Hey friends,

If you don't already know me, I'm Kat. This is my darling baby boy, Chad. He's currently being hospitalized for a problem with a blockage in his urinary tract and a backup of toxins in his blood as a result. After 36 hours at the vet, they've managed to remove the blockage and bring his electrolyte levels back down to a normal range, but his blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels remain dangerously high as of this writing (1/16 @ 9:45 pm). They're optimistically expecting to remove the IV and the catheter and have him out of the hospital by 10 pm tomorrow (1/17), but it's unclear yet whether his kidneys will respond to the medication by that time.

As I'm sure many of you know, emergency vet bills are not cheap. Many of you also know that I am a grad student and teaching assistant that is not funded well enough to adequately deal with emergencies like these without going further into debt than I already am. The estimated bill for a 1/17 10 pm release will total $5743. I don't expect much, but truly any amount would help offset these costs.

Sending love and gratitude,

Kat and Chad

Edit 1/18:

Chad is back home! He's looking a little ragged and tired, and he's shaved in funny places, but his bloodwork and urine are showing healthy levels of potassium, creatinine, and BUN! He's on some serious sedatives and pain meds to help him recover in the home environment. The final bill totals $6825. Again, any help is much appreciated. A huge thanks to everyone who's contributed something. I seriously cannot thank you enough!

Edit 1/27:

Chad has been admitted back into the ER with another urinary blockage and this time, with the added complication of a bladder rupture. As of tonight (8 pm), he is out of surgery to repair the rupture and will be recovering in their care over the next few days. Including the first visit to the ER, the bill has totaled $14,736 thus far. I cannot say I have ever spent this much money at once ever in my life, but I love my boy and want to keep my commitment to caring for him as best as I can.