Oh no! I'm very sorry to hear this.

It does sound like a fixable problem, though, so that's something. But
still very upsetting for you and the kitty.

--Catherine
& Rosalie the calicohead

<snip story about kitten with luxated patella issues and worries about
the cost of treatment using injectables>

Get a prescription for Adequan (it's not licensed for cats but the dog
version is what is used), buy a bottle, have your vet teach you to do
Intramuscular injections and do the injections yourself at home. It is
VERY cheap to do it this way, and the injections are easy once you get
the hang of it. You just have to remember that, unlike subq injections,
you have to draw back on the syringe and make sure you don't pull up
blood (which would mean you've gone into a vein.)

I have a rescue named Nubbins that had an untreated broken leg and was
suffering greatly with the resulting way the bone grew back together and
the severe arthritis that followed:
http://community.webtv.net/zuzu22/nubbinsxray

He's doing great on Adequan and I also supplement with a product called
Recovery. I've seen incredible improvement and will stay with this
protocol until the time comes when the arthritis overwhelms the
treatment and pain meds and he'll have to have is leg amputated. You can
order both from http://www.smartpakequine.com which is a reputable
company. You have to be careful about some online places as you may not
get "real" Adequan.

The protocol is twice a week for four weeks (I did mine on Monday
mornings and Thursday evenings so the time was exactly the same between
shots) then taper off. Some vets say after the initial series to go
every 6 months, some say 3, there's no perfect rule and honestly, most
vets just aren't that familiar with treating cats and often prescribe a
lower dose than what is actually needed. I've done exhaustive research
and talked to the company that makes it and the correct dose for cats
should be exactly what is given to dogs which is 2 mg per pound of body
weight and the injection MUST be done IM. A 5 ml vial is $100 or less
depending on where you get it, and at 100 mg/ml it and a box of 100
syringes averaging at $10-$15 it will cost you very little per month and
last a very long time.

Nubbins gets .24 mls per injection, has had the 4 week series and two
consequent injections and I still have half a bottle left. If I did two
injections a month, which I probably won't, this bottle would last me 5
more months which for me averages out to about $10 a month (I got my
bottle for $80 from a vet I work for) and with your kitten the cost will
be a lot less.

My view is you do a maintenance injection when you think it's needed,
even if it means every few weeks. Since I've given Nubbins his month
long series of injections, and two since that two weeks apart, he's been
doing very well so I'm going for three weeks this time and will then
assess if I think he needs another injection. There is no toxicity for
this drug and the only concern "may" be reduced blood clotting ability,
but I don't see that as a big issue if you do maintenance shots every
2-3 weeks or longer. Choosing when to do a maintenance injection is one
of those things where you have to go with your gut and how you know your
cat is.

It has been shown that puppies with hip dysplasia that have been treated
with Adequan at a young age have shown significant improvement over dogs
that are treated when older. There is a reference to that paper here
(click on "treatment for
chd"): http://www.vetinfo.com/ddyspla.html

Megan

                                   

"Orchid" <neko@ascendancy.net> wrote in message :

Can you exlain this assumption a little better? I don't understand
what you're getting at.

One more thing, you can buy a 4 pack of Cosequin (80 caps per pkg)
online for $55.80 here (about $15.50 per box after shipping which is
much cheaper than what vets charge):
http://vetmeddirect.com/Arthritis-Joint-Care-Cosequin.php?sid=dmWFtQkBGUfkY:3522
219325

You have to scroll down a ways.

Megan

                                   

Aw, I'm sorry to hear about that. Thank goodness he has you!
As to affording the surgery, you might consider setting up a special website
(or adding a page to your existing one) and asking for donations...
Have you talked to your vet about payment plans? Our clinic has it's own
credit line for people who need it. You do have to apply and get approved,
but it's a good thing to have for people who don't have credit cards or don't
have a high enough limit on them to charge the bill.