 This big, beautiful girl is Ruby, a 5-year-old Bullmastiff. Ruby and her parents are Fur Kids Foundation supporter—attending Pup Crawl and Pics in the Park in the past. Like many pooches, Ruby has quite an appetite. In early May, Ruby decided to try corn on the cob; unfortunately, she ate the whole cob. Ruby's parents have been through a lot recently. Her mom was laid off from work, but was fortunately able to find another job, but had less hours. Then her dad got sick with coronavirus and missed four weeks of work. He was back to work for four days when Ruby's mom went into labor—five weeks early, and their son was put into the neonatal intensive care unit. After their son was released from the hospital, they found out their rent was increased. And then Ruby's mom's blood sugar levels dropped, causing her to have seizures and get rushed to the emergency room. This family has been put through the ringer. So, when Ruby ate the corn cob after all of this, they didn’t know what to do. For roughly three weeks that corn cob was stuck in Ruby's belly and then they noticed their girl was not feeling well. They took her to the vet and learned that the corn cob had made its way to Ruby's small intestine causing a full blockage. This would require emergency surgery. For those who don't know, a corn cob doesn't digest in a dog's stomach. That means they are likely to cause a blockage, and possible perforation, if they're left to make their way through the intestines. According to Pet Helpful, the most common signs of blockages in dogs are: Blockages are very serious issues for dogs. If left untreated, blockages can lead to fatal complications, such as perforation of the bowels and peritonitis—inflammation of the abdominal cavity. Since Ruby’s family was familiar with Fur Kids Foundation, they applied for assistance with her emergency visit, and we were happy to help.
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Tank had blood work done and a full physical while he was at the vet’s office. He will have to be on medication to help control his seizures for the rest of his life, but his mom is now aware of the signs and what to do in case another seizure happens. To learn what to do if your dog has a seizure, check out this infographic by Dogs Naturally magazine.   About Fur Kids Foundation
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. Read more Success Stories.  Meet Buddy, a 9-year-old pit bull and Corgi mix. (Who doesn’t just wanna boop that nose!) Right as his mom's hours were cut at work due to coronavirus (COVID-19), Buddy started to get what a lot of pet owners refer to as helicopter ears. Because money was tight, his mom decided to kept an eye on him for a little bit, but his ears became worse—he was shaking his head even more, and he would cry out in pain when his mom touched his ears. His mom knew she needed to get Buddy into the vet; and when she got him there, he was diagnosed with an ear infection. We’re sure the majority of dog owners can recognize the telltale signs of an ear infection: whining, scratching, and head shaking. But ear infections often cause significant discomfort and affected dogs may show signs such as:
Buddy’s mom applied to Fur Kids Foundation for help, and we were happy to provide assistance. While he was at the vet, Buddy had thorough ear cleaning, and was given antibiotics. He’s well on his way to feeling loads better! To help prevent ear infections, you can keep an eye out on your dog’s ears. One of the best things to do is to keep them clean. Check out this video by Animal Care TV to learn how to do that.  About Fur Kids Foundation
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.
Hi pack! We are still working out some details for Pooch Plunge on August 15 at the City of Gillette Pool; however, the only way we can hold this event is if we have volunteers (they help us run the event). We need a minimum of 15 volunteers; right now we have 5-6 who want to help for some part of the day. If you love this event, and want to see it happen, please consider volunteering and complete an application today!  We have worked hard on developing safety precautions for this event. They include providing our volunteers with face shields and gloves (if they want to wear them); hand sanitation stations; separate exit and entry points (all outside); and more.
If you have any concerns, or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can find more information about the Pooch Plunge here >>> Coronavirus. This virus, its effects on people and economies is all over the news now-a-days. It’s also why we are making this post right now. We’ve been told the City and County are interested in allowing Pooch Plunge to take place on Saturday, August 15. And, we are cautiously optimistic that we can hold the event. Holding events like Pooch Plunge is how Fur Kids Foundation can make money so we can continue to help Campbell County, Wyoming families afford emergency veterinary care. We are working on ways to keep people safe. We are purchasing face shields for our volunteers, setting up ways for our community to register and pay online, creating hand sanitizing stations, and more. Please know that safe physical (social) distancing and wearing face masks will be encouraged at the event. We even have a dedicated time for folks with small dogs (under 40 pounds) to attend without larger dogs around. That being said, we need to hear from you. Will you attend Pooch Plunge? Please answer our poll on Facebook to let us know. It will close on July 27. Take the poll here  We also need volunteers to run this event smoothly. If you are interested in volunteering, or have other suggestions, please contact us. Please know, without volunteers, we cannot hold this event. Volunteer applications can be found here. More information about Pooch Plunge can be found here.
  This beauty is Skie, a 5-year-old German Shepherd—and she just happens to be one of the more unusual cases Fur Kids Foundation and Campbell County, Wyoming veterinarians have seen.
Skie is loved like a family member by her dad, who does a great job of taking care of Skie and watching after her. He started to noticed that Skie wasn’t acting like her normal self, so he kept a close watch over her for a couple of days. When she wasn’t getting any better, he decided that Skie needed to go to the vet. After a few tests at the vet’s office, it appeared as if Skie had an obstruction in her stomach, which baffled her dad—he couldn’t think of what Skie could have gotten into. Obstructions are quite a common emergency veterinary visit for dogs; however, the type of obstruction that Skie had is quite unusual. Skie was taken in for surgery, where the veterinarian learned that she did not have an obstruction—she had plaque build-up in her stomach! This is the first time her vet had ever seen this as well. Plaque build-up doesn't only happen in your teeth, but also your heart and now we've learned stomachs. The plaque build-up caused Skie's intestines to turn hard, which is why it looked like an obstruction. The vet had to break apart that plaque to help Skie feel better. Skie's dad is the only income in his home and was worried about how to pay for this emergency surgery. He applied to Fur Kids Foundation for help, and we were happy to grant assistance. We're happy to say that while Skie is a little sore from surgery, she's already feeling better and her dad is so happy to have his girl back. About Fur Kids Foundation 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.  All you pet loving shutterbugs better warm that trigger finger up. Why? Fur Kids Foundation wants you to get your best photo of your pet and enter it into our 2020 Pet Photo Contest!
If your pooch has that special pizzazz, or your cat has style—or, if you have any other glamorous pet—you’ve gotta give them a chance to be on the cover of Fur Kids Foundation’s 2021 Pet Calendar. The Contest begins on Saturday, August 1 at 8 am MT, and will run through Tuesday, September 15 at 8 pm MT. We have a goal to make $5,000; will you help us get there? Here are some more details:
We're giving you extra time—now get out there and take some photos of your pet! Proceeds from the Pet 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.  We had a lofty goal to raise $5,000 for WyoGives, and you blessed us by helping us raise $7,970! You are pawsome!
Thank you to all of our matching fund supporters and nearly 50 donors for helping Fur Kids Foundation raise more money to pay for emergency veterinary care for families with pets in Campbell County, Wyoming. Thank you to all of the supporters (there are too many to count) who share our message with their friends and loved ones, and continue to support us daily. If you missed giving yesterday, you can still support Fur Kids Foundation by donating online using PayPal or Facebook, or by supporting us with our upcoming Photo Contest, or at the upcoming Pooch Plunge (details coming soon!). Thank you for supporting Fur Kids Foundation. Thank you for caring about animals and families in your community. Thank you for making pet health a priority. Thank you. With roughly $60K raised for Campbell County nonprofits, and more than $535K raised for nonprofits across the state, we are proud to be Wyoming Strong! If you missed giving to any of the Campbell County nonprofits who participated, here are links to their websites: • Campbell County Healthcare Foundation • Climb Wyoming • Council of Community Services • Edible Prairie Project • Energy Capital Habitat for Humanity • Gillette College Foundation • Gillette Main Street • Gillette Reproductive Health • Women's Resource Center Gillette • YES House Foundation  Say hello to Jello, a 6-year-old Yorkie/Chihuhua mix breed dog. (For those of you who purchased a Fur Kids Foundation 2020 Pet Calendar, you probably recognize her as our December pup of the month!) Jello’s mom could tell that something was wrong with her beloved pup, so she was rushed to the veterinarian. Jello was an unaltered pup, meaning that she wasn’t spayed, and unfortunately that led to her to getting pyometra. Pyometra is an infection of the uterus, and is a serious and life threatening condition that must be treated promptly! This condition is often the result of hormonal changes in the reproductive tract. A dog with pyometra is an intact female who is older, and has likely just finished a heat cycle. Some pretty common signs that your dog may be ill include not want to eat, be vomiting, or be drinking a LOT of water. According to Marcy Veterinary Clinic:  Jello's infection was so bad that it had started to damage her kidneys. After an emergency spay, Jello had to stay at the clinic a few days to be monitored. Luckily, she started to perk up and her mom was able to take her home.
Jello’s mom only receives Supplemental Security Income (Social Security), and this emergency vet visit was more than she was prepared to handle. She applied to Fur Kids Foundation, and we were happy to help. Jello is starting to feel better, and was eating on her own, which is great news. Fur Kids Foundation always encourages pet owners to spay and neuter their pets. For more information, please speak with your veterinarian. About Fur Kids Foundation 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. Check out more Success Stories.  Meet Zeus, a 1-year-old Husky/Heeler mix (boy, does that mix spell trouble with a capital T, you’ll see). Zeus’ parents were cleaning the garage one day and noticed that a towel was missing. They had hoped the other parent threw it away, but shortly after, Zeus started acting really sick. He was throwing up, not wanting to eat, and his moms knew something was very wrong with their boy. Zeus' moms love him dearly, so they took him to the vet for an exam. Zeus had to go through some x-rays, but the vets weren't sure if what they were seeing on the screen was an object that didn’t belong in his belly/intestines, or just a gas bubble. So, the vet told his moms to watch Zeus overnight and bring him in the next day if he didn’t get better. Unfortunately, he was worse the next day, so the vets did surgery where—sure enough—they found the missing towel! Zeus had what is called a bowel obstruction, which is caused when a dog ingests a foreign object such as a towel, toy, rock, stick, bone, blanket, and sock, among a host of other things. Bowel obstructions are really a very common canine issue—after all, dogs are curious critters and have the desire to eat or chew nearly everything! These objects become lodged and are not able to pass through the intestines—sometimes, the can also cause a perforation (or hole) in the stomach or intestines. Obstructions are medical emergencies for dogs. If left untreated, it could result in sever fluid loss (because the dog doesn’t want to eat or drink), intestinal rupture and even death. According to the American Kennel Club, symptoms of a bowel obstruction include:  Zeus possibly eating a towel couldn't have come at a worse time. One of his moms is waiting on Social Security Income for an injury, and his other mom had to be in two-week quarantine due to COVID-19. They applied to Fur Kids Foundation for help with their emergency veterinary visit.
If you every believe your dog has an obstruction, Fur Kids Foundation encourages you to take them to your vet immediately. Zeus is at home recovering, and his parents are working with him on what are safe toys for him to chew on. We hope for his sake he's learned that towels aren't toys! About Fur Kids Foundation 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. Check out more Success Stories. |
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Created in November 2011, the Fur Kids Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides education and aid to promote the well-being of animals in Campbell County.
Your donation saves lives. It goes to work helping animals in Campbell County receive adequate veterinary care during a time when their family may not be able to afford it. Please contact the Foundation to learn more or donate now using PayPal.
AuthorThe Fur Kids Foundation blog is written by board member and Founder Felicia. If you have ideas that you would like to see published in the blog such as concerns about pet-focused topics in the community or a funny story, please contact the Foundation. Enjoy! Archives
October 2020
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