Caius' Treatment for Anemia
Donation protected
THE LATEST UPDATE:
We had a couple scares where vets were telling us Caius may have reached the end of his time. Blood transfusions were advised but estimated at $3500. Considering I started this GoFund me to help manage the $1000 bone marrow procedure, the blood transfusion wasn't a financial possibility. We somehow got him through some big drops and unfortunately once again his blood levels are 7% when they should be 30% +. We're trapped in a loop - we can't treat him for anything until we know what's wrong, we cant figure that out without a bone marrow biopsy, we can't do that unless he's stable and we can't stabalize him without a blood transfusion. Without it, we may be discussing Caius' last days with us.
The Cause
Long story short, my handsome and loving cat Caius (k-eye-us) has been diagnosed with anemia. We've been trying to treat it for about a year and a half and have seen 3 different veterinarians in the process. After alarming results from his blood work, it was recommended that we have a bone marrow sample taken to help pin-point the cause of his anemia. I am a recent graduate living in Toronto, and I simply didn't/don't have the estimated $1000 (and up) to be able to do the procedure. I have already been overwhelmed with vet bills, and prescription costs and I am working two jobs and trying so hard to save up enough to go towards this treatment, but any help I could get would speed the process up. I know that even once the treatment is done, there will be more vet bills and prescription bills to come and we don't really know for how long. Any of contribution would help Caius and I get a little closer to getting him back to his usual playful self and ensuring he lives a long and happy life. If you'd like more details on our story I've written them below.
The Donations
Any donations received will be kept separate from regular banking so I can track and report that all the money is going towards veterinary costs. Ideally I'd like to raise enough to feel financially comfortable doing the bone marrow sample, and any other funds would be put towards veterinary costs specific to his condition (ie. medications, blood-work). The faster I can save up, the faster I can get him on the right track. Right now I think we're both feeling a little worn down and discouraged.
Our Story
About two years ago in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, I brought home one of the most handsome guys I'd ever seen and Caius and I started our life together. He came to me at a time of high anxiety and change, and quickly stole my whole heart and added so much love and laughter to my life. He was only 1 and he was playful and energetic. He wasn't afraid to say hi to strangers (human or animal). and he was so easy-going in almost any scenario.
About December of that same year (2016) I started noticing Caius' nose seeming to fade in colour every now and again. Over-time this fade became more consistent and I began to notice that he wasn't playing like he used to and while he wasn't isolating himself from people, he was sleeping a lot more than usual. I began to think it was odd that his spine suddenly felt very prominent and I could feel all his vertebrae very distinctly. I have never noticed it before. He kept scratching around his ears to the point where he was leaving open wounds. His ears also started to look dirty and I couldn't figure out what the connections might be. These developed over-time getting worse over the course of a couple months but it was when I noticed his scratching in January that I first brought him to the vet. for almost a year now, Caius has been on steroids (Prednisone), with his dose changing every now and again depending on his levels.
This began a long process of treatment. We have seen 3 different veterinarians and undergone 2 different medications, neither of which has proved useful. When we came to the Vet here in Toronto, our new vet asked us to see a specialist, but she guessed that the problem might be in the bone marrow, and we would need to take a sample to know for sure what it was and how to treat it. I did as she asked and met with the specialist who estimated the cost to be $1000 and I didn't know what to do. You want to do everything you can to help, but I knew I couldn't afford it. I thought long and hard and was honest about my hesitation because of the cost. We decided our next best option was to try to treat it based on what the vet and specialist thinks it might be, based on his other symptoms, and hopefully we will be right and his treatment will work. We put him on Atopica (Cyclosporin) in addition to his Prednisone. We saw a huge improvement after the first medication was added and he was back to himself running around, playing fetch and going crazy for laser pointers. He was so pink again too! Unfortunately as we tried to start reducing the Prednisone his levels dropped right away and a month or two later we are back to that pale nose, ears, gums and paws, and sleeping the day and night away.
(This is a photo from 2016, the spring that I took Caius home. While he is a little sleepy, he is indeed quite pink and bright-eyed.)
(This photo was from March 2017 when we were on our way to our second vet clinic. )
He is not himself. He looks sad and he looks tired and my heart breaks every time I see him. I have so much love for him and would be so grateful for any contribution that would get us closer to those happy bright eyes again.
If you have any questions about more detail into our treatment plan please don't hesitate to ask.
Much love and thanks,
Brenna and Caius
(Above are some of Caius' favourite activities - playing fetch with his favourite balls, sprawling out for an afternoon nap, and morning cuddles.)
We had a couple scares where vets were telling us Caius may have reached the end of his time. Blood transfusions were advised but estimated at $3500. Considering I started this GoFund me to help manage the $1000 bone marrow procedure, the blood transfusion wasn't a financial possibility. We somehow got him through some big drops and unfortunately once again his blood levels are 7% when they should be 30% +. We're trapped in a loop - we can't treat him for anything until we know what's wrong, we cant figure that out without a bone marrow biopsy, we can't do that unless he's stable and we can't stabalize him without a blood transfusion. Without it, we may be discussing Caius' last days with us.
The Cause
Long story short, my handsome and loving cat Caius (k-eye-us) has been diagnosed with anemia. We've been trying to treat it for about a year and a half and have seen 3 different veterinarians in the process. After alarming results from his blood work, it was recommended that we have a bone marrow sample taken to help pin-point the cause of his anemia. I am a recent graduate living in Toronto, and I simply didn't/don't have the estimated $1000 (and up) to be able to do the procedure. I have already been overwhelmed with vet bills, and prescription costs and I am working two jobs and trying so hard to save up enough to go towards this treatment, but any help I could get would speed the process up. I know that even once the treatment is done, there will be more vet bills and prescription bills to come and we don't really know for how long. Any of contribution would help Caius and I get a little closer to getting him back to his usual playful self and ensuring he lives a long and happy life. If you'd like more details on our story I've written them below.
The Donations
Any donations received will be kept separate from regular banking so I can track and report that all the money is going towards veterinary costs. Ideally I'd like to raise enough to feel financially comfortable doing the bone marrow sample, and any other funds would be put towards veterinary costs specific to his condition (ie. medications, blood-work). The faster I can save up, the faster I can get him on the right track. Right now I think we're both feeling a little worn down and discouraged.
Our Story
About two years ago in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, I brought home one of the most handsome guys I'd ever seen and Caius and I started our life together. He came to me at a time of high anxiety and change, and quickly stole my whole heart and added so much love and laughter to my life. He was only 1 and he was playful and energetic. He wasn't afraid to say hi to strangers (human or animal). and he was so easy-going in almost any scenario.
About December of that same year (2016) I started noticing Caius' nose seeming to fade in colour every now and again. Over-time this fade became more consistent and I began to notice that he wasn't playing like he used to and while he wasn't isolating himself from people, he was sleeping a lot more than usual. I began to think it was odd that his spine suddenly felt very prominent and I could feel all his vertebrae very distinctly. I have never noticed it before. He kept scratching around his ears to the point where he was leaving open wounds. His ears also started to look dirty and I couldn't figure out what the connections might be. These developed over-time getting worse over the course of a couple months but it was when I noticed his scratching in January that I first brought him to the vet. for almost a year now, Caius has been on steroids (Prednisone), with his dose changing every now and again depending on his levels. This began a long process of treatment. We have seen 3 different veterinarians and undergone 2 different medications, neither of which has proved useful. When we came to the Vet here in Toronto, our new vet asked us to see a specialist, but she guessed that the problem might be in the bone marrow, and we would need to take a sample to know for sure what it was and how to treat it. I did as she asked and met with the specialist who estimated the cost to be $1000 and I didn't know what to do. You want to do everything you can to help, but I knew I couldn't afford it. I thought long and hard and was honest about my hesitation because of the cost. We decided our next best option was to try to treat it based on what the vet and specialist thinks it might be, based on his other symptoms, and hopefully we will be right and his treatment will work. We put him on Atopica (Cyclosporin) in addition to his Prednisone. We saw a huge improvement after the first medication was added and he was back to himself running around, playing fetch and going crazy for laser pointers. He was so pink again too! Unfortunately as we tried to start reducing the Prednisone his levels dropped right away and a month or two later we are back to that pale nose, ears, gums and paws, and sleeping the day and night away.
(This is a photo from 2016, the spring that I took Caius home. While he is a little sleepy, he is indeed quite pink and bright-eyed.)(This photo was from March 2017 when we were on our way to our second vet clinic. )He is not himself. He looks sad and he looks tired and my heart breaks every time I see him. I have so much love for him and would be so grateful for any contribution that would get us closer to those happy bright eyes again.
If you have any questions about more detail into our treatment plan please don't hesitate to ask.
Much love and thanks,
Brenna and Caius
(Above are some of Caius' favourite activities - playing fetch with his favourite balls, sprawling out for an afternoon nap, and morning cuddles.)Organizer
Brenna Robins
Organizer
Downtown Toronto, ON
