TippedEars: Emergency Medical Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

Thanks to the Petfinder Foundation's Emergency Medical Grant, we were able to receive partial reimbursement for the dental surgery and biopsy expenses incurred during Caramel's treatment.

The total cost of the surgery amounted to $1,436.17, and we received a grant of $1,000 to contribute towards this bill. The remaining funds were raised through social-media campaigns.

The support and commitment of his foster and our community have been instrumental in ensuring Caramel's well-being. After we paid off Caramel's surgery and he completed his long road to recovery, Caramel was once again ready for adoption!

How many pets did this grant help?

1

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

Caramel, a senior cat, arrived at a local high school seeking love and food. Lucky for Caramel, he walked right into our hands. He was emaciated, infested with fleas, and deaf, and we immediately recognized that Caramel did not belong outside and took him into our foster program. Based on his condition, we suspected that he had been abandoned and living outside for a while.

While treating his fleas was straightforward, we soon discovered more concerning health issues. Caramel struggled to eat despite his hunger, and he was not responding to sounds. A veterinary examination revealed severe ear infections in both ears and grade-three periodontal disease. The vet suspected that Caramel’s deafness resulted from longstanding untreated ear infections.

Additional senior-panel blood work revealed elevated globulin levels, which the veterinarian attributed to Caramel’s advanced periodontal disease. Urgent dental surgery was necessary to alleviate his pain and improve his quality of life. We rushed him into dental surgery to provide him relief. During the dental procedure, polyps were discovered in both ears, and a biopsy confirmed they were benign, although they weren’t easily removable.

Caramel had to endure two total ear-canal ablations in order to remove the polyps. Without these surgeries, he would have chronic, painful ear infections. The Petfinder Foundation’s Emergency Medical Grant assisted us in paying for his multitude of surgeries.

After a long road to recovery, Caramel hit the jackpot. An amazing human saw his story online, knew he was a deaf senior, and felt an immediate bond.

After a quick interview process, we knew she was perfect for our senior boy. Caramel quickly went home and has been living in the lap of luxury ever since. Caramel has his best years ahead of him, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the Petfinder Foundation for assisting us in making Caramel’s dreams come true.