It’s been a stressful evening. Gracie is sick and we have to take her back to the vet first thing tomorrow morning. How we’re supposed to pay for it, I have no idea but it’s not an option not to take her.
I took her in initially to the vet on November 8th because she was going into the little box and straining to pee over and over again. The vet examined her but couldn’t get any urine for a urinalysis because, of course, Gracie kept peeing constantly. She prescribed antibiotics. We had a hard time getting her to take them so while we finished the round, she didn’t really get the full dose. About a week later, she started heading back into the litter box a lot again.
November 29th I got more antibiotics from the vet. And she’s been taking them very well this time. She was doing great – until tonight. This evening, she’s in the litter box literally every 2 minutes. Just constantly. And now, there’s blood in the urine. (And, in the past hour, she’s gotten diarrhea as well which is just lovely.) I talked to my sister (who works at a vet) and she said it’s probably either crystals in the bladder or she just needs a different/stronger antibiotic. The real fear is that cats can get complete blockages and in those cases, can be fatal without treatment. But, she IS peeing – albeit a couple drops at a time – so that should indicate it’s not a complete block.
The problem is that an ER vet is about three times the cost of a normal vet. And I can’t even afford a normal vet. Seriously, I’ve got like $100 on my credit card and about another $100 to my name until next Friday. So I’m not sure what I’m going to do. (I seriously may just have to put it on my debit card, knowing it’ll take me negative but paying $35 in overdrawn fees might be the least horrible choice.) I tried calling the vet’s office but they have no answering machine and no voicemail. Seriously? How lame is that. Not a single after-hours information or recommended ER vet number or anything?? So they are open 8am-12pm tomorrow. My sister suggested just showing up at 8am and telling them it’s an emergency. The fear is if I called and tried to make an appointment, they might just say they were too busy. And we can’t let it go past tomorrow. I’m really scared just waiting overnight.
I’m so stressed and frustrated and worried right now. About Gracie, about money, about how I’m supposed to get her better, about what’s wrong…ugh. Seriously, this could be hundreds of dollars and I just have no way of coming up with that kind of cash. And of course, it’s the holidays so we have presents to buy and shit for, well, everyone and obviously, there’s just not money raining down from the sky.
Gracie hasn’t laid down, rested, anything for hours. She just goes back in the litter box, over and over… I mean, blood in her urine! Ugh. So scary. I’m so worried and stressed and have no idea what to do tomorrow or how to get her the treatment she needs. I feel guilty I have to make her wait until tomorrow but I can’t pay for it as it is, let alone at after-hours rates. I’m just so upset and worried and stressed I feel like I’m going to physically be sick. Fucking money, you know? Always comes back to that.