This is Buddy, an 11-year-old Pit Bull/Corgi. His mom noticed he was urinating blood, which startled her.
At the vet it was found that Buddy had a severe UTI (urinary tract infection).Urinary tract infections are uncomfortable for our four legged friends, but they can also be downright dangerous. According to the AKC, common UTI signs in your dog can include:
Buddy's mom works hard, and is a single mom. She tries to do what she can to support her family, but this curveball with Buddy was hard on her. She knew that she didn’t have the funds to get him seen by the veterinarian, but she knew that he needed to be seen. She applied with Fur Kids Foundation and we were happy to help. Buddy was given some medications for his UTI, and is expected to make a full recovery. Please note: In most cases, UTIs resolve with treatment and do not cause any lasting damage. However, UTI symptoms could be indicative of more serious conditions, such as poisoning, kidney disease, stones in the urinary tract or cancer. Staying informed and educated about UTI symptoms is important for any dog owner. 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 Bella, a 10-12-year-old Chihuahua. Bella's mom, a single mom who works hard to provide for her family, adopted Bella three years ago. Bella is a very important part of the family, so when she started crying and having bloody stools, her mom became very concerned. At the vet they discovered that Bella was in excellent health for a senior dog, but she did have impacted anal glands. Did you know that you dog has anal glands? These are small, oval-shaped, and located in your dog’s rectum on both sides of the anus. According to Wag!, the glands produce a greasy, foul-smelling substance that acts as a territorial marker for dogs. Normally, stool will push against the sacs while exiting through the rectum and force the yellow-brown to gray substance to be secreted out with it. If your dog can’t express their anal glands when they go No. 2, the substance can build up in and thicken, thereby plugging the glands. Impacted anal glands can then begin to swell and become irritated, causing discomfort and possibly an infection in your dog; it also makes it painful to go to the bathroom. Often, impacted glands are caused by obesity, poor diet or chronic diarrhea. According to Wag!, signs include:
Symptoms of impacted anal glands should be taken seriously. If left untreated, an impaction can lead to a serious infection. Bella's mom applied with Fur Kids Foundation to see if we could help get Bella seen by a veterinarian. They were afraid at Bella's age she was suffering and didn't want it to impact her quality of life, especially if it was something serious. We were more than happy to help. Bella was sent home with some meds and is expected to make a full recovery, and signs for her mom to look for if Bella's anal glands start bothering her in the future. 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 Cocoa, a 3-year-old Border Collie/Heeler/Husky mix (and would you look at that tongue)! Cocoa and her sister got into a pretty serious squabble at home—so serious, poor Cocoa had a broken leg. Cocoa's parents were faced with two options: amputate the leg or surgery to fix the leg. Surgery, even with Fur Kids Foundation’s assistance, was very costly and outside of Cocoa’s parents’ budget. Yet, Cocoa’s mom was very concerned about amputating her pup’s leg. She was afraid it would affect her quality of life, since it was her front leg. Our Case Managers provided some Facebook groups for tripod pups, and some additional links on leg amputation for dogs. Her mom did some more research and felt that the best option for their family was amputation, and felt comfortable and confident Cocoa would do well with three legs. In many cases, like Cocoa’s, a pet owner will see how their pup broke their leg. Other times, our pets suffer a broken leg without us knowing. If your dog has any of the signs below, bring them to a vet clinic immediately:
Cocoa's parents work hard to provide for their pets. This accident was outside of their budget and their pet savings, so they applied for assistance with the emergency veterinary bill. We were happy to help. Cocoa had her surgery and is on her way to living that tri-pawed life. 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 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. 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. This is Odin, a 5-month-old Cane Corso, Boxer, Pit Bull Mix. One thing we've learned about puppies is that they will get into everything–Odin is no exception. Odin has a cat sister with a lot of small toys around the house for her to place with. One in particular looked like a great chew toy for Odin–a snowman. Unfortunately, Odin swallowed the toy and it ended up causing a larger problem; an obstruction. According to the AKC: A bowel obstruction is a complete or partial blockage in the stomach or intestines that prevents solids or liquids from passing through the gastrointestinal tract. This blockage can also decrease blood flow and cause deterioration to portions of the bowels, along with the absorption of toxic contents. If not treated, obstructions can cause death. Some common symptoms of a bowel obstruction include:
Odin's mom is a single mom on a limited income. Surgery for Odin's bowl obstruction was far outside of her budget. They hoped the toy would pass on its own; unfortunately it did not and that meant little Odin needed to have a surgery that his mom could not afford. Odin's mom applied with Fur Kids Foundation and we were able to help with his emergency surgery costs at the vet. Odin is home recovering and his mom is going to keep a watchful eye on all of the small toys. While his kitty sister isn't a fan of no longer having toys out, it's for Odin's best interest. 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. Shortly after writing Mattie's blog we received the devastating news that she had passed away from an underlying infection. Mattie meant a lot to her mom, and we would like to share her story. Meet Mattie, an 11-year-old American Bulldog Mix. Mattie's mom would do anything for her lovely lady–in her application, she said that Mattie is her best friend. Mattie's mom is on a limited income, so when Mattie was acting like she didn’t feel good, she brought Mattie to the vet. The vet believed that Mattie likely had a urinary tract infection (UTI), but Mattie's mom wasn't able to afford all the diagnostics, so she was sent home with some medication to help treat the issue. A few days later, Mattie wasn't any better, and now she was limping. She knew she needed to get all the tests done for Mattie, so she applied to Fur Kids Foundation for help with the veterinary costs. After the tests, they diagnosed Mattie with a UTI, and a partially torn canine cruciate ligament (CCL), causing the limping. But they also found that Mattie has diabetes. VCA Hospitals reports that dogs with UTIs often:
A CCL rupture is similar to an ACL tear in humans. It’s a very common injury in dogs and is the most common cause of degenerative joint disease in the stifle joint. CCL rupture occurs in dogs of all sizes, but is quite common in giant or larger breeds. According to the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, signs that your dog may have torn their CCL include:
Diabetes is more common in older pets, and occurs when the body can not use glucose (sugar) normally. Glucose is the main source of energy for the body’s cells. Glucose levels are primarily controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is made by the pancreas. Diabetes is a chronic disease that can affect several species, dogs, cats, pigs, horses, and humans. According to the AKC, diabetes mellitus, or “sugar diabetes,” is a metabolic disorder that is seen most often in dogs. Signs that your dog may have diabetes include:
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to cataracts or blindness, enlarged liver, frequent UTIs, seizures, kidney failure, ketoacidosis, and death. Mattie needed to be hospitalized to monitor her levels, and her mom was told that she would need to be monitored for the remainder of her life, be on insulin, and change her diet. Without it, Mattie may continue to get UTIs, and will not feel well. Her mom was sent home with instructions on how to provide insulin and a new diet plan for Mattie, and will do what she can to provide the best life for her best friend. 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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