ozzy's post
Difficult decisions
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Two nights ago, I got a call from a woman that has been more than generous in her work to help homeless animals. She has been taking care of a colony of cats that lived in her backyard until one of the cats was found dead in a bag (I'm sure we all suspect foul play). She took them in to keep them safe. One of the cats has become her pet, although he is still rather wild. He had been struggling to go to the bathroom, evidenced by his grunting sounds (not normal sounds for a cat!). Finally, the woman was able to get him into a carrier and to the vet. The vet recommended he go to the emergency animal clinic for treatment for a suspected urinary tract blockage, which can be very dangerous and should not wait. She did so, and for the next two to three hours of phone conversations with this woman, the emergency animal clinic staff and board members of the Ozzy Foundation, we were told that treatment just for that night's care (if he had a blockage) would be around $2000. Then, he would have to go to a regular vet for follow up care for at least another 24 hours. ALSO, the vet tech said that if it were a blockage, the cat might be prone to others and would probably need a special diet and medications. This was one of the most difficult decisions both the woman and the Ozzy Foundation has had to make. The mission of the Ozzy Foundation is to assist people so that finances are not a significant factor to health care decisions for a pet. Quality of life, in a perfect world, should be the sole factor. However, at what point do you have to consider how many other animals' lives could be helped with that kind of money? Most of us would say, "well, I'll just put it on credit and work it off." But what if that is not an option?
I would love to hear opinions from others on this...
The good news is that after an thorough exam, it turns out this kitty was constipated (we've never been so excited about constipation in our lives!) and was treated for under $500. Tears of relief were shed by us all (including the wonderful vet tech who really helped us think this thing through) and the kitty went home, still slightly drugged up, but probably a LOT more comfortable!
Labels: constipation, health decisions, quality of life
posted by Ozzy at
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