Stray Thoughts 2017 Volume 4 Stray Thoughts_Fall 2017_Digital

Stray Thoughts News, Events & Adoption Information Fall 2017 Inside Our Mission: Giving Animals Like Ramos the Best Care Possible Page 2: General Information Page 3 Ready for a Home Page 4: Ask the Trainer Page 5: Emails & Letters Page 6: Pet Watch with Dr. Main WSHS Holiday Gift PAWCTION Page 7: Hearty Thanks! Ways to Give Page 8: Barkapolooza Thanks Volunteer Spotlight Stray Thoughts is an official publication of the West Suburban Humane Society, a not-for-profit, volunteer- based animal shelter. No city, state, or federal funds support WSHS. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please call (630) 960-9600, ext. 25 to submit articles or receive donation information. Adoption Center: 1901 W. Ogden Avenue, Downers Grove, IL 60515 E-mail Address: [email protected] Phone: (630) 960-9600 Fax: (630) 960-9604 www.WSHS-DG.org R amos is named for the woman who found him and brought him to WSHS. That was her last name and he would have died before he was three months old if it wasn’t for her. He weighed less than two pounds back then and needed vet care right away. After consulting with a surgeon, he was diagnosed with imperforate anus, meaning he had an underdeveloped anus. If he knew we were talking about such private issues, the poor guy would be mortified. He was initially constipated, which caused him great distress. The surgeon said they could widen the anus, but they could do nothing about its elasticity and didn’t recommend surgery. Instead, he was put on stool softeners so that he could pass stool more easily. He went to a foster home with another kitten who also has a birth defect and the fun began! The two kittens got along great but Ramos hated the supplements. For his health, they had to be given. The surgeon warned the shelter that when a cat has one congenital defect, he usually has others. Ramos began having urinary issues in his foster home, so we worried the two were connected. Although the surgeon said there would never be improvement in Ramos’ anal condition, as he grew, this problem went away! We were so thankful to be able to take him off of the medications and supplements! Sadly, the urinary issues continued, making Ramos unadoptable. Ramos has had all manner of tests and has been given medications that help some cats with this issue. His foster home has removed all possible triggers and has done everything available to attack this issue from a behavioral aspect. To complicate matters, Ramos has stomatitis, a painful condition of the teeth and gums that may be a stressor regarding his urinary issues. Ramos is now 2 years old. The shelter was literally a day away from having all of Ramos’ teeth pulled, which is the only cure for stomatitis. The hope was that his urinary issues stemmed from the chronic mouth pain, and if his teeth were removed, maybe he would feel better long term, which may help his litter box problems. A few days before Ramos was to see the dental specialist to remove all of his teeth, he got some test results from his regular vet that were concerning. He had some crystals in his urine and needed to be on a special diet to keep him from developing more. Ramos didn’t take to the new diet right away, so the full mouth extraction was postponed. As it turned out, this was the right decision because that very day, Ramos experienced a blockage in his urethra and he could not pass urine. When this happens to a cat, they will die within three days if they don’t get treatment. Continued on page 2