By Timm Otterson – PEF President & Run for Rover Race Director:
The Pet Emergency Fund was created by the local veterinary society over a decade ago to help people with limited financial resources afford medical care in emergency situations. Wally, a three-month-old male kitten, is a typical example of the kind of patient the Fund assists nearly every day.
There are few things sadder than a sick kitten and, when Wally was presented to his veterinarian last month, he was one sick kitten. His temperature was 104.5 o F and a normal feline temperature is under 103. Just the day before, he was a normal young cat, alternating between playing, eating and napping. His owner had noticed a little blood on his neck the night before, and today he was not his normal self.
The doctor noticed a draining abscess on the back of his neck. Typically skin abscesses in cats are the result of fights between outdoor cats, but Wally had not been outside. His owner, a college student, suspects that his puncture may have been the result of rough play under the bed where he may have bumped a mattress coil or that his queen (feline term for “mother”) or his littermate may have caused the puncture by biting him. Regardless of the cause, this little guy had a marked fever and required sedation, surgical wound debridement, drain placement and antibiotics in order to survive.
His owner had adopted Wally along with his littermate and queen a couple months ago from an online adoption site. She had given them a comfortable and loving home, but, as a student, did not have the financial resources for these unexpected expenses. The PEF was able to help this new “mom” afford the necessary care for her kitten. On follow-up the next week, Wally had gained half a pound and the wound was healing fine.
His owner relates that he is now a bright, playful companion who is a little more interested in water than she would prefer. He is currently living with both his human and feline “mothers” and is an unusual kitten in that he sleeps through the night.
Wally is fortunate to be the beneficiary of a unique local charity that depends on the almost boundless generosity of western New York animal lovers. Since its creation in 2000, the PEF has assisted over 2600 Wallys and distributed over $300,000 to local veterinary hospitals.
Many thanks to BRO for their continued support of the PEF mission and for being the media sponsor of our annual fundraiser, the Run for Rover held on July 11th at the LaSalle Park Pavilion on Buffalo’s waterfront. Please visit our website: www.PetEmergencyFund.org for more info and downloadable 5k run/pet walk/kid’s race/pet costume contest entry forms.
Timm Otterson, DVM
PEF President
Run for Rover Race Director
14 June 2010
