save jaime - emergency medical fund
a little over three years ago, we we rescued a baby jaime to keep our other aging cat company after her brother died. jaime was born in a garden and was found with his mum and sister infested with worms and very tiny. we took him home from the shelter house and nursed him into health and he became the strapping, long, 5 kilo boy he was until last week.
his sister died nearly two years ago now, but he still has a bearded dragon brother, ziggy, that loves him very much.
jaime has never been ill, but last monday, we rushed him to the vet in a taxi after he was acting strange in the night and was straining to urinate, but only drops of blood came out. we were told he needed emergency care and had a catheter put in to unblock an obstruction and a variety of tests, totalling to over £622. we then had to pick him up in another cab and take him to the hospital where he stayed for a night and day, had another obstruction unblocked and medications, resulting in a bill of over £282. we were sent home with loads of pills to give him and hopes that he would be able to pee on his own, but after only one night/day at home, we had to rush him back to the vet.
at the local vet, jaime was unblocked and given pain meds and after paying another £67+ we took him home in another cab to recover. jaime has struvite crystals in his bladder which can be treated with a special prescription diet that costs £1.15 per pouch, but his main problem is that he now has chronic urinary spasms which make him unable to urinate on command.
for the next day and a half, things were looking a little better, he was drinking, eating plain chicken and peeing when he was asleep or relaxed and being stroked on my lap, but not on command in his box. unfortunately, things took a turn for a worse when he had diarrhoea and required a bath, which he reacted badly to and stopped being able to urinate at all. on saturday morning, we had to take him back to the hospital in another taxi and he has been there ever since.
in the hospital, he has not done well as he is a stressed boy. he has removed his catheter twice and had it put back in once. he was just passing blood for awhile and has a raging bladder infection, so is on antibiotics, fluids, antispasmodics and opioids. if he does not pass urine in the next few hours, he will need to be re-catheterised. the only hope to end to his suffering is to be able to keep him in the hospital for a couple/few more days until his bladder infection betters so he can have an operation which will remove his penis and open his urethra further up.
as it is today, his bill is nearly £1000, and we are looking at another £2000 just for his hospital stays, blood tests to make sure his kidneys won't fail, urine culture and another bladder xray to ensure he has no stones prior to his operation. the operation itself is £1400 minimum and doesn't include aftercare, vet visits, meds, etc., and certainly doesn't begin to cover taxis, feliway, cleaning supplies and other incidentals, prescription cat food for the indefinite future and the fact that someone has to be with him 24/7 when he is not in hospital for his recovery.
jaime is our baby, just as if we had a son and it is breaking our hearts that the only option offered if we can't come up with the funds is to put him down. we really can't bear the thought of doing this to our young boy who was so strong and healthy only over a week ago.
one of us is working and having to carry on at work, whilst worrying every minute and one of us is looking for work, so can be with him more, but also is not in receipt of enough government benefits to receive help from the pdsa. we are trying to scrape together the funds any way we can between the two of us so we can put an end to jaime's suffering and bring him home to recover with his brother, zig.
any sort of donations we receive will be so appreciated and will be such a big help. we know we should have had insurance, but money has been tight and he was a young, healthy housecat so we thought we had time and now it's too late.
we thank you so much for taking the time to consider our story and how much your help would mean to jaime and the people who love him and need him around. it means the very world to us.
thank you again....
xxx
his sister died nearly two years ago now, but he still has a bearded dragon brother, ziggy, that loves him very much.
jaime has never been ill, but last monday, we rushed him to the vet in a taxi after he was acting strange in the night and was straining to urinate, but only drops of blood came out. we were told he needed emergency care and had a catheter put in to unblock an obstruction and a variety of tests, totalling to over £622. we then had to pick him up in another cab and take him to the hospital where he stayed for a night and day, had another obstruction unblocked and medications, resulting in a bill of over £282. we were sent home with loads of pills to give him and hopes that he would be able to pee on his own, but after only one night/day at home, we had to rush him back to the vet.
at the local vet, jaime was unblocked and given pain meds and after paying another £67+ we took him home in another cab to recover. jaime has struvite crystals in his bladder which can be treated with a special prescription diet that costs £1.15 per pouch, but his main problem is that he now has chronic urinary spasms which make him unable to urinate on command.
for the next day and a half, things were looking a little better, he was drinking, eating plain chicken and peeing when he was asleep or relaxed and being stroked on my lap, but not on command in his box. unfortunately, things took a turn for a worse when he had diarrhoea and required a bath, which he reacted badly to and stopped being able to urinate at all. on saturday morning, we had to take him back to the hospital in another taxi and he has been there ever since.
in the hospital, he has not done well as he is a stressed boy. he has removed his catheter twice and had it put back in once. he was just passing blood for awhile and has a raging bladder infection, so is on antibiotics, fluids, antispasmodics and opioids. if he does not pass urine in the next few hours, he will need to be re-catheterised. the only hope to end to his suffering is to be able to keep him in the hospital for a couple/few more days until his bladder infection betters so he can have an operation which will remove his penis and open his urethra further up.
as it is today, his bill is nearly £1000, and we are looking at another £2000 just for his hospital stays, blood tests to make sure his kidneys won't fail, urine culture and another bladder xray to ensure he has no stones prior to his operation. the operation itself is £1400 minimum and doesn't include aftercare, vet visits, meds, etc., and certainly doesn't begin to cover taxis, feliway, cleaning supplies and other incidentals, prescription cat food for the indefinite future and the fact that someone has to be with him 24/7 when he is not in hospital for his recovery.
jaime is our baby, just as if we had a son and it is breaking our hearts that the only option offered if we can't come up with the funds is to put him down. we really can't bear the thought of doing this to our young boy who was so strong and healthy only over a week ago.
one of us is working and having to carry on at work, whilst worrying every minute and one of us is looking for work, so can be with him more, but also is not in receipt of enough government benefits to receive help from the pdsa. we are trying to scrape together the funds any way we can between the two of us so we can put an end to jaime's suffering and bring him home to recover with his brother, zig.
any sort of donations we receive will be so appreciated and will be such a big help. we know we should have had insurance, but money has been tight and he was a young, healthy housecat so we thought we had time and now it's too late.
we thank you so much for taking the time to consider our story and how much your help would mean to jaime and the people who love him and need him around. it means the very world to us.
thank you again....
xxx
Organizer
Brett McKenna (Organizer)
Organizer