Over the Christmas holidays, near the end of December, Oberon developed a swelling on his right front paw. He had just been seen by the vet in November for his annual wellness check, and had come through with flying colours, so this was definitely new.

I took him in for a consultation in early January after it did not resolve on its own, and we went forward with the assumption it was an infection. After a week of treatment, nothing changed. Another consult and an x-ray that showed that his right 5th digit (basically his pinky finger) was almost completely destroyed by what looks like a tumour.

This is the problem. We don't know if the tumour is cancerous or not. We don't know if there are tumours elsewhere that are hiding, just like this one must have until it got too severe and the foot swelled up in response. In order to determine those things, more x-rays and a cytology (biopsy) need to be done. These tests are expensive! The x-rays are estimated to cost around $500, and the cytology is another $500, for a total cost of around $1,000.00 just to diagnose the problem. That is on top of what I have already spent thus far, and I just can't do it all on my own any more.

At the moment, Oberon is doing well, aside from his swollen paw. He is running around, playing, snuggling, eating and drinking, and doing all the cat things cats do. NOW is the time to act, while there may still be a chance of stopping whatever-this-is.

Once we have a proper diagnosis and not just guesses, a plan of treatment can be devised. That could also be expensive, but first things first.

You can help out by donating to the Diagnosis Fund, to help me afford the x-rays and cytology. I will let you know how things turn out, and what the next steps will be. I will be upfront as this continues as to the actual costs, as right now the costs are just estimates.

Thank you for your help. Oberon - Obie - and I truly appreciate it.