Sweet FIV positive cat might needs skin grafts surgery

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Please help save the life of a super sweet FIV+ cat named Dafu. He might require skin grafts surgery once his large wound heals smaller, along with a significant amount of medical supplies and special care. Dafu is an amazing cat, and with your donation and support, he can survive! Here is his story:

We found him in our backyard on September 13th, 2023. He came to eat the cat food we had left out for stray cats. At that time, he had a large open wound on his back. We took him to a doctor, and it was confirmed that he had been bitten by a coyote. We believe he fought back against the coyote to survive. His injuries were terribly severe; one-third of the skin and flesh on his back was gone. The hole was so deep that it was only millimeters away from his lungs. The spine was completely exposed, and there was also another coin-sized wound on his hind legs. The doctor told us that he would have died in a couple of days without intervention.

So far, the medical expenses for Dafu have exceeded $7,000, not counting other costs. Despite this, we never gave up on him because he is a young and strong cat. Many doctors advised us to put him to sleep, but we know he wants to stay alive. He eats and drinks a lot every day, showing us how much he enjoys eating and wants to play with other cats. He is still so young and wants to enjoy his life for much longer! When you look into his eyes and spend time with him, you can feel how sweet he is. Even in pain, he tries to show us his belly. He always expresses love through his actions and expressions. Taking care of him is healing for us; he is a purring machine!

Since he was diagnosed with FIV+, his wounds heal more slowly than those of regular cats. After undergoing several suture surgeries, his hind leg is fully recovered, but the back wound proves challenging to heal. Recently, we reached out a much better doctor named David Beltran at Veterinary Healthcare Center. We underwent another surgery to cut away the dead skin, leaving the wound wide open. This necessitates careful and complicated treatment, including thorough cleaning with saline, then drying the wound. Cleaning the wound again with vancomycin mixed with saline water again. Applying a thin layer of Manuka Honey. We then bandage the wound. We repeat this treatment everyday until the wound significantly reduces in size. During the period of treating the wound, we need to make sure the wound doesn't get any affection.

It’s been 3 months since the last surgery. The wound size reduced from 5x5 inches to 3x3 inches. If the wound doesn’t close, we might consider the skin grafts surgery to completely close it.

The doctors, volunteers, and we all have faith, time, energy, and patience to cure Dafu (knowing it will be a long journey of treatments). However, the substantial medical fees are causing stress. It could amount to an additional $10,000 to $40,000, depending on the number of surgeries, the success of the skin grafts surgery (if needed), and Dafu’s health condition. We cannot afford these hefty medical bills, and we refuse to give up on Dafu, such an amazing, strong, and sweet cat. Any amount of your support could save Dafu's life! We genuinely appreciate your help and kindness!