Fur Kids Foundation Pack News Blog | Gillette, Wyoming

Fur Kids Foundation 2019 Success Story: Olivia

7/26/2019

This is Olivia, a 2-year-old Siamese cat. Her mom has recently ran into some hardships, and lost her job. She didn't have the funds to spay Olivia, so it wasn't much of a surprise that Olivia came home pregnant one day.

Olivia gave birth to three adorable kittens. Unfortunately, two days after giving birth, Olivia was still bleeding, had no energy and could hardly stand up. She rushed Olivia to the vet, and applied for emergency veterinary assistance with Fur Kids Foundation.

According to AnimalWised:

it is normal for some bleeding to occur after a cat gives birth. ... Spotting is normal for about 48 hours after a cat gives birth. If it continues to happen after this time, you should take them to the vet to rule out a problem. You will need to also look at other symptoms. If the cat stops eating, has vomiting and/or diarrhea or any other symptoms where you think they may be ill, you need to take them to the vet.

At the vet she was given two options. Surgery for Olivia or she could take home some medication that would help clot Olivia’s bleeding and make it stop. Olivia's mom chose to try the take home medication. Last we heard from Olivia's mom was the bleeding was slowing down, she was gaining some energy, and was walking around the house again.

She's doing great. She's stopped bleeding and has gotten her color and strength back. She's eating, drinking and going potty. Her babies are getting bigger, they are a week old today and starting to open their eyes. I truly and whole-heartedly appreciate your help."

We hope Olivia continues to make a swift recovery, and when she's healthy enough, gets spayed. Spaying and neutering procedures help to keep cherished family pets healthy. Spaying your female cat or dog helps prevent uterine infections and cancers, as well as breast cancer. Neutering a male pet helps prevents testicular cancer as well as helps to improve some behavior issues such as reducing their probability for roaming or fighting, and urine-marking in inappropriate places. Fur Kids Foundation encourages all pet owners to responsibly spay and neuter their fur kids.

Fur Kids Foundation is 100% ran 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. You can see a list of those who support us on our Supporters page. Check out more Success Stories.

Fur Kids Foundation 2019 Success Story: Baybee

7/26/2019

This is Baybee, a 4-year-old house cat. His mom had a peace lily in her home, not knowing that Baybee would eat it, and that peace lilies were poisonous to cats.

Baybee started to act off over the course of a few days, and his mom started doing research, and figured he had been poisoned by the lily. She knew she had to get Baybee to a vet.

Baybee is my world. He rescued me two years ago. He's all I have left," says Baybee’s mom.

According to the Pet Poison Helpline, peace lily’s are poisonous to both cats and dogs. If you pet displays any of the following signs, you should get them to a vet for treatment:

Decreased appetite
Drooling
Pawing at the mouth
Oral pain
Vomiting

The peace lily isn’t the only lily that is poisonous to cats. The common lilies are as well: Easter, daylily, Asiatic, Japanese show, and Tiger lilies. If your cat ingests any of these lilies, they can cause kidney failure, which is fatal. Check out this infographic by PetMD for more information on plants that are poisonous for pets.

Baybee's mom is going through a divorce and raising two children. She needed to get Baybee seen by the vet, but wasn't sure how she would afford it. She applied to Fur Kids Foundation for help with the emergency veterinary care Baybee needed. Baybee had to spend a few days at the vet with fluids and meds, but we're happy to report he's feeling much better and is on his way to recovery.

Fur Kids Foundation is 100% ran 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. You can see a list of those who support us on our Supporters page. Check out more Success Stories.

Fur Kids Foundation 2019 Success Story: Penny terrier

7/26/2019

This is sweet Penny, a 5-month-old terrier mix. Penny and her family recently moved to Gillette, Wyoming—and really just into their new home—when she got hurt.

You see, Penny’s human brother has some challenges, and when Penny's mom asked him to put her outside to go potty, he went to toss her onto the grass. Unfortunately, he wasn't aware of how hard he can toss little Penny, she didn't make it onto the grass safely. On impact, Penny sustained a broken leg, so severe that the family’s only option was to amputate her leg.

According to the Pet Health Network:

While you might think puppies are resilient and strong, their bones are actually fragile. Dogs’ bones reach maximum strength after puberty. Less dense bones, accordingly, mean more potential for fractures.

The vet and Penny's parents know that her human brother did not do this to be cruel to Penny; however, the cost of the emergency vet bills set the family back financially quite a bit. Penny’s dad is the only one working, so her mom can take care of her and her brother. They applied to Fur Kids Foundation for assistance, and we were happy to help.

The vet is confident that Penny will make a full recovery and forget she ever had four legs. And the family is working with Penny’s brother to keep them both safe in the future.

Fur Kids Foundation is 100% ran 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. You can see a list of those who support us on our Supporters page. Check out more Success Stories.

Fur Kids Foundation 2019 Success Story: Cocoa cat

7/25/2019

This is Cocoa, a very handsome 3-year-old kitty, who is his mom’s baby!

Earlier this summer, Cocoa’s mom was outside grilling dinner and Cocoa happened to get out and enjoy the sunshine. About a week after that, Cocoa started to get sores all over his body, which he scratched and made worse. She knew that he sores and scabs couldn't be comfortable for Cocoa, and she noticed some of them looked worse than others—she knew that Cocoa had to be looked at by a veterinarian.

At the vet’s office, she learned that Cocoa had allergies.

Meow-choo! That’s right: just like people, cats develop allergies to dust, food, grass, household cleaning items, mold/mildew, plants, pollen and so much more, according to Pet Health Network. And the symptoms cats develop are also the same as humans—coughing, itchy skin and runny noses or even vomiting. Allergies can also affect cats in these ways:

Bald patches
Excessive scratching
Paw chewing or swollen, sensitive paws
Redness around the eyes, mouth, chin or ears
Skin irritation
Snoring (caused by irritation in the throat)

Cocoa's mom was recently let go from her job and hasn't even had a chance to file for unemployment when the sores started to appear. She applied for help with Cocoa's emergency veterinary care with Fur Kids Foundation. Cocoa is an indoor cat, and is not used to the outdoors, which he got a large dose of the week prior while his mom was grilling. Luckily, all Cocoa needs is some medicine to help him feel better in no time!

Fur Kids Foundation was happy to help Cocoa feel better, and his mom has some piece of mind to make sure her baby was healthy.

Fur Kids Foundation is 100% ran by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money, 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. You can see a list of those who support us on our Supporters page. Check out more Success Stories.

Photo Contest is heating up!

7/15/2019

We're almost 1/2 way to our goal of $3,500!
Look at all the cute pooches who are in the Top 12 of the Fur Kids Foundation Photo Contest! These pets are all hoping to make it to the cover of the 2020 Pet Calendar!

But, wait ... where are the kitties? Or horses. Chickens? Bunnies? While we love to see all these adorable pups, and really appreciate all the money you are donating to get them in the Top 12, we also want to see other pets represented!

Enter your pet today >>>

Or, vote on the ones who have already entered >>>

We have 94 pets who are hoping to be featured in the pet calendar! Pet's aren't just featured in our calendar for months, and on other sheets in the calendar, they also get some free HURTTA swag and can win a 2020 Pet Calendar for their owners! The contest will close on July 31, 2019. Spread the word!

Below are some quick rules/details:

Entries are FREE; votes are $1 each.
Participants can also "save a day" for $10 and guarantee to have their pet's photo in the calendar on a specific day, or pre-order a calendar for $15—with free delivery if they live in Gillette. Prices go up after the photo contest!
Photos should contain pets only, no hoomans!

Learn more >>>

Remember: proceeds from this photo contest help Fur Kids Foundation provide funds to cover the costs of unexpected emergency veterinary care for families with pets in Campbell County, Wyoming.

Fur Kids Foundation 2019 Success Story: Buddy

7/12/2019

This best friend is Buddy, he’s a 3-year-old toy Australian Shepherd.

This is what Buddy’s mom has to say about him: “Buddy is no less than a best friend. I have two other dogs, and though they love me it is somehow apparent that Buddy loves me the most. To him I think home is not a place, but it is me, and it is much likewise for me and all my dogs.”

Buddy was looking forward to a playdate. His mom was having some friends over and they were bringing their dogs to play with Buddy and his fur siblings. None of the furry friends had ever been aggressive before, but at this playdate one of the visiting dogs snapped at Buddy and broke his leg.

To properly diagnose a broken bone in a dog, it’s very important that you take them to the vet, and get proper treatment. Without it, your dog may develop other health issues related to the break. Once a vet has diagnosed the issue, it’s important that you help your dog care for their broken leg. Check out these great tips by Hills®:

Follow veterinarian instructions for medication schedule and administration.
If you need to leave your dog at home, keep him kenneled or in a small room. Ensure he is comfortable but not able to walk around.
He won’t be getting the exercise he is used to, so weight gain can happen while he recovers. Note: You may be tempted to give extra treats while he is in pain, but he won’t be able to burn off the extra calories like usual.
As healing happens the cast and stitches will be removed, but it’s still important your dog takes it slow.
Once your pup is back to his old self and the vet gives the okay, you can begin exercising him again to burn off any weight gain.

Buddy’s mom had just started a new job and was taking care of her disabled step-dad. His mom knew that she wasn’t going to be able to afford the care Buddy needed to repair his leg, so she applied to Fur Kids Foundation for help with the emergency veterinary care. On the plus side: His mom’s friend felt terrible about the accident, and wanted to help pay for Buddy’s surgery, so she set up a fundraiser. Thankfully between the fundraiser, Buddy’s mom, and Fur Kids Foundation, Buddy was able to get the surgery he needed and is making a full recovery!

Fur Kids Foundation is 100% ran by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money, 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. You can see a list of those who support us on our Supporters page. Check out more Success Stories.

Fur Kids Foundation 2019 Success Story: Hercules the Pit Bull

7/12/2019

Update: August 24, 2019
Hercules needs surgery to get his leg amputated, and Fur Kids Foundation needs your help to get it done.

Fur Kids Foundation is giving $500 toward his surgery, which is estimated to cost close to $1,500. Will you donate $5 to help Hercules get the surgery he needs? You can donate on PayPal; please let us know that the money is for Hercules in the comments. Donations are tax-deductible.

This handsome sweetheart is Hercules, a friendly pit bull. Hercules has had a rough go of it lately. In March, this poor pooch was hit by a car. His parents rushed him to the vet and were told Hercules had two options, amputation or wait to see how his let healed. With money being tight and recovery uncertain, Hercules’ family chose to wait and see how his leg fared.

In June, just three months later, Hercules started to go lame in his healing leg. He was also licking his paw raw. Not only had Hercules seen some hard days, his parents also ran into bad luck as they had been incarcerated. Knowing Hercules needed help, a friend of his parents gave Fur Kids Foundation a call. He wanted to make sure Hercules was going to be OK, and completed an application for assistance to get Hercules evaluated by a vet. Hercules had found a friend when he needed it most!

At the vet, Hercules was given some pain medication and his new-found friend was given book suggestions that would help provide additional education about Hercules’ injury and recovery. Hercules is in good hands until his parents get home. His new friend will keep Hercules happy and pain free until the family is reunited.

It’s a heartbreaking thought, and we hope you never need these tips by the Canine Journal, but here’s what to do if your dog is hit by a car:

Be extremely careful when handling your dog to avoiding making any injuries worse. We found a great video you can watch on how to move your dog, if necessary: https://youtu.be/Xfc4oaUcDs4
Know dogs in shock or pain might scratch or bite, an emergency muzzle might be necessary
Call the emergency vet while you are in route
Even if your dog seems OK after being hit, call your vet and talk to them about the situation.

Fur Kids Foundation is 100% ran by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money, 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. You can see a list of those who support us on our Supporters page. Check out more Success Stories.

While you get the goods, do some good

7/10/2019

This just in: “Amazon Prime Day” is two days this year! Yippppppeeeeeeeee!

This year, Amazon will be offering a slew of special offers for Prime users on July 15 and 16 (we sure hope you’re excited). If you’re going to participate, make sure you do some good while you’re getting the goods!

Fur Kids Foundation is an official AmazonSmile charity. What does that mean? Well, when you shop at Smile.Amazon.com, you can help FKF receive a charitable donation. That’s right, and yes, it's that simple. For every eligible purchase you make at regular price, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to Fur Kids Foundation—this happens on Amazon Prime Day and every day, in case you didn’t know!

Please follow these steps to select Fur Kids Foundation, and be sure to navigate to Smile.Amazon.com to support FKF with all of your Amazon purchases.

Visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/45-3984478. You’ll find the same shopping experience as Amazon, but with the option to give back to the Fur Kids Foundation!
If you’re not logged in, you will be prompted to create or log in to your Amazon Prime account. Note: Amazon Prime is needed to participate in Prime Day, but you can follow the same steps to support FKF every day, wherever you are, even without a Prime membership.
A pop-up notification will confirm that you have successfully selected Fur Kids Foundation as your AmazonSmile charity.
Now, all you have to do is SHOP! Once you’ve selected us as your charity of choice, 0.5% of the purchase price on most purchases—look for the note “eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on the product description page.

A huge thank you from Fur Kids Foundation for allowing us to help Campbell County, Wyoming families afford emergency veterinary care while you shop online. Check out who we've helped since we began in 2011 on our Success Stories page.

Fur Kids Foundation 2019 Success Story: Ava

7/7/2019

Meet sweet Ava, a 2-year-old pit bull. Ava has been adjusting to some changes in her life. Her parents recently divorced, and Ava was living with mom. Ava suddenly started vomiting, refused to eat, and was losing weight rapidly. Ava’s mom wasn’t sure if Ava was current on her vaccines and was worried she might have parvo.

After a quick trip to the vet, Ava’s mom was relieved to learn it wasn’t parvo but a bacterial infection that could be easily treated with medication.

What is parvo? According to an article on Purina, parvo is short for parvovirus. The virus first appeared in the 1970s and is spread from dog to dog through feces and vomit. Puppies are most at risk for getting parvo and the risk decreases as the dog gets older. Parvo is preventable with an inexpensive vaccine! Shots for parvo are given every two to three weeks from the time a puppy is 6-8 weeks old until they are 4-6 months old. If your puppy hasn’t been vaccinated, don’t wait! Contact your vet today!

Ava’s mom made sure to bring Ava up to date on her vaccines, so she’d never have to fear parvo again. If you have a young dog or puppy in your life, check out the AKC's puppy shot schedule online.

It's important to note that the parvo vaccination is a yearly vaccination that Fur Kids Foundation encourages families to get for their dogs. The cost of the parvo vaccination runs between $15-25, while an average cost for parvo treatment can run from $500-$2,000! FKF helped Ava's mom with the unplanned visit to her vet for the bacterial infection, not for Ava's vaccinations.

Fur Kids Foundation is 100% ran by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money, 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. You can see a list of those who support us on our Supporters page. Check out more Success Stories.

Fur Kids Foundation 2019 Success Story: Oreo

7/7/2019

Meet Oreo, a 7 year old mini Aussie. Oreo has lots of energy and loves to play. She also has an older sister, Hope, who is like most older ladies, and gets a little crabby when it comes to young whipper snappers. Anxious to play, Oreo tried to get her older sister to join in on the fun, but Hope had other plans: she bit Oreo on the nose because she wasn’t ready to play.

Oreo’s mom cleaned the wound and kept an eye out for infections, thinking Oreo was in the clear. Then Oreo started to have seizures. Oreo was in pain and just wasn’t herself, which meant her mom brought her to the vet right away.

At the vet, blood tests were run trying to find the cause of the seizures. The blood tests kept coming back with perfect results. A bit confused, an x-ray was done of Oreo’s nose. Oreo’s nose had been fractured during the bite and was likely causing the seizures as a response to the pain. Oreo stayed a few nights at the clinic, was given antibiotics and pain medication and is expected to make a full recovery.

Did you know the average bite strength across three large-dog breeds is 269 pounds of pressure? According to PetMD, here's what you should know if your dog is bitten by another dog.

Remove your dog from the situation. If the other owner is present gather as much information as you can, ask if the dog is up-to-date on his rabies vaccine.
Have the wound checked by a vet. The puncture wound is typically the “tip of the iceberg”. A pocket is often created and bacteria from the dog’s tooth can cause an abscess to form.
Preventing infection is key. Fully administer any antibiotics prescribed by the veterinarian. Keep your dog from licking or scratching their wound. A “cone of shame” may be in order.
If the dog bite came from a dog in the same house, figure out what triggered the bite. Owners shouldn’t punish the dog if the circumstances involved jostling over a toy or being spooked by something. Punishment could make the dog more anxious and more likely to bite.
Know that recovery after a bite isn’t just physical but behavioral as well. It may take time for your dog to be back to his normal, happy self.

If you know that your pet has been bitten by another animal, it's important that you take them to the vet for an examination.

Fur Kids Foundation is 100% ran by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money, 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. You can see a list of those who support us on our Supporters page. Check out more Success Stories.