Helfer Wellness Fund

Thanks to the generosity of Tricia and Tara Helfer, this fund was founded to help the Richmond Animal Protection Society ensure that homeless cats can receive the medical care they need. When cats have no one to care for them, medical problems can build up. RAPS rescues many of the animals from the street, and thanks to the Helfers, these animals will receive the veterinary care they require. RAPS would like to honour the Helfers for their generous donations.

The Helfer Wellness Fund Blog contains stories of cats helped by this fund.

Helfer Wellness Fund Blog

Friday, August 7, 2009

Healing our Little Manx

Lovable little Sweet Pea is one of the incontinent Manx cats that have a permanent home at our sanctuary. Born with a genetic defect, these cats have no control over their bowel or bladder and require special lifetime care.

Sweet Pea recently developed a bad urinary tract infection and bladder stones. In order to dissolve the stones, we have had to keep her on a special veterinary diet for 3 months. She has also needed a few rounds of antibiotics to battle the infection.

Thanks to the Helfer Wellness Fund, our little girl will soon be frolicking around the shelter as good as new.

posted by RAPS # 5:47 PM 0 Comments

Fergus

Big, beautiful green-eyed Fergus has been living in the New AIDS House at the RAPS Sanctuary for a few years. Fergus developed a chronic problem with his ears that regular cleaning couldn't resolve, so he was taken to the vet for an ear flush. Upon examination, the vet determined that the cat had abnormal growths in his ears and what appeared to be an enlarged lymph node nearby.

A fine needle aspirate was done and sent to the lab for biopsy to determine if the lymph node was cancerous. We were thrilled that the test came back negative and the growths have been determined to be polyps that are benign. Fergus is on antibiotics to eliminate the infection in his ears.

posted by RAPS # 5:00 PM 0 Comments

Dental Work for Randy

Randy, a once-stray cat who is blind in one eye, had been fed in the bush for several years by a senior who volunteered for RAPS. A few years ago, we trapped him and brought him to the sanctuary. When he was neutered, we learned that he was FIV positive. Cats with the Feline AIDS virus have impaired immune systems and are very susceptible to dental problems.

A few weeks ago, Randy was taken to the vet and had 7 teeth extracted.

The need for dental work on our sanctuary cats is one of our largest veterinary expenses. We are very grateful to have the Helfer Wellness Fund in place to help with those costs.

posted by RAPS # 4:27 PM 0 Comments

Intensive Care Helps Amber Recover

Sweet little Amber has lived at the cat sanctuary for most of her life. One day, a RAPS animal care staffer noticed that she had become unwell and transported her to our vet for diagnosis and treatment. Amber was severely jaundiced and bloodwork showed that she had developed lipidosis, a fatty liver condition that occurs when a cat stops eating.

Amber's prognosis was poor, but we had the vet put her on intravenous fluids and antibiotics for several days. She was then returned to the sanctuary where animal care staff provided continuous care, including subcutaneous fluid therapy, antibiotics, vitamins and hourly forcefeeding. Over several weeks of intensive care, Amber gradually began eating on her own and recovered completely.

posted by RAPS # 1:43 PM 0 Comments