Our cat, Ollie, had to be rushed to an emergency vet last weekend due to a urinary blockage which is fatal for cats if not treated in the first 24-48 hours. Luckily Ollie made it very clear to us that he was in distress so we were able to catch it early before it affected his kidneys. His treatment included anesthesia to insert a catheter to remove his blockage and drain his bladder and the remaining crystals. He had to stay at the emergency vet for 36 hours to continue removing the crystals, flush his bladder, and receive fluids through an IV. The biggest chance of reblock is in the first 48 hours and we’re relieved to have made it past that milestone, but the whole experience has been very stressful. There is still a 30% chance that Ollie will reblock at some point in his life and he will have to stay on prescription food for the remainder of his life. They also discovered during his stay that his heart murmur has gotten a lot worse and he will need to see a cardiologist and be put on medication for his heart as well. The good news is Ollie just got off his pain meds and his cone of shame is off!

This has been an extremely difficult year for us. Kiersten broke her ankle requiring surgery in July and is still recovering. Our dog, Ngwike, also had surgery in July to remove 18 teeth. Darin has been dealing with ongoing long COVID symptoms. We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to cover the costs up until now, but with Ollie’s emergency stay we’ve now gone through all of our savings and don’t have a cushion to fall back on in the event of another emergency. We are looking for help with Ollie’s emergency vet visit, the cost ended up being a surprise of $4200. We know there is so much happening in the world right now and we truly truly appreciate anything you can give. We also appreciate anyone who is able to share this post to a wider audience.

Anyone who knows Ollie knows how sweet and cuddly he is and how much he means to our whole family. He has seen Darin through some really hard times and we are forever grateful to him and all of you for any help in donations and/or sharing you can do.

Lots of love,

Ollie, Darin, Kiersten, and Ngwike ❤️