Badly injured kitten has made miraculous recovery
Mary Hayashi will be taking several columns off while she recuperates from her new hip surgery — so Buddy will be pinch- hitting for her.
We would like to relate to you the story of Mercedes, the cat. If you think Freddie the dog has a tale of woe (update to follow) wait until you read Mercedes' story.
This young, small calico kitty was found sprawled in the middle of the street after being struck by an auto and left to die — just like a pile of junk strewn on the roadway.
Who even knows how many times she had been hit? A good Samaritan called the Arlington Heights Police Department to see if they could help this cat, but alas, they have no funds available for use on felines.
Buddy was summoned and we definitely would not leave this baby to die alone in the middle of the street. We scooped her up and took her to the nearest animal hospital. Her injuries were too severe and exceeded their abilities; so off we went to the Veterinary Specialty Clinic in Buffalo Grove.
Renowned orthopedic specialist Dr. Claude Gendreau first looked at Mercedes with her crushed body and was not sure she could live through an examination, not to mention surgery. Her injures sounded like the index of a medical journal.
“Sacroiliac luxation — left, sacrococcygeal luxation, fracture, ilium right, wound left thigh.” If you don't understand the medical jargon, don't feel bad, neither did we. We learned she had a dislocation of the pelvis to the spine, fractured pelvis, spinal injuries, thigh/hip wounds — not to mention feline bumps and bruises.
Procedure for the surgery read: “pinned (2) right, pinned (2) left, wired (1), debrided/sutured.”
Mercedes stayed at Veterinary Specialty Clinic for about 30 days in the critical care department. Her routine consisted of daily IV meds and pain killers, bandage wrapping/unwrapping and palpations of the bladder and expression of her bowels.
Due to the nature of her injuries she was unable to urinate or defecate on her own. Her walking consisted of “falling over” and limited movement. While at the hospital our calico baby even engaged in hydrotherapy.
To everyone's relief, Mercedes was discharged. Her after care included a voluminous list of instructions, and she was placed in a foster home.
After several revisits to the hospital, checkups and suture removal, she began to walk around the house. Then, one day, her foster mom returned home to find Mercedes reclining on the sofa — a gigantic accomplishment for this calico girl. Of course, we all cried.
The vet suggested we return Mercedes to the shelter where she could play with the other cats and have continuous human interaction. Although her gait is somewhat irregular and she still has some bathroom issues, she is now romping with other kitties in our integrated play rooms.
You should see her go — up and down sofas and in and out of cubby holes. She also loves human laps, kisses and all the attention she can get. As a matter of fact, if you'd like to see her, come and visit and perhaps drop a few coins in our canister, because if you think Freddie's eye surgery was expensive, Mercedes' vet bills are now more than $5,000. Worth every dime!
So, if you are a patent cat lover who wants a great and affectionate cat with a few issues, think about adopting Mercedes and show her what a loving and protecting home is all about.
Freddie updateFreddie's surgery on Sept. 12 went off without complications. On his first revisit to the Eye Specialty Clinic, his eyesight was 20/30 but would ultimately be 20/20 at the conclusion of his recovery. Dr. Steve Sisler, who performed Freddie's surgery stated, #8220;He is doing remarkably well and recovering a lot sooner than anticipated for this surgery.#8221; That's our Freddie! Further updates to follow. This is truly the season for miracles.