Help Sagwa beat Neuro FIP

Hello! I was hesitant to make a Go Fund Me, but at the advice of friends, I've decided to try this resource as a way to create the best possibility for my fur baby. 

All of this has come up very quickly and I understand asking for financial help is a lot. Sharing this would also mean so much to me!

Sagwa's Story

I adopted Sagwa this past Christmas! A friend of a friend (Lilian) rescued him off the street in her neighborhood after noticing him sleeping in her bushes. He was pretty beat up and looked malnourished. She let him into her house and took great care of him. After realizing she was very allergic to Sagwa, she set out to re-home him. I picked him up from Lilian's house on Christmas morning and was very excited to give him a permanent home. He had so many scratches and scabs from living on the streets, and it really looked like he'd been through a lot.

But, he quickly adapted to indoor life and to his new brother, Boba (my other cat that I adopted 4 years ago). He was always following me around, right at my heels. Sagwa would frequently chat with me, sit on my lap, and ferociously purr when being petted. He is truly the sweetest, most cuddly cat I've ever met!

Medical

In February, I noticed he was hiding under my bed more than usual, but didn't think anything of it because he would come out running for food, to drink water, and to use the litter box. I thought he was going through a phase or he didn't want to play with Boba as much. When it didn't get better, I noticed he slowly stopped coming out for food as much. At this point, I took him to the vet right away. 

With the first vet visit, they noticed he had a head tilt. They tested him for an ear infection, but that came back negative. They cleaned his ears in case one was forming and maybe not picking up on the tests. Because of the head tilt, his balance was a little off and they sent us home with anti-nausea medicine thinking his dizziness was making it harder for him to eat. The balance issue is also probably why he's been under the bed.

I didn't notice Sagwa getting better even with the medicine and started noticing his appetite was decreasing. He wasn't interested in eating much at all and before I went back to the vet again, I had tried multiple kinds of wet food. He was barely eating one meal per day. After taking him to the vet a second time, they ran more blood tests, ultrasounds, and x-rays. Nothing's come back conclusively, other than there may be an issue with his liver. I've recently asked the vet what I need to do next in order to confirm it or rule it out.

A few days later, I was suggested to make Sagwa an urgent care appointment because I'd noticed he was reluctant to drinking water and eating any wet food. The lack of hydration was a major concern for the vet. I dropped him off while I was at work and they did more x-rays to his body, focusing on his lower body because he seemed to be weaker in that area. The x-rays have come back normal.

The vet gave me a medicine to help increase Sagwa's appetite and I'm hoping that continues to help him eat and stay hydrated!

Positives

Sagwa is a little fighter! While his appetite hasn't gotten better, he will eat some food if I bring it to him under the bed. He's been coming out from under the bed when I come home from work; he'll meow at me and when I sit on the floor, he'll come over and cuddle on my lap. He still purrs so much :')

He seems to be in good spirits, which I am very grateful for!

Next Steps

The vet recommended taking Sagwa to a neurologist as a next step. Because of his head tilt and inability to balance properly, they think it could be neurological. I have an appointment with a neurologist on Monday, April 15th. I've been told a few times that an MRI or CT may be the best next step for him. MRIs and specialty testing can cost anywhere from $3k - $8k per test.

The most disappointing part about all of this is doing everything I can and still not getting any answers. I am not ready to give up on finding an answer, but unfortunately, my wallet is. After this initial neuro appointment, I cannot afford more health care especially when things keep coming up empty. I am very fortunate to have pet insurance for Sagwa; they've covered a percentage of my vet bills. Even with this resource, I am capping out very soon and cannot continue affording the bills as we go down the specialist route.

What I am most nervous about is being unable to see an end. Again, I'm really just hoping for an answer to figure out the next plan of action for Sagwa. I am also more-than-open to asking the specialist for ways to manage his pain/uncomfortability so he can live the best life he can, even if I can't afford to try more testing and vet visits any further. 

I value transparency and will add what I have been able to cover thus far, plus what I anticipate spending for a specialist visit and specialty test. I will post updates as I get them!

If you've read this far, thank you so much! I appreciate you taking the time to read this. Any help and sharing of this is greatly appreciated :) 

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In the last two weeks, between vet visits, testing, and medicines, I've covered $750 after pet insurance. I'll have a better idea after we see the neurologist on Monday 4/15, but I anticipate the final cost after this initial neuro visit to total between $1,400 to $2,400. I'm ready to cap heath care at this total, but anything over this amount will be used towards getting various vets' opinions and trying more testing to get closer to finding answers.

Thanks again <3

(this is Sagwa on the way his most recent vet appointment, lol)