ER Vet Care during C-19

Covid-19 is still here and still bringing hardships, but mini victories are part of the new normal, too.

Kathie is Buddy’s owner and she loves him very much. Sadly, her husband passed away in late ’19, then her work hours were slashed with Covid’s arrival. It became next to impossible to afford care for a big perineal hernia that was growing out of control on Buddy’s rump. The hernia was all kinds of nasty, and surgery to correct it was full of risk. Her grief and her worry were making it hard to function, so by the time we connected, life was really, really hard. Add to that, Buddy is 12yo and Kathie was struggling to find affordable housing.

First, Dr. Noe at Well Pet Vet Clinic neutered him so Kathie could qualify for housing options, but the hernia was much too complicated to treat at the same time. “It’s bad,” she told us. What to do?

To be honest, we weren’t sure how we were going to be able to find specialized help that was affordable, but we sorta faked it – “Try not to worry, Kathie. We’ll do what we can do to get this sorted.” Gulp.

I shared the problem to our Helper Connect program crew for feedback and ideas and Deassa Binstock from Ripple Event Animal Project jumped in to help. Maybe the good people at Silverado Veterinary Hospital Napa Valley could help? She would get a quote and arrange the appointment.

They did help, in a BIG way. The deed was done the first week of June for $1400 (w/ rescue discount). Buddy’s problem was expertly handled by Dr. Cunningham and staff with none of the complications that were expected, and Kathie tells us he’s responding well. An amazing outcome and huge sigh of relief.

Many thanks to all the helpers. We hope that whatever time Buddy has left comes with the best healing for him and for his person, too. ❤️