Dozer: Our Youngest Little Challenge
Dozer is a very cute, friendly, beautiful 6 month old kitten who came to the Shelter on August 14. He had been adopted from a barn by a young family. But it soon became apparent that he had some serious physical handicaps…and the family was unable to keep him.
You see, Dozer had a strange gait with his back legs. And he was unable to control his bathroom habits. What was going on with this precious boy? He deserved every chance to find out what was wrong and to see if anything could be done.
Our own Dr. Sally took some xrays and noticed that there was something amiss between his 8th and 9th vertebrae. This is the area where the nerves control the back legs and the bodily functions. What had happened? Who knows? Was he stepped on in the barn as a youngster…by a farm animal? By an unaware human?
The Board conferred and Dozer was taken to BEVS for their neurologist, Dr. Cowan, to explore, do a work up. Dozer spent the night, after having a brain and spinal MRI, along with blood work, a urinalysis, and a spinal tap. And Dr. Cowan reported that he had no menace response, where the eyes typically blink when something suddenly comes at them. His pupils, however, worked just as they should.
He was one very tired little guy when he got back home to the Shelter. Even so, he was very hungry….and eager for some love.
It will take a very special person to adopt this wonderful boy. He will need a specific set up, that includes some time in a somewhat confined situation, and then a special area where he can be free to run and play and make a mess with his human….and then be lovingly cleaned up for his bed time.
Dozer is a very cute, friendly, beautiful 6 month old kitten who came to the Shelter on August 14. He had been adopted from a barn by a young family. But it soon became apparent that he had some serious physical handicaps…and the family was unable to keep him.
You see, Dozer had a strange gait with his back legs. And he was unable to control his bathroom habits. What was going on with this precious boy? He deserved every chance to find out what was wrong and to see if anything could be done.
Our own Dr. Sally took some xrays and noticed that there was something amiss between his 8th and 9th vertebrae. This is the area where the nerves control the back legs and the bodily functions. What had happened? Who knows? Was he stepped on in the barn as a youngster…by a farm animal? By an unaware human?
The Board conferred and Dozer was taken to BEVS for their neurologist, Dr. Cowan, to explore, do a work up. Dozer spent the night, after having a brain and spinal MRI, along with blood work, a urinalysis, and a spinal tap. And Dr. Cowan reported that he had no menace response, where the eyes typically blink when something suddenly comes at them. His pupils, however, worked just as they should.
He was one very tired little guy when he got back home to the Shelter. Even so, he was very hungry….and eager for some love.
It will take a very special person to adopt this wonderful boy. He will need a specific set up, that includes some time in a somewhat confined situation, and then a special area where he can be free to run and play and make a mess with his human….and then be lovingly cleaned up for his bed time.