#OlafsCause
Donation protected
Olaf came to us at Dogs & Cats Forever as one of a litter of five kittens. He was only two months old but he was already starting to have a few problems; the tips of his ears were bent & drooping down and his nose had no hair on it.
We took him to the vet, but little did we know, this was only the beginning. At first it was thought that he could have ringworm or mange. He went on multiple visits to three different vets - physical exams, bloodwork, skin scrapes, biopsies, test after test. Most of the tests came back inconclusive, and the minor results we did receive over the course of time were still not painting the bigger picture. One of the vets is even planning to discuss Olaf’s mystery case at his next conference.
Olaf’s condition only worsened; his ears drooped down even further and the crust around his mouth and ears only got worse. He was prescribed steroid pills and cyclosporine, both of which suppress the immune system. His suppressed immune system led him to develop herpes, calcivirus and ringworm (which he had tested negative for in the beginning). By three and a half months old, his feet began to swell and affected the way that he walked. He walked like his feet ached. His nose began to swell and all of his previous symptoms only got worse.
Despite his medical ailments, Olaf is a happy, extremely sweet and loving boy. He loves people and gets along great with other cats. We have hope that we can find a solution to his medical issues, but we are expecting it to come at a large cost. First we will need a good diagnosis, then treatment. His symptoms and physical appearance are quite similar to that of a dog named Maya that we took in to our shelter years back, who ended up having pemphigus (an autoimmune disease). Maya received treatment at The University of Florida Small Animal Hospital and had an incredible transformation. Our hope is that they can do the same thing for Olaf.
If you would be kind enough help us fund Olaf’s medical treatment and share his story, we would be so appreciative. Dogs & Cats Forever, INC. is a No-Kill Animal Shelter located in Ft. Pierce, Florida. It is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt project totally dependent on donations and endowments. Officers and members are unpaid volunteers.
We took him to the vet, but little did we know, this was only the beginning. At first it was thought that he could have ringworm or mange. He went on multiple visits to three different vets - physical exams, bloodwork, skin scrapes, biopsies, test after test. Most of the tests came back inconclusive, and the minor results we did receive over the course of time were still not painting the bigger picture. One of the vets is even planning to discuss Olaf’s mystery case at his next conference.
Olaf’s condition only worsened; his ears drooped down even further and the crust around his mouth and ears only got worse. He was prescribed steroid pills and cyclosporine, both of which suppress the immune system. His suppressed immune system led him to develop herpes, calcivirus and ringworm (which he had tested negative for in the beginning). By three and a half months old, his feet began to swell and affected the way that he walked. He walked like his feet ached. His nose began to swell and all of his previous symptoms only got worse.
Despite his medical ailments, Olaf is a happy, extremely sweet and loving boy. He loves people and gets along great with other cats. We have hope that we can find a solution to his medical issues, but we are expecting it to come at a large cost. First we will need a good diagnosis, then treatment. His symptoms and physical appearance are quite similar to that of a dog named Maya that we took in to our shelter years back, who ended up having pemphigus (an autoimmune disease). Maya received treatment at The University of Florida Small Animal Hospital and had an incredible transformation. Our hope is that they can do the same thing for Olaf.
If you would be kind enough help us fund Olaf’s medical treatment and share his story, we would be so appreciative. Dogs & Cats Forever, INC. is a No-Kill Animal Shelter located in Ft. Pierce, Florida. It is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt project totally dependent on donations and endowments. Officers and members are unpaid volunteers.
Organizer
Alexus Keefer
Organizer
Port Saint Lucie, FL
