Fur Kids Foundation Pack News Blog

Banfield Success Story: Derby

7/24/2016

Meet Derby, an 18-month old miniature schnauzer who wasn’t acting like his normal self and seemed lethargic.

Derby's family brought him to the vet to be examined, and they noticed on the x-ray that there was something in his belly; they initially thought he may have a bowel obstruction. The vet kept Derby at the clinic overnight and pumped fluids through him to see if whatever was in his belly would pass without needing surgery. Luckily, Derby didn't need to have surgery. He was just a little backed up and the fluids were just what he needed to help get his system working again.

Just like humans, dogs can get constipated, which can make them uncomfortable or even cause some pain. According to some vets, constipation can be caused by a lack of fiber in your dog’s diet, or even a lack of drinking water. And, if you feed your pup any people food “treats” this may also cause some issue with their digestive track. You can generally tell if your pet is constipated if they have not done No. 2 for at least two days. Dogtime has a great article that talks about some ways to help a pup with constipation; however, always be sure to check with a veterinarian before attempting any of these suggestions. And, while constipation may be a common issue for dogs, it shouldn’t be ignored. If your dog has been constipated, and is acting lethargic, isn’t really wanting to eat their food, or is vomiting, they should be seen by a vet immediately.

Fur Kids Foundation was recently awarded a $3,500 grant from the Banfield Foundation® to be used to help the Gillette, Wyoming charity with their emergency veterinary assistance program. This funding helped the Foundation grant money to help Derby’s family with his vet trip. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

Banfield Success Story: Buster

7/24/2016

Buster is a 10-week-old catahoula/border collie puppy who had an unfortunate encounter with a one-ton pickup when he and his family weren’t paying attention. Thankfully, Buster escaped with nothing more than injured sinus cavities and bruised lungs.

Buster is from a family of five who have hit some hard times. They reached out to the Foundation for help because Buster’s bills were more than they could handle at the time. We are happy to report that he's now well on his way to being a playful puppy.

As a side note: Buster’s predicament could have been much worse than what it was. One of the best things to do with a new puppy is leash train them. This not only helps when you walk your dog, but it also helps you supervise a new puppy to keep them out of mischief -- such as pottying inside, shredding your favorite pair of shoes, roughhousing with an older pet, or even getting under the tires of a pickup that is moving.

Many of the local vet offices will offer their clients free leashes for puppies; however, it’s always a good idea to fit your puppy with a collar/harness and a leash that is more suited to them. (And, while you’re getting a leash, be sure to get a name tag with contact information for them as well.) Make putting on the collar/harness and leash a positive experience by praising or using treats as rewards, and be sure to use a command with it as well. If you need more information on leash training, consider contacting a local trainer, or check out the blogs below for some more leash training tips:

AKC: How to teach a puppy to walk on a leash
Animal Planet: How to leash train your active puppy
Cesar’s Way: Introducing a puppy to walk on a leash

Fur Kids Foundation was recently awarded a $3,500 grant from the Banfield Foundation® to be used to help the Gillette, Wyoming charity with their emergency veterinary assistance program. This funding helped the Foundation grant money to help Buster’s family with his vet trip. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

It's Christmas in July!

7/5/2016

Fur Kids Foundation board member and founder Mary has been hard at work finding items for the Silent Auction and Table of Trinkets and Treats at Pet-A-Palooza on September 10. She came home recently to find a package from Neater Feeder, a paw-some product that helps prevent your dog or cat from flicking food on the wall and dribbling water on the floor, as well as four 30 day starter kits of Feliway, which helps reduce stress for cats.

We will be collecting items for these two attractions at Pet-A-Palooza until early September. If you're interested in donating items to this event, either download and complete a contract or contact us. Your support helps us save the lives of cherished pets in Campbell County, Wyoming.

Success Story: Jordan

7/1/2016

Jordan is a 7-year-old Lab/husky mix. Late last week, her family noticed a golf-ball sized lump on her chest. A week later the lump had grown to the size of a softball. Worried about their pup, they took her to the vet, where they learned that Jordan had a mass in her mammary that needed to be removed right away.

Jordan is also unaltered (or, not spayed), so the vet also recommended getting Jordan spayed because if she were to remain intact there is an increased chance that hormones would cause the mass to come back; and if this is cancerous they would progress at a faster rate.

Jordan comes from a family of five who had their hours cut back from work and their rent raised, so they reached out to Fur Kids Foundation for help. Jordan has had her surgery, and we expect her to make a full recovery.

For those who don’t know, there are few cancers that are as easily prevented as mammary cancer in dogs. According to an article from Drs Foster and Smith, There is a well-documented link between the early spaying of female dogs and the reduction in the incidence in mammary cancer. The article states:

Dogs spayed before coming into their first heat have an extremely small chance of ever developing mammary cancer. Dogs spayed after their first heat but before 2.5 years are at more risk, but less risk than that of dogs who were never spayed, or spayed later in life. Early spaying is still one of the best things pet owners can do to improve the health and ensure a long life for their dogs.

Mammary cancer is a very common cancer and can often be successfully treated, if caught early. If you find a lump in the mammary tissue of your dog, you should contact your vet immediately. You can read more about mammary cancer in the articles below:

The Bark: Breast cancer in dogs
Canine Cancer: Mammary Cancer
PetMD : Mammary Gland Tumor in Dogs
VetStreet: What you should know about breast cancer in cats and dogs

If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

June 2016 Volunteer of the Month

7/1/2016

Rebecca Lustig
For the better part of a year, board member Rebecca has been working on finding grants that Fur Kids Foundation can apply to that would help us with our mission of helping families with pets pay for emergency veterinary care. We are super excited to announce that she was able to find a perfect fit with the Banfield Foundation veterinary assistance grant. In June, we were notified that we will be receiving $3,500! Thank you, Rebecca, for dedicating your time to help us with this initiative and help us continue to save pets lives in Campbell County, Wyoming. The funding we’ve received from Banfield will help us greatly for the rest of this year. Thank you for your dedication; we couldn’t have done it without you.

Rebecca began by volunteering with the Foundation in 2013, and when a board position came open, she expressed interest. We gladly accepted her on our board. For those of you who don’t know, Rebecca is leaving us in July to join her husband, Jason, who recently got a job at Universal Studios Florida. We will miss Rebecca, as well as her two pups Zero and Izzy terribly.

We still need help finding grants to apply to. If you have good research skills, and are willing to spend a few hours finding some grants for the Foundation to apply to, please let us know.

Have you seen a volunteer go above and beyond? Let Mary or Felicia know at volunteerfkf@gmail.com.

June 2016 Case Update

7/1/2016

In June 2016, Fur Kids Foundation had 15 families apply for assistance, and we were able to help 14 families for a total of $4,221.63 given in aid. Below is some information on the cases we were able to help with:

A dog with a broken leg and open sore
A dog with frequent seizures
A dog with pancreatitis
A cat who ate something he shouldn’t
A dog with a tumor
A dog who needed surgery (pancreatitis or may have eaten something he shouldn’t)
A cat with an infection
A dog who had to have its eye removed
Two cats who had nasal mites and other infections
A cat who had pyometra
A dog who was hit by a car and needed surgery
A dog who needed surgery to remove a lump on its side
A dog who was anemic and needed a blood transfusion
A dog who needed a mammary tumor removed

We are grateful for the dedication of Fur Kids Foundation volunteers and supporters who have helped these families stay happy and healthy, and together! When you volunteer, attend an event, or help us raise money by supporting the businesses who support us with promotions, these families are who you are helping. Thank you again for all that you do for the Foundation, and for families with pets in Campbell County, Wyoming.

Success Story: Willow

7/1/2016

Willow is a 2-year-old unaltered Alaskan Husky who recently went roaming the streets. While out gallivanting, she was hit by a car and broke her leg.

Willow comes from a large family who is on a tight budget. The expense of the surgery was more than they had budgeted for, so they reached out to the Foundation for help. Willow had surgery, and the vet says she should soon be back to playing with her 15-year-old Newfoundland mix sister.

Broken legs in dogs can be quite common. If you see any of the following signs or symptoms in your dog, be sure to take them to the vet right away:

Unwillingness to put any weight on the injured leg; often picking the leg up and walking as a tri-pod
Refusing to play, walk or go up the stairs
Unusually aggression from the dog when you attempt to touch the leg that may be broken
Howlng or whimpering -- this is a solid sign of pain in a dog
Refusing to eat or isolating themselves away from you or the family

As a reminder: We’ve seen a lot of cases recently with dogs who have gotten out of their owners yard or house, and have been struck by a car. In June 2013, Fur Kids Foundation wrote a blog about dog proofing your back yard. Please take a minute to read this blog to see if there are things you can do to make your yard safer for your pets. Often, a pet will roam when it is unaltered. So, another great way to keep your pet safe and healthy is to spay or neuter them. We have a great page about the benefits of spaying and neutering your animal available here.

If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

Success Story: Coraline

7/1/2016

Coraline is a 1 year-old munchkin kitten who lives in a house full of kids. One of the kids accidentally stepped on her tail and Coraline wasn't acting herself shortly after. Her mom was hoping she was just sore from being stepped on, but soon she wasn’t wanting to be around any of the family members, and wasn’t her usual playful self, so her mom ran her to the vet right away. That's where it was discovered little Coraline didn't have a sore tail, she had pyometra.

Coraline and her human sister are the best of friends. This duo sleeps together, Coraline scratches at the bathroom door when she's not included (like most cats who don't understand privacy), and her human sister jokes about taking her to school with her in her backpack because she doesn't want her to be lonely. Coraline’s family had recently faced some setbacks including surgeries and broke down cars, so they reached out to the Foundation for help with her surgery. We are happy to say we were able to help, and Coraline is now on the mend.

Pyometra is a uterine infection that can be fatal if not treated immediately. The symptoms of pyometra vary, and depend on whether the cervix is open or closed when the infection develops.

If the cervix is open, you may see pus or bloody discharge coming from your cat’s vagina or stains in her bedding. (As a side note, it’s never normal for a cat to have bloody vaginal discharge, even when she’s in heat.)
If the cervix is closed, the infection is trapped in the uterus and you won’t see any discharge. As the infection gets more severe, your cat will have very little energy, act depressed, will have little interest in their food, and often excessive drinking and urination.

If your cat shows any of those symptoms, please take her to the vet immediately. Without treatment, which is usually an emergency spay, that infection can cause kidney failure, or the uterus can rupture releasing the infection into the abdominal cavity. The best way to prevent pyometra is to have your cat spayed.

To learn more about pyometra in cats, consider checking out the following articles:

Catster: Seven things you should know about pyometra
VCA Animal Hospitals: Pyometra in Cats
Harmony Animal Hospital: How to Spot Signs of Pyometra in Dogs or Cats

If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.