Help! Growth on my cats foot...

[SoMDMama82]

I have a 15yr old tabby. About 2 months ago I noticed he was starting to have a growth on his middle toe on his left front paw. At first it wasn't much and didn't seem to be bothering him (looked almost like a bee maybe stung him on his toe and it was a little swollen). Well, it kept growing, so I took him to the vet about a month ago. The vet tested it and said it was benign. He said the type of growth is not normally found in cats (can't remember the name of it though), but more likely to be seen in dogs. It had something to do with the joint.

Anyway, I was told in order to get rid of the tumor for good, I would have to amputate his toe. He would have to be put under anesthesia and at his age that is a big risk. It would be an in-and-out (drop him off in the morning, pick him up in the afternoon). Well I said I would think about it since it was benign and still seemed to not bother him. At his old age, I didn't want to put him through all that if it wasn't bothering him.

Well within the past couple days it's started to bleed. I tried putting Neosporin on it and wrapping it up but he got it off by morning. I called the vet to find out how much it would cost to perform the surgery and was told it would end up being close to $500.

I just don't have that money right now. I left a message with Lucky Ones, but I don't think they will do that kind of surgery. Does anybody have any suggestions on a good place to call to possibly get this surgery done for my kitty for less?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[luckystar]

I don't know the prices for that kind of surgery, but you could always call around and price it. There are a lot of places that will do this.

If it's really bothering him and won't heal, then it needs to be taken care of before it gets infected. Talk to the vet about how long you should wait for it to heal, and any other paths you might take to alleviate the problem.

There's a credit card type thing that many vets offer, and you can just pay it off as you get the money. You could also take out a small loan from the bank with a statement from whichever vet you end up choosing. I know MASH in Huntingtown offered me the card service a while back when Manny needed his surgery. We didn't use it, but I know they offer it.

Good luck with your kitty, I hope he gets better soon

 

[luckystar]

Oh, and next time you have the opportunity to insure a pet, you should really think about it. It's very affordable and would make these situations much more bearable.

I know this can't be easy. I was in tears fighting with myself over whether to drop $2k for Manny's surgery or to put him to sleep. He was only a year old, so I couldn't do the latter. Just wasn't an option. So I put myself in debt to my Dad for him. I'll never regret my choice, but now I have insurance for my pets to make any future situations easier.

Catt should have some useful advice too. You should PM her if she doesn't see this thread for a while.

 

[cattitude]

Almost sounds as if it a mast cell tumor. Can you get the name of the diagnosis? If they just did an aspirate to determine malignancy, that is not always accurate.

Fifteen isn't necessarily old for a kitty as far as surgery goes. They would probably want to do a senior blood panel to check kidney function, etc. and that would give a good indication of his ability to withstand the surgery..which would probably be fairly brief.

Where are you located? Do you have an income or a means to pay something monthly? If this is too personal, send me a pm.

Lucky is right, there is Care Credit. It's a credit card you can use for vet care (human care, as well) that is out of the ordinary.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Lucky is right, there is Care Credit. It's a credit card you can use for vet care (human care, as well) that is out of the ordinary.

And Care Credit offers zero % financing options. It takes two seconds to qualify over the phone or online.

 

[SoMDMama82]

Thank you guys for the help! Mast cell rings a bell, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm going to get some better stuff to wrap it up for now to keep it from getting infected and check into Care Credit.

This cat has had lots of health issues through the years, his mother was a stray who possibly drank from a mercury tainted river in VA. The vet didn't think he would make it his 1st year. He's had his share of problems, but made it to 15! He's one tough cat, I just hope he hasn't used up all 9 lives yet! Keep your fingers crossed for me and my kitty!