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

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

This blog has moved

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Healing Molly's Fractured Hip

Molly is a 16-year-old calico who receives fluids and medication daily for kidney disease, a common disorder of aging in cats. A couple of months ago, Molly lost her balance and fell from a height of about 8 feet, fracturing her hip. Such a fall probably wouldn't have been a problem for a younger cat, but Molly's bones may be more brittle due to her advanced age.

In order to allow her hip to heal, she has been undergoing cage rest for a couple of months. She is confined to one of our smaller, single-level cages; however, we try to make this period of her life more pleasant by offering her plenty of attention and special treats. We hope that her next set of x-rays will show that sufficient healing has taken place, and that she can be set free.

posted by RAPS  # 10:05 PM 0 Comments

Velcro Recovers from Ailment

Velcro, the 15-year-old stray that we took in last summer, developed a fever and wasn't able to eat. Veterinary x-rays showed a buildup of gas in his abdomen and bloodwork indicated that he was fighting off an infection. With sanctuary staff administering antibiotics and fluids, he has recovered nicely in a room that is dedicated to seniors.

posted by RAPS  # 9:52 PM 0 Comments

Houdini's Dental Problems are Fixed

Houdini (at left with a friend), an 8-year-old friendly boy who came to the sanctuary as a feral kitten, became very thin. Our veterinarian's examination revealed that he had developed severe dental problems and 7 teeth had to be extracted.

Houdini is much more comfortable now. He has a terrific appetite and has regained almost all of the lost weight.

posted by RAPS  # 9:45 PM 0 Comments

Treatment for Shadow's Megacolon

Our largest and oldest black male developed a condition called megacolon, which causes severe constipation, vomiting and extreme discomfort. Left untreated, this condition would eventually prove fatal to the animal.

Shadow was first diagnosed about 2 years ago when he was unable to eat and lost a considerable amount of weight. Following a series of enemas at the vet clinic, he was put on a special diet, plus daily laxatives and medication. Now 15 years of age, Shadow has done extremely well on his treatment regimen, but he recently had a relapse that necessitated 3 additional days of care at the veterinary clinic.

Fully recovered, our big boy has resumed his favorite activity of assisting volunteers by sampling the food on every plate at feeding time. He's a big guy, and he's the boss!

posted by RAPS  # 5:26 PM 0 Comments

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

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