This is Joey, an 11-year-old Cocker Spaniel. Joey is well loved by his family, and his dad says he's his best friend. So when Joey was diagnosed with liver failure, his dad knew he had to try everything he could to help Joey. Joey's dad is a single dad trying to make ends meet. He heard about Fur Kids Foundation and applied to see if there was anything we could do to help him at least get started on Joey's care for his liver failure. We were more than happy to help. If you don’t know, your dog's liver is an important organ: it helps with digestion and blood clotting, and it removes toxins from their system. If it's not working right, it can make your four legged buddy very sick. Thankfully, liver disease can often be treated and managed. According to PetMD, signs your dog may be in liver failure or have liver disease can include:
If your dog's liver disease isn't caught early, it can lead to death. Joey's dad was sent home with prescription food and medication. Joey will need to continue to have his liver levels checked, but his dad is committed to doing whatever he can to ensure Joey has a happy healthy life. You can help your dog avoid a condition like liver disease or liver failure by taking them to the veterinarian for their yearly exams (including blood work) and vaccinations. Be sure to let your vet know about any drugs or supplements that they may take. Be careful of what you feed your dog as fatty foods can hurt their liver. And be careful with your dog in areas where there may be poisonous plants or insects. No matter what is happening with your fur kid, at any stage of life, Fur Kids Foundation encourages you to call your veterinarian sooner rather than later. Fur Kids Foundation is 100% run by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money with events, take applications, and spread the word about the good work the Foundation does in Campbell County, Wyoming. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help local families with animals afford emergency veterinary care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal or signing up to become a volunteer. Read more Success Stories.
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This is Mr. Bo Jingles–but you can call him Jingles for short. He's an 11-year-old gray tabby who is his mom’s, “baby who is always there when she needs him.”
Jingles is a fairly large cat, so when he stopped eating, his mom became worried. When he stopped eating kitty treats his mom knew something serious was wrong. She brought him to the vet where it was found that Jingles was in liver failure and would need to be hospitalized right away. Just like in humans, the liver in your feline friend is responsible for a variety of important functions that keep your pet alive. According to Blue Pearl Pet Hospital, because the liver is involved in many crucial functions, a cat with liver disease may show a wide variety of symptoms. These may include:
If liver failure is not treated promptly, it can result in death. Jingles' mom receives social security and had no idea how she could pay for her best friend to be hospitalized due to the liver failure, so she applied with Fur Kids Foundation for help. Jingles spent a few days in the kitty hospital, is on a new diet and new medication, but his numbers have improved. His mom is going to start him on a diet, and is hoping she can continue to have his elevated liver numbers drop so her best friend can be happy and healthy for a long time to come. No matter what is happening with your fur kid, at any stage of life, Fur Kids Foundation encourages you to call your veterinarian sooner rather than later. Fur Kids Foundation is 100% run by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money with events, take applications, and spread the word about the good work the Foundation does in Campbell County, Wyoming. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help local families with animals afford emergency veterinary care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal or signing up to become a volunteer. Read more Success Stories. This is Lesa, an 11-year-old Pit Bull/Lab mix. Lesa is also unaltered (not spayed or desexed). Lesa's mom noticed she had a fatty build up on her chest and took her to the veterinarian–there, she learned that Lesa has breast cancer (or a mammary tumor). The vet mentioned that they could do x-rays to see if the cancer had spread–if the cancer hadn’t spread, they could remove the mass and hope this would provide Lesa with a few good years. If you catch breast cancer early in dogs, you can successfully treat it. Unfortunately, Lesa's mom didn’t have the money needed to get the x-rays. According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, the risk of your female dog getting mammary cancer is:
Another staggering statistic: the risk of a female intact dog developing a malignant mammary tumor is 23-34%! Lesa's mom is a single mom with one income. She told us that as soon as she gets caught up on bills, she feels like life throws her another financial curve ball–like Lesa's diagnosis for example. She applied to Fur Kids Foundation for help. FKF was able to help pay for the x-rays to see if Lesa was a candidate for surgery. Sadly, the x-rays showed that the cancer had already spread to Lesa's lungs. Lesa's mom promises to give her fur kid a wonderful life and will spoil her rotten as long as she's feeling well enough, and will look out for Lesa and do what's best for her. VCA Pet Hospitals reports that common signs that your dog may have breast cancer include:
If the tumor has spread to other areas of the body (metastasized), your dog may eat less, seem more tired, and lose weight. If the cancer has spread to the lungs, your dog may have problems with breathing or develop a cough. No matter what is happening with your fur kid, at any stage of life, Fur Kids Foundation encourages you to call your veterinarian sooner rather than later. Fur Kids Foundation also wants you to know that the best way to prevent breast cancer in female dogs is to spay them. By doing this, dog owners can practically eliminate the chances of their dog developing mammary cancer—just another benefit of spaying your pooch! Fur Kids Foundation is 100% run by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money with events, take applications, and spread the word about the good work the Foundation does in Campbell County, Wyoming. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help local families with animals afford emergency veterinary care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal or signing up to become a volunteer. Read more Success Stories.
$2 Tuesday.
It’s not a discount on tacos, or a reduced rate on your favorite happy hour beverage. It’s a way for Fur Kids Foundation’s volunteer board to raise money to help Campbell County, Wyoming families afford emergency veterinary care. FKF is asking for a small financial commitment from our supporters starting in January 2023: $2 per week. Your $2 donation (or handful of change) may not seem like a lot; however, if FKF had 50 supporters give $2 every Tuesday–we’d raise $5,200. Small donations can make a big impact. Donating is super easy. Every Tuesday, we’ll post a graphic on Facebook and Instagram about $2 Tuesday and you’re encouraged to donate there. Or, you can sign up for a recurring donation using PayPal, paypal.me/furkidsfoundation. FKF couldn’t help local families with pets keep their pets healthy without the support of our community. We want you to know that nearly 80% of the funds raised help local families afford emergency veterinary care when they need it most. The Foundation does not cover 100% of the medical expense, or past due accounts. If approved, funds are paid directly to the veterinary clinic that the Foundation works with in Gillette, Wyoming. $2 Tuesday with FKF is an opportunity for you to support the lives of families with animals when they are struggling financially. From September 2012 until November 2022, we have granted more than $221K and helped more than 1,050 local families. We hope you give FKF $2 each Tuesday to invest in the health of animals in our community. Meet Spice, a 3-year-old Pit Bull Mix. Spice's dad is the sole caretaker for his family–and that includes the pets. Spice began shaking her head a lot, and eventually one of her ears became so swollen that he could tell that Spice was uncomfortable. He decided that Spice needed to be seen at the veterinarian. Spice had a hematoma of the ear, which is often called an aural hematoma–a small fluid-filled bulge on the ear flap (or pinna). In most cases, only one ear is affected at a time; however, it can also happen on the other ear at a later time. The most frequent cause of hematomas on the ear are from head-shaking and scratching when a dog has an ear infection. Ear hematomas can affect any breed at any age. If you notice that your dog has evidence of a hematoma in its ear, check the ear canal closely for signs of discharge, redness and odor as this could mean that they have an ear infection. Fur Kids Foundation encourages dog owners to treat ear hematomas as soon as possible. Hematomas that are found quickly respond well to drainage; however, when a hematoma has been left for a longer period of time, they thicken and surgery is difficult, and much more expensive. Scarring is more probable from surgery, resulting in a permanent cauliflower ear flap. Spice’s hematoma needed to be drained, and then she had to be put on some medication to help it heal. Spice's dad will be on the lookout for "helicopter ears" and will help keep her ears stable when she's having issues with them again so that they can hopefully avoid any future hematomas. Spice's dad applied to Fur Kids Foundation for assistance, and we were more than happy to help Spice get back to feeling better. No matter what is happening with your fur kid, at any stage of life, Fur Kids Foundation encourages you to call your veterinarian sooner rather than later. Fur Kids Foundation is 100% run by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money with events, take applications, and spread the word about the good work the Foundation does in Campbell County, Wyoming. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help local families with animals afford emergency veterinary care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal or signing up to become a volunteer. Read more Success Stories. |
Welcome to the Fur Kids Foundation blog archive that features inspiring stories of pets and people! Get inspired by these amazing furry tales of recovery and hope! All because someone like YOU cared.
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