My cat has arthritis & allergies. Where to find affordable vet care?

Oh wow, that is so horrible that Tank was made to get high on marijuana. That poor kitty. I wold have her seen by a vet as soon as possible. There sounds like there is a lot going on with her at the moment. She could have fleas, mites, allergies, or ringworm causing the loss of fur. She could have an ear infection causing her ear symptoms. She needs veterinary attention for her problems, and I can give you a list of resources that may help you afford a vet for her. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.
 God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.
 The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.
 Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. I hope one of these resources helps you!

That is something that really needs to be seen by a vet. Keep it clean and dry as possible. If you are in financial difficulty, there are ways of still getting your pet treated by a veterinarian. Ask if they take Care Credit and apply online. This is a credit card specifically for medical, dental, and veterinary expenses. Call a local animal shelter or college of veterinary medicine in your area and ask if they have a low- or no-cost veterinary care program. GiveForward and Youcaring.com are crowd funding websites that help you raise money to help take care of your pets Harley’s Hope Foundation is an organization that ensures low income pet parents and their companion or service animals remain together when issues arise. Many breed rescues and groups have specials funds available for owners who need financial assistance, such as the Special Needs Dobermans, Labrador Lifeline, and Pitbull Rescue Central. Banfield Pet Hospital has its own programs for owners that can’t afford their pet’s care. Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance (FVEAP) works with seniors, people with disabilities, people who have lost their job, good Samaritans who rescue a cat or kitten who may need financial assistance to save a beloved companion. The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes. God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help. IMOM is dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged. The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information. Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. Some groups help with specific disease, such as Canine Cancer Awareness, The Magic Bullet Fund, Helping Harley Fund, and Muffin Diabetes Fund. The Pet Fund and Redrover.org are great sources for help to care for your pet. The Humane Society website has many links to other organizations that help with veterinary expenses.

You aren't a bother at all! I can give you some financial resources that may help you afford a vet. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Carefree Credit online. http://www.carefreecredit.co.uk https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/vetcare http://www.easipetcare.com The other option is to call your local RSPCA to come and get her, and can treat her as needed. Best of luck.

I'm sorry Kitters isn't feeling well. And I certainly understand being overwhelmed. Allergies are definitely no fun. The apoquel stops the itching, but isn't actually a steroid, and don't have to be used long term (although it can be). For the food, if the food helps her, she'll actually need to stay on it long term to keep seeing the effect. No need to bathe her or apply any ointments (unless your vet prescribed something, but that would be unusual). I would also recommend talking to your vet about price concerns. There may be a lower cost hypoallergenic food she could be on, or she could try steroids instead of apoquel if the apoquel is expensive (although steroids have MANY more side effects). There are always options, so don't hesitate to share your concerns now that you've had some time to process.

Hi Here is a long list of charities that can help. I suggest you contact each and every one. I hope that helps! There are quite a few ways to get financial help with vet bills: https://www.youcaring.com/blog/2016/need-help-with-vet-bills https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/Financial-assistance-for-veterinary-care-costs.aspx https://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets https://www.paws.org/cats-and-dogs/other-services/help-with-veterinary-bills/ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html?credit=web_id98635957 American Animal Hospital Association  http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/ "Through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, veterinary care is possible for sick or  injured pets even if they have been abandoned or if their owner is experiencing  financial hardship." Angels 4 Animals  http://www.angels4animals.org/  "Our services range from financial aid to complete treatment  to those pets and pet owners in need." Care Credit  http://www.carecredit.com/  A credit card company for health care, including veterinary care.  "With a comprehensive range of plan options, for  treatment or procedure fees from $1 to over $25,000, we offer a plan  and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every  budget." Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance (FVEAP)  http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/  "Seniors, People with disabilities, People who  have lost their job, Good Samaritans who rescue a cat or kitten - any of these  folks may need financial assistance to save a beloved companion." The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501  (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and  kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save  their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes. God's Creatures Ministry  http://www.all-creatures.org/gcm/help-cf.html  "This fund helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help." Help-A-Pet  http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html  "Our efforts focus on serving the elderly, the disabled, and the  working poor." IMOM  http://www.imom.org/  "We are dedicated to insure that no  companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker  is financially challenged." The Pet Fund  http://thepetfund.com/  "The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that  provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need  urgent veterinary care." United Animal Nations  http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html  "The mission of LifeLine is to help homeless or recently rescued  animals suffering from life-threatening conditions that require  specific and immediate emergency veterinary care. We strive to serve  Good Samaritans and rescue groups who take in sick or injured  animals. In certain cases, LifeLine can also assist senior citizens  and low-income families pay for immediate emergency veterinary care."

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Gustavo. Without seeing him in person, I can’t say exactly what is wrong with his paw, but it may be he injured it, has a broken bone in it, or a foreign body. The fact that he screams whenever you touch it tells me he is in a lot of pain, and unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications you can give him. Many human ones are toxi to cats, and are fatal if given. You don’t have a choice but to take him into a vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if one can help you. Best of luck.

Unfortunately it's illegal for me to tell you as well since I can't see Linda in person. Also, I very strongly caution you about giving her old pain meds. They may be expired, but also she is an older dog and she could have a health condition that means taking steroids is not recommended at all. You could accidentally do serious harm. She will need to see a vet to get more pain medications. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if one can help you, and please take her into the vet.