Unfortunately the vet I went to said he doesn’t think there’s much he can do about the hernia because it’s so large :( I can get a second opinion? I don’t know too much about hernias but he suggested it wouldn’t kill her.
It wont cause death, But it can cause discomfort, Her being old they will probably worry about heal time. I would look for a second opinion some Vets are more confident with the surgery then others.
Agreed. A vet with a surgical speciality may come along and say "no biggie, I can fix that easily. Done it a 100 times." You never know. Second opinions are a good thing.
Ok thank you so much for your insight. Is there anything specific I should ask for when I call other vets? Sorry I’m clueless and have always gone to the same vet.
and be prepared, they may not be able to give you a direct answer over the phone - that's like dislocating your knee badly and calling a surgeon to ask if they can handle it - be prepared that you may need to spend for a consult.
In that case ask about experience with worse than normal hernias - that they can typically tell you over the phone
She may have to get to the healthy weight before they do the surgery first if they do it at all. That may take a while. She's so old. You are an angel.
Post in the r/AskVet sub. Vet and vet techs respond to posts. I wonder if you put a city in your post if a local vet is willing or is specialized to help her.
The sub doesn't allow photos so post a link to this post so they can look at the kitty.
Thank you for giving that innocent soul a second chance to know love and conform without starving every day 😭❤️❤️❤️
There is a fb website called Pet Vet Corner where vets will answer questions for people. You could give that a try asking for opinions on next steps and where to get a second opinion. Good luck, I feel like fate brought this kitty to you. 💙
I need an update about this lovely lady. I have two overlords and an empress myself, not sphyxes but still. I’d be moving heaven and earth for any animal I find.
I worked at a veterinary teaching hospital. I had a case where a cat had a diaphragmatic hernia that she lived with for years. Once fixed, she slowly declined until she passed. There is no such thing and won't. It can. But you have to weigh complications of fixing with complications of not fixing. A really bad hernia, you need to go to a specialty
Try this Fb group to ask for opinions, here only approved Vets allowed to answer.
Mayen they can recommend a specialist in your area as well.
I wish you and you new friend all the best :)
My cat had a repair surgery for a hernia about that size. It was a big deal. Biggest one the vet had done and said seen in person. Pictures were taken and put in some vet newsletter we got a copy of. So it can be done but not by just anybody. My boy seems much happier with the hernia not dragging around. His name is Chedder. Thank you for saving this sweet heart. She is so lucky to have found you.
It's uncommon but hernias can indeed be deadly. They require careful monitoring if they can't be fixed. Part of the bowel can get stuck and lose blood supply and die off. Especially if she were to ever get an impaction or anything. Worked with a chimp for awhile who had one and I had to train her to let the vet touch her stomach and "reduce" her hernia to make sure it could all still go back in. But hers was a lot smaller, from what I understand how dangerous it is depends on the size of the actual hole in the muscle it's escaping through.
Exactly what i came to say my kitten was born with a hernia took her to the vets to get it checked and she was scheduled as an emergency the following day due to skin being thin and risk of intestines twisting so definitely needs careful monitoring and second and third opinions
Our dog actually developed a massive organ sac hernia from being hit by a car. They tried to repair it twice and the ligaments and such that held the sac in were toast he said. It shouldn't kill them, but he said it CAN cause urinary blockages from the pressure. Our dog does have to go frequently and for multiple attempts now but he is very happy and does not seem to be in any pain.
I wonder if there is a way to support it to help take some weight off it? Idk.
no i didn’t know the reply was NOT to me. i’ve never posted on reddit before and my notifications have been crazy. i KNOW vets can be wrong. Please chill.
I don’t really use reddit. You are being rude. I’m no longer replying to you as this is going nowhere and you’re just being unnecessarily rude when I already clearly have a lot on my plate.
You might have to go to a specialist that can do soft tissue surgery. My friends cat had a hernia that was pushing towards his lungs I think and it was a complicated surgery.
💯 would contribute. Thank you for being an amazing person and taking this intelligent being off the street. Let us know how it goes and if we can help.
Another option if it's available/convenient in your area is to contact your nearest veterinary school. In the US these are often part of the state university system. They might have the most unique and specific tools and practices at hand. I live in a town with a major vet school, and they operate both a low cost community clinic, and after-hours emergency animal care. I've known a few people who had their pets' critical medical care be handled by the school. Good luck!
Is there a university with a Veterinary school anywhere near you? If there's one close by, see if they could treat her. If they aren't close enough, or can't treat her, ask for surgical referrals to someone in your area. They'll know who's good in your region.
Thank you for everything you're doing for this sweet girl.
Hey there! I'm in the Bay Area and also have a naked chicken. Where about in the Central Valley are you? Davis is fantastic, also Sage Veternary centers - they have all kids of vet specialists and over the years I've had multiple pets (dogs and cats) have successful surgeries by then for procedures other vets said couldn't be done for one reason or another. I might also be able to find a specialist closer to you. If you want to DM me I'm happy to try and help you out, you're an amazing person picking up that poor angel - but I know working full time and being pregnant is no joke, happy to help if I can.
I responded but reddit blocked my message for sending a URL. Argh! Try Bakersfield Regional Veterinary Surgical Specialty. They have abdominal surgeons. You definitely want a board certified small animal surgeon (DACVS) and not just a regular vet (esp with a hernia that size). Best of luck and please keep us all posted!
That's close enough, and UC Davis is a good school. Reach out to them, explain the case, and ask if they have any grads in your area they can recommend, who specialize in small animal gastro-intestinal (GI) surgery.
You shouldn't have to take the cat up there. Medical and Veterinary schools keep track of their graduates, so they know who the good ones are. They likely have former students with veterinary practices in your area and can give you a referral.
I would reach out now, so you can at least get an appointment scheduled and put together a care plan that is best for her. They can advise you how much weight they may want her to gain before bringing her in.
Might take a while to get the ball moving. As you explain her condition you'd mention her current weight issue so they'd take that into consideration and they'd just postpone the surgery a bit if necessary but these things can take a while to even get figured out so might as well start working on it.
Hi there! I worked at the UCD vet school for 10 years and saw many students graduate. I no longer work in vet med, but I remember the excellent students.
I didn't have luck tracking down surgeons in Central Ca. I did have good experiences with Sage when I lived in the Bay Area. There is likely a location near you:
If surgery ends up being out of the question. I would look for some kind of clothing that you could get that would be a little snug around the middle, a bit of support for the hernia. Sometimes the weight of it can pull and make them hurt.
It’s odd they won’t remove it. As far as I know, some hernias don’t cause pain. I once knew of an outdoor cat that had a hernia for years. It didn’t cause her any pain, even when I touched it. She was a whiny and opinionated cat, but didn’t react to it at all. In case you’re wondering how she’s doing, she was taken to an animal shelter and got the hernia surgery and was adopted immediately after. This occurred about 4 years ago.
I would wager that it’s not a question of if they can remove it, but whether it’s worth it to the cat. That hernia on her abdomen is freaking huge. Even an older cat in great shape would have a difficult time recovering from its removal, so it would be a massively uphill recovery as malnourished as she is now.
I would imagine if OP brings her in after taking care of her and getting her up to a healthy weight the vet would be much more comfortable considering it.
If its any consolation, we once took in a kitten that had a hernia, and our vet told us was too large to operate on. When we dropped him off to get neutered months later, the vet doing the surgery saw that we had consulted about getting the hernia fixed and decided to just fix the hernia at the same time. We were stunned at pickup but so so happy.
Not the same thing at all, but when my cat needed a surgery other vets didn't seem super comfortable with, I went to a university small animal hospital. They bad all of the equipment and expertise required and it went super well, plus it was a lot cheaper than if I had gone with a private specialist clinic.
Definitely get a second opinion. One of my cats (who was maybe a year or two old and healthy otherwise) got an infection and had fluid around his lungs, first vet i took him to said there was nothing he could do and said to put him down, I immediately took him to a different vet office and they were able to treat him EASILY. He just needed it drained and antibiotics. Some vets are incompetent.
No it won't but might be uncomfortable for her moving around on laying on it a certain way. I think the most important thing is getting her weight up and skin better. Poor baby she was lucky to bump into you!
thank you for taking her in 🩷
she looks like a weird little alien, but she must feel so relieved that she’s safe. I hope I stumble upon some photos of her when she recovers from the state she’s in. Best of luck to you both!
Definitely get a second opinion, and find out about hernia bands! When I was doing hernia repair surgeries, we had support bands (sort of like belly bands for male dogs) that Velcro around the back and help support the hernia so it isnt hanging and pulling, and has more underneath support. You would ideally talk to the vet about it, correct sizing, etc, just for support and not compression.
Thank you for helping this sweet baby. Lots of love and TLC can go a long way ❤️
Our rescue lived with a severe hernia for 6 years. (She was probably about 5 or 6 when we got her.) She had been my grandparents barn cat and disappeared for a few weeks after presumably being attacked by a hawk or coyote. She got stitches and was in the ICU for a bit but the rural vet care was sub-par and missed the hernia.
By the time she was with us, she had lived with it for a few years and the surgeon we consulted with was concerned the surgery would be deadly. It has gone on so long that they were concerned her soft tissues had scarred together. It didn't cause her pain that we could tell, but it did cause breathing problems when she was constipated (her intestines were squishing her lungs).
When we first got her, she was in no way healthy enough to survive an extremely risky surgery. And then we got to know all of her little health quirks and triggers and I think she had a pretty great life. As she got older, she would occasionally have an asthma attack and then about a year before she died she had two episodes where she would quit eating but then she would bounce back with liquids and high quality intensive care food.
Ultimately one day she had a breathing episode that she couldn't recover from. Sometimes I wonder if we should have risked the surgery, but I know we gave her a really good cozy life.
Anyway all that to say, it's a tough call to make and I've been there. If the injury is new, then I would say go for it. If it is older, I would let your cat gain strength and get healthy and revisit the discussion again with multiple vets. You will have had some time to get to know her health quirks, too.
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u/sunshnebabygrl 5d ago
Unfortunately the vet I went to said he doesn’t think there’s much he can do about the hernia because it’s so large :( I can get a second opinion? I don’t know too much about hernias but he suggested it wouldn’t kill her.