HELP SPOT OUT OF A SPOT!

Hi. My name is Sean. My wife Marion and I live with her daughters and our cats in Etobicoke, Ontario. One cat, Spot, is having teeth trouble and we hope you can help. As a feral kitten, he didn’t get enough nutrition before coming to live with us. He also has a heart murmur which makes surgery, including on his mouth, risky.

Recently, my wife pointed out bloody froth around Spot’s mouth. He didn’t eat or drink that day and was generally sluggish.

Spot’s vet told me he needs dental surgery to remove rotted teeth. That alone will cost us about $3,000, including a cardiac ultrasound to see if his heart is strong enough for the surgery. Turns out he has an enlarged left ventricle due to a ventricular septal defect, i.e. a congenital heart defect. The vet wants additional “diagnostic work-ups,” including a chest X-ray to assess the size of the heart; blood work; and measurement of systemic blood pressure. She also wants to start him on two heart medications, Benazapril and Clopidogrel. And that’s before the dental surgery even happens!

We’re a low income family that uses a food bank. So paying thousands to take care of Spot is pretty much impossible without racking up credit card debt we can’t afford.

Meantime, we turn to our fellow cat lovers to help pay for Spot’s surgery and the associated costs.

HOW YOU CAN HELP TODAY

1. Donate what you can to Spot. No amount is too small. (Donations are tax deductible.)

2. Share on your social media with the hashtag #HelpSpot

3. Email our GoFundMe and these steps to all your contacts.

4. Use any avenue you have to make this go viral (or send me leads/tips)!

WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING

We’ve already spent:

$40: taxis to and from the vet

$148: initial consultation

$478: cardiac ultrasound

$276: antibiotics and pain killers (including repeats)

Dental surgery and heart expenses include:

$57: blood collection

$228: feline blood profile

$84: outpatient X-ray/radiographs

$323: radiograph set up & one view

$296: radiographs additional views

$96: blood pressure (Doppler)

$2,500 to $3,000: dental surgery

TDD for meds

That’s about $4,900, plus whatever all the meds are going to cost. We’re budgeting another thousand for them.

WHY YOUR DONATIONS MATTER

Getting this surgery and taking these meds will make it easier for Spot to eat and ease the strain on his heart. It will also reduce his chances of infection ongoing and the anxiety of the kids and us worrying about his health. With all the usual pressures of life intruding – increased rent, more expensive groceries, not making enough money – any help we can get to pay these bills has a substantial and real impact on our lives and Spot’s.