Help Second Chance for Cats fund Mr Biscuits medical expense

Hello, thank you for reading this.

I’ve been struggling with the devastating possibility that Mr. Biscuits was about to lose his life, far too soon from heart failure. The expenses incurred in just 2 days, with over 24 hours in an oxygen cabinet I, nor Second Chance Shelter for Cats can absorb, at just over a staggering 4,595, have not been far from my thoughts.

I found my 2 year old foster in Mattapan October 2023 at 5 months, unable to walk & dragging himself in the dark, I had no idea what he was facing, but promised we would do it together. He was skinny, covered in dried waste, loaded with fleas & anemic. X-rays & a CAT scan, found a fracture in his back, 3 vertebrae in his thoracic region collapsed into his chest cavity, giving him less room for it to expand. They noted his heart was larger than normal & had a mild murmur, since it wasn't causing any disfunction, we focused on his back.

B had been doing well, active & very happy, he has overdone it a couple times, hurting his back for a few days or a week, (because he thinks he can fly). Otherwise, no major problems.

Last month, something was off, he wasn't as pink as usual & his body temperature was lower than normal, I made an appointment for the next day. His breathing was getting a bit labored by then, his temp had risen to 103, listening to his heart & lungs crackling could be heard, the ultrasound revealed fluid in the chest & surrounding areas. Bloodwork results, were pointing to congestive heart failure & we needed to get to the ER. It seemed like the longest ride, I prayed and told Biscuits everything will be ok, the whole way.

An Echocardiogram visualized his heart more clearly, he has congenital defects in his heart, Tricuspid Ventricle Dysplasia (causes back flow of blood into the right atrium), & a suspected atrial septal defect (little hole at the top) of one chamber. The right side was enlarged (unsure of reason), they were unable to visualize the left branch of the pulmonary artery, it could be hidden, due to lack of space in the chest cavity. they can only guess.

He's on heart medication Pemobendan & Lasix (diuretic), to avoid the fluid buildup, I wasn't sure on May 23rd, if he was coming home to pass, or if he would come out of heart failure. The first 3 days I was worried he may not make it, I'm grateful to the many people who are praying for his recovery & to live past the prognosis of 6 to 18 months.

We had his 30 day checkup, Dr Levine was pleasantly surprised how well B is doing, & he wasn't struggling to breathe, he hadn't expected to see him so well. I waited for his blood work to come back the next day, praying the results would be better than expected, when I saw the incoming call my heart was pounding. I couldn't tell from his voice which way the test came back, but it was better than he expected. Almost all of his numbers were GOOD, including his iron, that went from an anemic 21 to a beautiful normal healthy 32!!!! His kidney value was a touch high, he said I can back down a bit on the Lasix & see how he tolerates it. I just need to make sure we don't have any fluid build up from it, I started the lower his dose at night, no issue yet.

Everything now, will have to revolve around Mr. Biscuits schedule, having his 2 meals daily with medication & a snack in between. Just to keep his GI moving & voiding, I will have to change his diaper, more frequently on Lasix, but he is good about it.

As long as he wants to LIVE & has FIGHT in him, we FIGHT, we won't give up, or give in, until Biscuits calls it, (because it IS his life) I will FIGHT, to give the him more, of the life he loves. There's a long list of miracles & blessings that have followed Mr. Biscuits (The odds of him being saved, were slim to none otherwise), he's exceeded expectations his entire life, I trust going forward this will be no different. Managing him during the heatwave made it clear B, cannot handle the heat or humidity, with the stress it brought on his respiratory system.

Looking ahead, I do not know what we face, but will make each day one he is grateful for & know he's LOVED. Without the people who have helped Mr. Biscuits, he wouldn't have made it this far, the kindness of family, friends & strangers, has been humbling to say the least. I've never been good or comfortable asking for help, for animals & for him, I am prepared to beg (& go without if necessary), just to give him the best life, for however long it lasts...

THANK you, for taking the time to read my plea, I hate to ask, especially since so many are struggling, if you can give the price of cheap cup of coffee, it will add up. Even if you can't donate, a SHARE or a PRAYER for us, would be ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATED.

With love & gratitude,

Robyn, Mr. Biscuits & Second Chance Shelter for Cats