Operation Save Toby
Donation protected
Hello, friends.
Friday, October 26, a good friend of mine texted me that a friend of his sister needed to re-home a cat that she had just adopted. The cat, a 4yr old male, had a sad story. He’d been left behind in an abandoned apartment. No food or water. I couldn’t bear the thought of Toby (originally named Gabe) going back to a small cage (especially after the traumatic experience of being abandoned) so I agreed to foster him. He is one of the most gentle and loving cats I’ve ever met.
On Halloween, my husband noticed that Toby was growling and shaking out his right leg. He began walking backwards and finally collapsed. Then, he got back up and acted as if nothing happened. We watched this happen two more times over the next day. I called the shelter to see if they witnessed this behavior, but they hadn’t. They added that the shelter is under-staffed and only open a few hours a day, so no one really had their eyes on him. They agreed to pay for a vet visit, which happened on November 3rd.
The vet listened to Toby’s heart for a long time and detected a murmur. That murmur, in conjunction with the odd symptoms we saw, led her to believe Toby was in heart failure. She gave him a heart x-ray, which didn’t show anything abnormal, but she warned me this would be the likely outcome of an X-ray. She said the X-ray would only show if he had an enlarged heart or severe heart failure. I was so glad to hear the heart failure does not seem so severe that he is beyond help.
At this point the vet recommended an ultrasound and bloodwork, a visit to a feline cardiologist to confirm her suspicions. Only a diagnosis of heart failure would get him on anti-clotting medication. She would not prescribe meds without Toby first seeing the specialist. She warned me that if he was already showing the signs of heart failure at 4yrs old, his prognosis was not great. She explained that the murmur on the right side of his heart was causing blood clots that traveled down to his right leg. Any one of these clots could get caught in his lungs or groin area—causing permanent paralysis or immediate death.
I returned to the shelter that Toby was originally adopted from, hoping they would sponsor this visit to the specialist. They informed me they could not and were prepared to euthanize him right then. They explained ,that as a shelter, they did not have the funds for such costly procedures; they have too many animals to care for. While it saddens me, I completely understand their position.
Needless to say, I could NOT return Toby only to have him euthanized. He is so happy, so loving. I believe after our visit to the cardiologist, he will qualify for the life-extending anti-clotting meds. However, these are expenses I was not prepared for. When I agreed to foster, I was told he was in perfect health, despite a slight (and common) heart murmur. It will now be nearly impossible to find a home for this gorgeous foster boy of mine. He will require special care and daily meds.
This is the part where I ask the village to help me support Toby and make his life as long and lovely as is medically possible.
Any small donation will help. It will cost me $700 to walk in the cardiologist’s office. Any extra tests, and meds will add to this expense. I’m hoping to raise $1,200 for his care.
Thanks for reading & and thanks for helping if you can.
Allyson
Friday, October 26, a good friend of mine texted me that a friend of his sister needed to re-home a cat that she had just adopted. The cat, a 4yr old male, had a sad story. He’d been left behind in an abandoned apartment. No food or water. I couldn’t bear the thought of Toby (originally named Gabe) going back to a small cage (especially after the traumatic experience of being abandoned) so I agreed to foster him. He is one of the most gentle and loving cats I’ve ever met.
On Halloween, my husband noticed that Toby was growling and shaking out his right leg. He began walking backwards and finally collapsed. Then, he got back up and acted as if nothing happened. We watched this happen two more times over the next day. I called the shelter to see if they witnessed this behavior, but they hadn’t. They added that the shelter is under-staffed and only open a few hours a day, so no one really had their eyes on him. They agreed to pay for a vet visit, which happened on November 3rd.
The vet listened to Toby’s heart for a long time and detected a murmur. That murmur, in conjunction with the odd symptoms we saw, led her to believe Toby was in heart failure. She gave him a heart x-ray, which didn’t show anything abnormal, but she warned me this would be the likely outcome of an X-ray. She said the X-ray would only show if he had an enlarged heart or severe heart failure. I was so glad to hear the heart failure does not seem so severe that he is beyond help.
At this point the vet recommended an ultrasound and bloodwork, a visit to a feline cardiologist to confirm her suspicions. Only a diagnosis of heart failure would get him on anti-clotting medication. She would not prescribe meds without Toby first seeing the specialist. She warned me that if he was already showing the signs of heart failure at 4yrs old, his prognosis was not great. She explained that the murmur on the right side of his heart was causing blood clots that traveled down to his right leg. Any one of these clots could get caught in his lungs or groin area—causing permanent paralysis or immediate death.
I returned to the shelter that Toby was originally adopted from, hoping they would sponsor this visit to the specialist. They informed me they could not and were prepared to euthanize him right then. They explained ,that as a shelter, they did not have the funds for such costly procedures; they have too many animals to care for. While it saddens me, I completely understand their position.
Needless to say, I could NOT return Toby only to have him euthanized. He is so happy, so loving. I believe after our visit to the cardiologist, he will qualify for the life-extending anti-clotting meds. However, these are expenses I was not prepared for. When I agreed to foster, I was told he was in perfect health, despite a slight (and common) heart murmur. It will now be nearly impossible to find a home for this gorgeous foster boy of mine. He will require special care and daily meds.
This is the part where I ask the village to help me support Toby and make his life as long and lovely as is medically possible.
Any small donation will help. It will cost me $700 to walk in the cardiologist’s office. Any extra tests, and meds will add to this expense. I’m hoping to raise $1,200 for his care.
Thanks for reading & and thanks for helping if you can.
Allyson
Organizer
Allyson Wuerth
Organizer
Bethany, CT
