Ereth cat was involved in a freak accident leaving him in critical condition. {update ]
It was spay day for the Dimwood kittens! They all did great through their surgeries and are currently napping. They’re a little out of it from the anesthesia.♥️
@windycityfosters
One of my worst nightmares unfolded over the past few days. Ereth was involved in a freak accident leaving him in critical condition.
On Friday morning, I moved Ereth into my foster room where he was placed in a playpen several feet high. He managed to escape by shoving himself through the clasps holding the pen together. I searched for him briefly, but figured he was hiding behind one of the storage bins so I left food hoping to coax him out. By the time I returned home from work that night, the food was untouched. I immediately became gravely concerned. I spent the night and all day Saturday scouring my entire house room by room. I tore my foster room apart, checked under every single piece of furniture, searched every nook and cranny…no sign of him. It had been 24 hours without food or water. I knew his time was limited, wherever he was. He was stuck somewhere and I didn’t know what to do.
Saturday night, one of my family members heard a wheezing sound followed by scratching in a deep corner of a storage room. We found him. Unfortunately somehow he had managed to get himself stuck upside down in a cylindrical container meant for storing wrapping paper. When I pulled him out, he was struggling to breath, struggling to move, and covered in filth. He had been in there for 36 hours.
I immediately jumped in the car and rushed him to the nearest emergency vet. He was put on oxygen, nebulized, given IV fluids, antibiotics, and a blood test. Within a few hours he was responding to treatment. He stayed overnight and is still there.
I told the veterinarian to do whatever he needed to do to save Ereth, the only problem is that my savings fund (made for emergencies like these) is going to be drained by the time Ereth leaves the ER. If you have the means (and ONLY if you feel comfortable) please visit the link in my bio. There you’ll see a GoFundMe I set up for Ereth. Please DM me if you want to know more. My heart is heavy with sadness and guilt and I’m simply grateful I found him in time.
UPDATE: FUNDRAISING GOAL HAS BEEN REACHED! Thank you!!!! Updates will be coming!! @windycityfosters said that
@windycityfosters
Ereth is home!!! The emergency vet hospital let me pick him up tonight. He is doing ok. Not fantastic, but ok.
The good news?
• He’s eating on his own. He only wants to eat chicken baby food and a tiny bit of wet food, but anything is better than nothing.
•He’s starting to move around too and he even hissed at me (which is a good thing, means he starting to feel better).
•His vitals have been stable for the past 24 hours and he will be under my constant monitoring. The bandage is there because his IV was taken out right before I picked him up.
The challenges he still has to face?
• Urine scalds on his face and eyes. This occurred because in the amount of time he was stuck upside down, he urinated and it ran down his body and pooled near his head. They look bad, but they are superficial and should recover with antibiotics.
• Muscle wasting and bruising. Due to the fact that he went without food for so long, he is very weak and the fall he had bruised his hips (still entirely sure how that area got bruised, but it did). The veterinarians working on his case all told me that he should regain strength with time and TLC.
• He had an underlying URI. It’s mild and has begun prior to his accident, but became slightly worse over the past three days. He’s on Clavamox for it.
He is currently residing in my incubator for the night while I monitor his food/water intake and litter box habits. It also gives me the ability to control ambient temperature and humidity levels. Aloe graduated to a small playpen where he’s got some more room to stretch his legs.
The invoice was $1,200. There are a lot of extra funds left over, which will be put towards any recovery care he needs. We are optimistic that he will recover fully, but still need to monitor to make sure there was no damage to his kidneys, liver, or cognitive ability. Any left-over donations will be discussed and donors will be able to let me know where they want that money to go. Please DM me with any questions/concerns. And once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me save his life.♥️
And a huge thank you to @companionanimalspecialty.er for taking on two cases of mine in one week. @windycityfosters said.
@windycityfosters
Chicken baby food for breakfast! I’ll be heading to the pet store to pick up a few brands of kitten food for him to try. Chicken baby food is a good start, but not nutritionally complete so I need to find a wet food that he likes!
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ou’re going to want to turn on your volume for this one.🧡
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I’ve gotten lots of messages today asking how Ereth is doing. I’m here to give the people what they want!
The first picture was taken this morning. The second picture was taken on Monday. Five days of healing and Ereth can now see a little better. He’s getting Tobramycin drops 2-3 times a day. The scabs from his facial burns are peeling up, meaning they’re healing. Will his first grow back in these places? It is uncertain. The vet was also very concerned about his mobility given the bruising and potential cognitive damage, however he seems to get around fine! He has a recheck with the vet on Tuesday.
This boy is a fighter. I wish he didn’t have to fight so hard, but I’m glad he’s tough. #fighterthroughandthrough
@windycityfosters @windycityfosters
Ereth had a vet appointment with the shelter clinic today! They said he was healing great and to bring him in for a recheck next week. The vet removed his face scab, which was peeling off and at risk of getting caught on something. His skin is all healed other than the little red spot. I’m fairly certain the fur will grow back because the edges already have little hairs but we will know more next week!♥️
@windycityfosters
I sincerely apologize on my lack of Ereth updates! He is almost done healing and is currently working on growing back the bald spots on his face, ears, and paws. His lil eyebrows are the first to return!
Behaviorally, he is an oddball. He has trouble visually recognizing me and when I approach him he hides and hisses at me. But when I reach out my hand so he can smell me, he pushes his face into it and starts purring instantly. Last night he sat in my lap for hours making biscuits and didn’t so much as flinch when the TV got loud or the dog walked by.
I am going to try a Feliway diffuser with him. Hopefully it’ll reduce his anxiety a little. I also think I’m going to re-introduce him to his brother George. Poppy goes home today, but George will be here until the weekend and I think his outgoing personality will help Ereth become comfortable with exploring his surroundings.♥️ #ereth
@windycityfosters
Ereth’s potential adopter was a no-show today. I wish people would realize that we won’t be upset if they change their mind or if they decide it’s not the right time to adopt after all. That’s called responsible thinking! Just give a call, a text, and email instead of failing to show up for an appointment never to be heard from again.🥲
Well anyway, onward we go! We WILL find that perfect home! Ereth has another potential adopter I reached out to today, so fingers crossed I hear back. In the event that I don’t, he will be looking for an experienced adopter and someone who is looking to take on a project cat! Could that be you? DM me!
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Something HUGE happened today!!! Ereth was adopted! He’s going to a home with two other cats including a 15 month old with a lot of energy, which is exactly the kind of playmate he needs!
It’s been quite a journey with this guy. He started out the most fearful of all his litter mates, he experienced a traumatic event, and he has worked so so hard to overcome his fear of people. It will take a couple weeks to earn his trust, but it is so worth it. People who adopt shy cats are a god-send and I couldn’t be more thankful that his new mom decided to give him a chance. Happy tails, Ereth!!
MORE good news…Shera was adopted today too! Ironically it was someone who contacted me about Ereth and wasn’t a good fit, but she was a GREAT fit for Shera. It’s been a good day. A really good day.♥️
