Dash and Luna Need Your Help!

https://youtube.com/shorts/Vj_KZewjjAQ?si=VSyuflj13GOfnJfr

Hi everyone! My name is Melanie and I am the owner of @this_is_rylie

My good friend is going through a really tough and stressful time right now with her two cats. They both have a long medical history and have gone through a lot of different procedures and surgeries. Her cat Dash is the one that has the most complications, however unfortunately Luna also has health issues.

I know exactly what it feels like to have a young cat with health issues. Currently, I am in the same situation with my diabetic 2 year old cat Rylie, and have spent thousands of dollars at vet visits for him as well. The stress of already having to worry about your cat is one thing, but to add significant amounts of financial costs on top of it, is just something else that no pet owner should have to worry about. Vet visits alone are $100 just to walk in the door. That doesn't include any medications or procedures. Going through this is a stressful emotional rollercoaster and you don't really know it until you experience it. I am setting up this GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of Dash's medications and procedures so his meowm just has to focus on getting him better.

Dash had a rough start in life. He was found in a dumpster- thrown away like the trash in a sealed box, along with his brothers when they were just a few weeks old. He was thankfully rescued, and was adopted along with another kitten, Luna in July of 2018 and they had a great few months together.

But then Dash got sick. He started showing signs of asthma when he was only 8 months old, and was officially diagnosed at 10 months old. He struggled for months even though every common trigger was removed. He was tested for lungworm, was treated (along with Luna) for toxoplasmosis since his titer test showed that he had been exposed at some point, and had several other tests run with no answers. Their meowm got air purifiers and Dash was also on a daily inhaler. After going to an internal medicine specialist, he was prescribed a daily dose of prednisolone to be used along with his inhaler. He was supposed to eventually be tapered down but unfortunately, every time his meowm tried, his asthma would flare up again.

The prednisolone did help him, but unfortunately he’s now developed other health issues that may (or may not) be related to long term steroid use. His urinary troubles started when he was about 2 ½ years old, and he spent a few days in the hospital due to a urinary blockage. After that visit, he unfortunately was blocked 2 more times the next year, and in December of 2021, he was rushed to the vet after straining to urinate and it was determined that he needed a Cystotomy to remove over 50 bladder stones! From there, Dash had to go to the ER to have all of his labs repeated and was then scheduled an emergency surgery. It was shocking and heartbreaking and his meowm didn’t want him to have to go through that, but it was the only option in order to save his life. Since he was already going under anesthesia, it was also decided and suggested to do a procedure called a Perineal Urethrostomy, which is when they remove the penis and widen his urethra and hopefully prevent this from ever happening again.

Dash went in for a urinalysis every month after that, until October 2022 when he started to show signs of either a UTI or blockage. That month, he went to the vet several times with no answers, until one day he was blocked again with ANOTHER large stone that was too large to remove with a catheter. Only 10 months after his first surgery, Dash's meowm was faced with that same dreadful decision again, especially since the PU surgery was supposed to be the answer to prevent blockages.

After his last surgery, almost one year ago, Dash went to a holistic vet and his meowm joined a Cat Urinary Facebook group, and found some new supplements to help keep his Ph lower, which helps prevent crystals/stones from forming. He’s also on a custom made raw diet and they are very strict with treats and wet foods - Everything was being tried to prevent this from happening again. You can only imagine how stressful and emotional this is by this point.

Unfortunately though, since his last surgery, he has had persistent infections in his bladder. No one knows what’s causing them…He had an ultrasound a few months ago, and that showed that his kidneys are slightly abnormal, and his vet suspected Pylonephritis based on the results. He was treated on a 5 week course of Clavamox over the summer. In July and August 2023, his urine tests showed that the infection was clear, however at his most recent visit last week, he had another one. They are still waiting on the culture to determine what to do next.

Dash's bills so far have added up to over 20k in the last year on surgeries alone. Plus all the meds and vet visits is an insane amount of money. His sister Luna also has health issues too which adds even more stress and their meowm is trying to do everything she can to save their lives.

Dash and Luna's meowm is a kind hearted soul and works extremely hard. She is a huge part of the cat community and is such an awesome person. Again, I know exactly how it feels to be in her situation since I am also dealing with a cat with health issues that no vet seems to know what is going on (my cat has been to 19 vet visits since April 2023) and I know how anxious and stressful it is.

Please share this page, as it will really help and could change and save Dash and Luna's lives. These kitties are both still very young and have a great life ahead of them. Any amount of contribution will also really help out.

Thank you so much

-Melanie