Young Cat Has Potentially Lethal Ear Hematoma

[PLEASE READ THE DESCRIPTION]

An update from my best friend, Carter:

Beef is a 10 month old male cat, he has an aural hematoma that is getting worse by the day. The original goal was $6K, but has since been changed to $3.5k as we were able to take him to the vet finally. $2374.14 CAD (1,714.30 USD) is the cost of all of the treatment. He is in consistent pain, and is meowing a lot to show it, and is no longer drinking water due to discomfort. I have 3 days as of 30/07/2024 to get all of the money together to bring him in without an extra $80 fee. I have imaged the full, unpaid bill. This doesn't include his neuter fee, which I will need to get eventually which will probably bring his risk of infections down a thousandfold. Please consider, this is our last hope.

I make $1500 a month, and unfortunately due to my partner's family suddenly and unexpectedly no longer paying her rent I have assumed full responsibility of paying the full rent ($1200) and bills leaving me with $104ish depending on the month to support both her, myself and Beef. I can't afford this bill, and realistically could not for years if I can't land a job soon, which I have been trying to do for so long. Please consider helping. This is our last hope.

Beef's past owners have ghosted us despite claiming they miss him and would love to have him again in the past, and there is very little no-kill shelters in our city. They will euthanize him if we give him up while he is sick. Please consider. Thank you. His hematoma is getting worse as the days progress and it could spread/start in his other ear if we do not catch this as soon as possible.

-- original description below --

Hello! My friend is in need of dire help. He’s in a poor financial situation and no one is willing to take in his cat. His cat, Beef, has an enflamed ear and NEEDS medical attention. There is nothing else they (My friend, Carter and his girlfriend) can do for Beef besides try and take care of Beef.

[For the sake of clarity]

My mom is the beneficiary since neither me or Carter have credit cards, which are needed to cash the money out. My mom is also paying out of pocket to make sure Carter gets the money sooner (since gofundme doesn’t let you cash out immediately, it takes 2-5 business days)

An aural hematoma is a collection of blood within the cartilage of the ear and the skin. This is most commonly the result of external physical trauma to the pinna (the “flap” of the ear) or self-inflicted injury from your pet’s scratching and head shaking secondary to infection of the external ear canal. The condition is common in dogs with chronic otitis externa and less common in cats. Hematoma formation has also been associated with increased capillary fragility (e.g., as seen with Cushing’s disease).

Sources of irritation to the ear linked to the development of an aural hematoma include:

Most animals usually have an associated infection. Recurrence of the condition is common if the underlying condition is not resolved.

What happens if you leave a cat ear hematoma untreated? While ear hematomas will drain, heal and scar on their own this is not recommended. If left untreated, the following may occur:

 • The ear hematoma may cause swelling while healing, which can be very painful for cats

• The ear flap may swell and prevent you from being able to treat any infection that might be present.

• It may take a very long time for ear hematomas in cats to heal on their own.

• There is an increased possibility of ear hematomas reoccurring if left to heal on their own.

• If an ear hematoma heals naturally, there is a higher risk for excess car tissue. If your cat is suffering from an ear hematoma, it's best to have it examined by one of our veterinarians in Capitola and treated with surgery to decrease pain, speed healing and prevent the condition from reoccurring.

Words from Carter:

”I fully believe he got one from scratching at his ears too much due to me being unable to afford getting it flushed when the vets told me I should a few weeks ago due to my partner's grandmother unexpectedly beginning to withhold her side of the rent from us. He had excessive scratching despite my consistent careful cleaning of his ears, it was not good enough."

"Aural hematomas need to be treated via surgery. I am currently in the negatives in my bank as I make $1500 a month, and $104 after paying for the rent and bills as my partner's grandmother is still withholding her rent. We have yet to find jobs despite desperately handing out our resumes since December '22. We have only gotten 6 callbacks collectively, and all were declines."

"We were fine until this happened, his past owners aren't answering to take him back and the vets are refusing to see him unless we pay the initial intake fine which is $80. Altogether I do not know how much the surgery could be, but the size of it and the increasing size means chances are, it will reach well over a few grand. I am heartbroken. I cannot give him to the Humane Society, I worry they'll euthanize him, there's never been good reports in my city. Please help."

"An aural hematoma isn't life threatening, however hit can leave it constantly returning if I ignore it, he could have ear mites, he could end up with a permanent deformity and just overall be in pain for who knows how long. If the ear infection runs deeper and I can't get him checked out though, there is a risk he could die.”

While an Aural Hematoma in itself isn't lethal, left untreated, it could cause an infection and *that* would be life threatening given Carter's situation

All the money will go towards making sure Beef is well accounted for and taken care of. Every dollar helps. We need your help.