outdoor cat to be strictly indoors know what I'm talking about).

He said she could have been stepped on. My first reaction, since this poor kitty was dumped, it was more likey she was kicked.

Anyway, the rest of her blood work came back fine.

Her surgery is tomorrow morning. If she didn't have the chronic asthma, I would not be so worried. Going under is risky in itself. Add chronic asthma, and well, you can hopefully understand why I am so worried.

I would love, if anyone, even one person, could include Mimi in their prayers tonight. She is a sweetie and Lord only knows what she has been through before I became her mommy.

I thank you for any support and any prayers to be given to her.

[caper gal 1]

Thanks so much for the update - so glad she’s on the road to recovery. Said a little prayer for her while I was getting ready for work this morning.

[JLLH]

Thank God - and may each day bring greater strength and progress to the little guy.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Good to hear your kitty is better.

[llmc1]

Great news!! Thank you for keeping us updated.

[MomwithHope]

That is great news and you are so smart to keep her there for a week.

[MomwithHope]

That is great news and you are so smart to keep her there for a week.

[darkwing104]

Go to hell

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Viking Kitty/ZOT ping list!. . . don't be shy.

[darkwing104]

Great news!

[DCBryan1]

Dang IATZ.

Thanks for the ping, and prayers for our FRiend and kitty pal Mimi!

Nice zot!

[DCBryan1]

Time to get a kitten! There are LOTS of kitteh’s out there that need a loving home like the one you already provide! Thanks!

[Bikkuri]

Wow, what a selfish arrogant jerk that one was :/

Norm, I think this one needs one of your ZoT entries :o

NGZ, I hope all goes well for your kitty ;)

[Bikkuri]

Thank you for the ping Darkwing.. WoW.. he is one who truly deserved that ZoT... actually more, but there is only so much you can do online :p

[pbmaltzman]

Wow... Almost two weeks ago, I had to put to sleep a a tiny, nearly 1-year-old cat I'd only adopted at the end of March of this year. One day she was lethargic. When I examined her, I found a prolapsed rectum. I dook her to a local animal ER. Yes, they could operate, but quoted me a price of $5,000. I didn't have anywhere near that much, and had no way of getting it. Even to have them euthanize her would have been over $200.

I was frankly shocked at their gold-plated prices. What they recommended I do, and what I ended up doing, was to surrender her to Animal Control and have them euthanize her. She was a tiny cat with a BIG personality. I spent most of that evening crying and telling Callie what a good girl she was and how sorry I was to be doing this.

When I got home, I googled this problem, and found a discussion of it n TheCatSite.com. Some of the posters there said that Preparation H can help a little bit, if it wasn't prolapsed very far (Callie had over 1/4 inch of tissue hanging out). Also that constipation and/or parasites can be factors. But I never saw any parasite nasties on her rear end.

I also found out later that one of the other local clinics has extended hours, although they're not an animal ER, and hopefully they would have quoted me a much lower price.

If I had had that kind of money to spend, I would have spent it to make her well again. I hated like h3ll to euthanize her... she was an extremely sweet little cat.

Look, I don't expect anybody to work for free. Hoewver, I do appreciate that many vets offer low-cost spay/neuter/vaccinations.

There is Care credit, which turned me down, and which I think is a ripoff and a crock of crap. Unfortunately, vets don't take payments anymore.

[pbmaltzman]

Wow, glad the surgery went well and your cat is going to recover okay!

[pbmaltzman]

Wow, glad the surgery went well and your cat is going to recover okay!

[pbmaltzman]

Wow, glad the surgery went well and your cat is going to recover okay!

[MHGinTN]

So glad to hear that Mimi is going to be fine.

[Vendome]

Well, you proved yourself to be an insensitive ass and nOOb.

Now go to hell and burn....

Buh....bye...

[Vendome]

Word!

Thanks AM.

[PA Engineer]

Wow. I missed this one. I like AM's style.

Over the years we have adopted many abandoned kitties. It is a curse in our rural community. I am always sad at the ones that are too shy to make it for capture and placement. We have four of them which is funny since I am seriously allergic. I eat Benadryl like they were jelly beans.

Years back I was the PM on a project in New Jersey. The construction crew were from the Bronx. We watched a GATX employee try to run down a cat. I was angry about it, but not nearly as much as the BKO operator. He flew off the rig and went running. Everyone dropped their shovels to grab him. I know he would have killed the guy.

I asked the foreman why he went into a rage and he said to ask him over lunch. I felt it was like a setup. Anyways, we ended up comparing pictures. He judged people by the way they treated animals and particularly cats. His entire crew agreed with his judgement. I have also grown to agree with him.