March 20, 2012

Scooter at Pet Expo in Green Bay on March 24th

Scooter has progressed well through his eye surgery and has now been placed in his permanent home. He is getting along well with his new cat friends and seems happy and well adjusted. He is left with “interesting” ears- missing some fur and the tips, but overall he seems to have healed very well.  He will be attending the WBAY Pet Expo in Green Bay,WI this weekend as an ambassador for the rescue. He will attend the show Saturday, 3/24 and if all goes well,  on Sunday, 3/25,  as well. Here is a link to the show. We’ll look forward to seeing you there!

 http://www.wbay.com/story/4173287/wbay-pet-expo

January 2012

Scooter’s condition was stabilized and he has had the surgery to remove his damaged eye at Countryside Animal Clinic. He was very stable throughout the surgery and is receiving both antibiotic and pain medication through out his recovery.  With the extensive damage present to the eye, it was a difficult surgery but everything went very well. We appreciate the calls and emails we continue to receive to monitor his progress. He is an amazing cat with strong spirit.

 Scooter Update, Thursday, October 27, 2011

Scooter continues to progress in his healing process. We are monitoring his physical status and his blood work. There are still components in his blood work that show elevation. We believe that these abnormal values are a result of the extensive burns that he suffered and the fact that he is not yet completely healed. We will draw blood again next week to re-check these values. It’s been interesting to see the changes in him. His coat is getting shiney again and he’s put some weight on. He was very “light” when we first met him.  You’ll notice the difference in the photos.

 Scooter’s eye will still need to be removed. We are hesitant to perform this surgery until the blood work is normal. We are hoping that the surgery can occur within the next two weeks. Once we have a date, I will post it here.

 As Scooter began feeling better, we began to let him roam the clinic when there weren’t pets in the back. You can view his jumping skills in one of the photos. Although, we really enjoyed having him here, it became clear to us that he felt well enough that hospitalization was no longer required and a foster family was to be considered.

 So, Scooter is being cared for by an animal-loving family with two kids that just adore him. Scooter has enjoyed being part of family again and has readily accepted all the attention. He seeks out love at regular intervals and one of the cuddliest cats I’ve ever met.  The rescue is considering this family a possible permanent placement for Scooter.

 

 

 

Scooter Update, Thursday, September 29, 2011

Our suppliers have been wonderful partners in Scooter’s care. We appreciate their care and support!

We’d like to thank General Pet Supply for their donation of food for Scooter and the Feline-Canine Rescue.

Thanks to Midwest Veterinary Supply who donated medical supplies for Scooter’s wound care.

Thanks also to Pet Health Pharmacy who donated pain medication for Scooter during the acute phase of his care.

 

Scooter Update, Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Here is the latest photo of Scooter. It is amazing to see how much he is improving!  His whiskers are now about an inch long.  As he continues to groom, his coat is getting less yellow and smoky. His white areas are looking more and more white. The strong smoke odor that he had when he first arrived is all but gone. 

 He seems very content and continues to eat with gusto. He is very affectionate and loves to cuddle with anyone who is interested. His pain medication has been discontinued as his injuries have improved. He is currently being treated for an ear infection within his ear. His veterinarian, Dr Stading, tells us that this is not uncommon after what he has been through. Most of his claws were burned very short as a result of the fire. They are beginning to grow back as well. This week, he has expressed his first interest in having a scratching post.

 We are in daily communication with the Feline-Canine Friends, the rescue that is responsible for Scooter. I wanted to share more information with you about this group. The work that they do is so important and it often goes unnoticed.

 Countryside Animal Clinic has had a relationship with Feline-Canine Friends for several years. As a clinic we believe that it is important to support their efforts.

Feline-Canine Friends was founded more than 20 years ago by Marie Valentino. It is a no-kill and cage-free shelter and is also a registered non-profit group. They are located in Grand Marsh Wisconsin, not too far from Wisconsin Dells. They are one of the very few groups inWisconsin that care for special needs animals, like Scooter.  Feline Canine Friends is always grateful for any financial support or donations of food or supplies. Donations can always be made through or left at Countryside Animal Clinic.

On that subject, donations continue to come in.  Scooter and the rescue are very thankful for your support.  As recommended by the feline ophthalmologist, we are waiting for Scooter’s burn injuries to completely heal before he can receive the needed surgery on his damaged eye. So, at this point we are still unsure of what the cost will be for his care.

Please check back for continued updates!

Brenda

Practice Manager

Countryside Animal Clinic

 

Scooter Update 9/21/11

 Scooter is making good progress here at the clinic.  

On Friday, he lost 2-3 millimeters of burned tissue from the tips of his ears. Although this sounds terrible and painful, he actually feels much better without this unhealthy tissue. His veterinarian, Dr Rachel Stading is very pleased with his progress.

 He continues to receive daily wound care, antibiotics and pain medication.

 Scooter went home with one of our Certified Veterinary Technicians over the weekend. The CVT was able to complete his wound care at home with the help of his family. Scooter enjoyed being out of the clinic for a while. 

 The pads of his feet have healed enough that they are less painful to walk on and so he gets frequent walking time when we are not busy at the clinic

Scooter is one of the sweetest cats around. He is quick to look for a head butt or a body rub. He’s made friends with everyone at our clinic. I’ll try to post a new photo tomorrow.

We continue to receive donations for Scooter’s care. Thank you all for your generosity.

 Brenda

 

Scooter’s History

Scooter, the cat, was the lone survivor of a Baraboo house fire. The fire killed his family as well as all the other pets in the household. By some miracle, Scooter was able to escape the fire and was taken in by a rescue, Feline-Canine Friends, Inc in Grand Marsh, Wisconsin. The rescue operates on a a very limited budget and even though they knew taking the cat in would deplete all of their resources, they opened their hearts and their rescue to Scooter.

The rescue’s founder Marie Valentino said they they knew they had to help Scooter. “Getting Scooter veterinary care was something we knew we wanted to do. Turning our backs on him was never an option. One of our volunteers, Cindy, got a call the day of the fire asking if we could the help cat and we said ‘yes.’”

Scooter was treated initially at Lodi Veterinary Hospital where he received 24 hour care the first days after the fire and then care was transferred to Countryside Animal Clinic. Countryside had worked with the rescue previously and offered to help with Scooter’s care.

Scooter suffered first, second and third degree burns to 20% of his body. He was unable to walk the first days after the fire because the pads of his feet were so badly burned. He is likely to lose the tips of his ears and his right eye as a result of the fire. He receives daily would care, pain management and antibiotic therapy to prevent infection. He also has received a lot of love from everyone at Countryside.

He is a very loving cat and despite the sometimes painful treatments he must endure, he is quick to purr and extend a paw, to entice staff members to play with him.

Most of his fur was singed and some was burned off completely. His whiskers were burned off completely. The white portions of his fur are still yellowed from the fire and he still smells of smoke. We are not able to bathe him yet because of his open wounds.

We will provide updates and photos to this site to keep you informed.

Donations for the rescue and for Scooter’s care may be made through Countryside Animal Clinic. Donations are tax deductible and a receipt for your records will be provided by the rescue. At this time, we don’t know what the cost of Scooter’s care will be. All donations received that exceed the cost of Scooter’s care, will be donated to the rescue responsible for Scooter. You may call the clinic at 608-249-3232 if you wish to make a credit card donation or checks may be  mailed to:

Countryside Animal Clinic
5335 Wayne Terrace
Madison, WI 53718

Questions or comments? Contact countrysideanimalclinic@netwurx.net

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. Your kindness and generosity is amazing and is very much appreciated!

For more information:

WKOW Channel 27: Feline fighter: “Scooter” recovers after deadly blaze

Wisconsin State Journal: Feline survivor of double fatal house fire on road to recovery

Madison Channel3000: Clinic Seeks Donations For Cat Rescued From Fire