Help Lazlo Pay for Surgery!
Our Story:
My name is Emma Mauricio and this is my best friend Lazlo. Three years ago, just a few short weeks after my childhood kitty passed away, a call from my boyfriend about a kitten he found on the side of the road changed my life forever. He brought me a little gray ball of fur, covered in fleas and belly distended with parasites. I took one look at him and fell in love, it felt like it was meant to be. The rest is history. I always say Lazlo saved me. He and I are two peas in a pod, cut from the same cloth; he is my feline counterpart and he means the absolute world to me.
What Happened?
On Wednesday, January 20th, I noticed Laz repeatedly straining in his litter box, but with no results. A quick google search brought up Urethral Obstruction, a painful and life-threatening emergency condition where the cat cannot pass urine, which can lead to kidney failure and death within 24-48 hours if left untreated. We rushed him to our local vet, and they were able to treat the blockage and stabilize his kidney levels. He came home two days later with a diagnosis of Feline Urinary Tract Disease, with crystals in the urine and bladder, which caused the blockage. Unfortunately, Lazlo was struggling in the litter box again by the next morning. My local vet determined he was blocked once more, and transferred him to Tufts Veterinary Emergency Specialists on Saturday morning for another three day, two night stay. They were able to successfully unblock and stabilize him once more, but this time they warned me that if another blockage should occur, he would need a surgery called a Perineal Urethrostemy, or PU for short. This would shorten and widen the urethra, making it nearly impossible to block again. I was hopeful when he came home Monday evening, but sure enough, waking up on Tuesday to an empty litter box confirmed the worst, that he was blocked once more and needed to be rushed back to the emergency hospital for surgery. At this point, my funds had already been drained, and I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to help him. However, a few family members were able to come together to loan Lazlo and I the funds needed to proceed with the PU surgery, and the incredible veterinary team at Tufts V.E.T.S. made it a huge success. Luckily, despite the risks associated with the surgery, everything went well, and I was able to bring Lazlo home a day earlier than expected on Thursday, January 28th.
The Expenses:
As pet owners, we can only do our best to prepare for unexpected ailments and emergencies, but, as I’m sure most everyone can understand right now, the pandemic has launched many of us into financial hardship. As a restaurant server, being open at 50% capacity has massively impacted my income as well. I was able to financially cover Lazlo’s first unblocking and veterinary hospital stay, but unfortunately, after the second blockage, I was anxious that I wouldn’t be able to pay for his treatment. His first unblocking and hospital stay at his primary veterinary office came to a total of $1,095.12. His second stay at Tufts V.E.T.S. was a bit more expensive, being an emergency facility, at a total of $1,680.62. His last hospital stay, also at Tufts V.E.T.S, which included his surgery, came to $4,655.00. That is a grand total of $7,430.74 for one hellish week of stress and scares. I was so blessed to have family members that were able to loan Lazlo and I funds to be able to treat his blockages in the moment, however, they have not gone unaffected by the pandemic themselves, and I need to reimburse them as soon as possible.
How you could help:
Any and all funds raised will go directly toward reimbursing Lazlo and I’s family members that so kindly and generously contributed to paying for his care. Donations will also help me be able to afford the aftercare for his surgery and the continued treatment of his Feline Urinary Tract Disease & urine crystals, which includes prescription food & treats, medications to treat the chronic inflammation and urethral spasming, and potentially treatment for chronic stress, which is one of the many possible causes of FUTD.
If you’re not able to contribute financially, simply sharing this page on social media or sending it to a friend would mean the world to Lazlo and I! We are so grateful to have the opportunity to reach people around and outside the community and thank you warmly for taking the time to read and share our story.
Thank you for reading and visiting our page! - Sending love from Cumberland, RI