URGENT: An Injured Cat Needs A Fosterer/caregiver�and More (Melvin Yong�s)

Celebrations aside, there is no time to rest. For the last few hours, I have been communicating with Melvin Yong, who called me this evening regarding an injured cat that needs help.

Melvin only managed to give me this much information about the cat’s condition:

The cat is around 3 years of age.

Injuries sustained
� � � � Swollen L2-L7 which led to a nerve injury in which resulted in a
malfunction bladder. �Cat is not able to empty its bladder and the
urine has to be manually drained by injecting a needle. Urgent issue.

� � � � S1/Coxygual is fractured.

� � � � Tailbone is fractured as well. Have completely loss sensitivity and
sensation of the tail. Have to cut off the cat�s tail in the future.

� � � � Left humerus is injured. Not a major issue.

Cat is still able to walk but limping. Cat does not eat by himself.
Have to force feed him which he will not fight back. �Vet informed
that the chances of healing if a surgery is to be done on the cat is
less than 50%. �If surgery fails, there will be quite a number of
problems in the future (i.e. kidney failure, urine burn, to manually
drain urine etc.)

Please do get back to me soonest

Thank you very much

Kind regards,
Melvin Yong

melvin.yms@gmail.com

Melvin sounds very keen on going ahead with the surgery. But on our part, I’ll need to know if the surgery is warranted. I cannot be approving funds (which is donors’ money) for a surgery that is unwarranted. There are two issues here: The surgery may be the correct thing to do, but is it the best option for this cat for its condition? Are there other options which may be better?

For Sunshine Courage’s case, our vet clearly told us that surgery would not be a good option because there was no deep pain sensation. �It can be done, but it’s not warranted. Instead, our vet told us to try non-mainstream treatment for Sunshine and look at her now. How much did it cost us? �Just a few hundred RM, that’s all.

But it is not about money. It is about doing what is best for the animal for the best possible result.

We also subsidised another case where How Lili rescued a hit-and-run victim (also a cat), and treatment was successfully administered along with acupuncture by her vet. The cat is fine now.

See this:�http://myanimalcare.org/2011/12/10/a-hit-and-run-cat-victim-how-lilis/

For now, Melvin is not able to tell me which vet will be doing the surgery (I’m told there are no specialist vets in Malaysia for this kind of operation; only experienced vets or those who are keen on experimental surgeries). He is also not able to tell me the estimated cost, but he said it would cost thousands. However, as you can see from his email, his vet says the chances of the surgery is less than 50%. �So, would surgery be the best option?

I told Melvin about our cases and how non-mainstream treatment has helped (acupuncture, physiotherapy, homeopathy, stemcells, etc.) but he is still keen on going ahead with the surgery.

Another major problem is that Melvin says he cannot care for the cat after surgery as his mother does not like cats. So, he is not going to be the caregiver.

For this, Melvin would like to request for help – is there anyone out there who is willing to be the caregiver for this cat?

On our part, I have consulted two friends who have had much experience in dealing with these kind of cases. Both think that since the chances for surgery is poor, why go for it?

I have also given Melvin Dr Susanna’s contact and hope he is willing to explore acupuncture as well. When I told Melvin about our cases that were successful with acupuncture, he said it’s not a proven mode of treatment. I’m not sure what constitutes “proven” in this case because acupuncture has been in use for about 10,000 years in China, way before the western world was even civilised!

We respect western and eastern medicine, of course. Both have its merits. Why not explore the best possible option for this cat, based on cases done and experience?

So, here’s our help for the cat (through Melvin):

1. Dr Susanna’s contact given.

2. A second opinion from our former panel vet (a vet whom I trust very much), if Melvin is interested.

3. Medical subsidy for justified treatment.

4. Our sharing of cases done before which may bear some similarity to this cat’s condition.

5. We are also asking our readers now, if anyone can help foster this cat since Melvin cannot be the caregiver. If you can help, please contact Melvin at his email. I have a friend who is able to share her knowledge and skills with the caregiver as she is currently also nursing a cat with similar problems (no surgery also, just managing the condition and doing ok). If you are keen to help and keen to learn, there is always a first-time. It doesn’t mean you cannot be successful just because you’re a first-timer. The willingness to learn, a 100% commitment and perseverance are all helpful attributes in the making of a dedicated caregiver.

We will do our best to help this cat with funds and requesting for help on areas which are needed and justified.

If you have any thoughts on this case, especially if you’ve had a similar experience, please share by leaving a comment.

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2012/02/02/urgent-an-injured-cat-needs-a-fosterercaregiver-and-more-melvin-yongs/

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