This week makes 9 months since this little girl came into my life after being rescued from outside where she was literally dying.

Over the course of these past several months I’ve been handling her condition and literally doing everything humanely possible to be her advocate and manage her symptoms. I have felt a great deal of helplessness and frustration while trying to get the help she needs.

We have been through 3 different hospitals, and because her issue is so rare I had to weigh out all options before deciding on another attempt at surgery.

As a last resort, I scheduled an appointment with Dr Stanley at Animal Surgical Center in Flint. She is an incredible soft tissue surgeon specialist whom I met years ago after she performed an amazing reconstructive scar tissue surgery on another pet I once fostered. She also specializes in upper airway obstruction cases.

Our appointment was yesterday and for those who are unfamiliar with this case, Muffins’ has a stricture or possibly a band of scar tissue covering the area in her nasophyrengeal space where there should be a hole. The cause is likely from chronic inflammation or congenital.

This problem causes her to constantly sneeze out large green snot with nonstop drainage. There is pressure in her ear drums from fluid, her equilibrium is off, she gets bacterial infections, she is wheezing at times and this because her sinus area cannot drain normally.

Surgery is scheduled for May 23rd. Dr Stanley won’t know for certain until she gets inside the soft palet but she suspects she will need to create an opening and place a temporary silicone stent.

Muffins ‘ would stay overnight and we would have to bring her back to flint once a week for 6 weeks where they would do a nasal flush and at last visit remove the stent. Estimate is $6,000 to $7,000 all together.

I trust that Dr Stanley is my only and best option to give Muffins’ a quality of life that she deserves. I’m also scared because this is a major procedure and a 2 month journey where complications can occur and we live over an hour away from the hospital. They were understanding and made me feel totally comfortable even tho I lost it emotionally.

I cannot thank my amazing husband, David Jenio enough for his continued support and understanding during this journey.

Thank you 4 Paws 1 Heart and our supporters who are making it possible to give Muffins’ the chance she deserves. Gina

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

Meet “Burger” she is in recovery and doing great! 4 Paws 1 Heart covered her spay surgery today, and our good friends from NBS rescue have her lined up with Ferndale Cat Shelter for permanent placement. If anyone is interested in adopting please contact the shelter. It takes a village. Thank you to everyone involved. – Gina

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

3/31/23 – Crixus came to our attention in the summer of 2020 when he had a hurt paw. He received x rays and all of the usual medications which cost much more than it should have but…..He continued to be a community cat in Hamtramck, MI although the caretaker would try to keep him in at night to lessen potential fights. At that time Crixus was already at least 9 years old. Then, last summer Crixus was having issues with swallowing; again, we were contacted and Crixus was found to have an infection. We were happy to help again. In February of this year, we were again contacted about this very resilient boy. When his caretaker went to feed him, he was found to be throwing up blood. Again, Crixus was trapped and we were contacted. Crixus saw our great friends at Five Mile Animal Hospital where the doctor diagnosed Stomatitis and recommended a full dental extraction. On March 24 Crixus had his surgery and now will never see the outside again unless it’s through his caretaker’s window. His caretaker said that without 4 Paws 1 Heart, Crixus would have never made it to 13 years old. — We say, without the love of our supporters, thousands of animals would have never lived another day. – diana

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

3/30/23 – Prayers for sweet Claus with Run Around Sue Rescue. The doctor wants to run a PCR test because the little guy just can’t seem to kick his upper respiratory infection; it keeps coming back. The doctor wants to make sure it’s not something else she should be treating. The PCR test is a sensitive test for detecting the presence of the upper respiratory pathogens Chlamydophila felis, Feline Herpesvirus and Feline Calicivirus. The test is most reliable in cases with clinical disease. – diana

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

We can’t thank you enough 4paws, he’s such a sweet boy he tries to keep up, but sometimes he just gets too tired. I hate when he’s had a stuffy and his chest is readily so let’s hope we can find what the issue is and take care of it or hopefully it’s something he can grow out of. – Tina

We’ll keep trying. Fortunately, he is seeing one of the best. –
Tina Marie Flewelling Drescher

3/3023 – And thank you Aaron for your many years of saving animals! – diana

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

Thank you to 4 Paws 1 Heart for helping me get this little doll sterilized instead of having to go through a t&r program. She is such a sweet girl and I’m certain will get adopted quickly through Ferndale Cat Shelter as soon as she is healed. . – Aaron

3/29/23 – On Saturday, April 8, 2023 at Colleen’s Irish Pubb, St. Clair Shores, the owners will be hosting a MOTOWN Night and some of the team from 4 Paws 1 Heart will be there having fun and selling 50/50 tickets to benefit 4 Paws 1 Heart. The party starts at 7pm with Dr. BB spinning the old school classics that so many of us grew up with. Hope to see many of our friends. Any questions, e mail me at: [email protected]

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

3/29/23 – Lena and Selena lived their entire lives outside in a pen; they are 10 and 9 years old. Then, thankfully, they were rescued by Make A Difference Rescue. They were found heart worm positive as so many of the dogs have been diagnosed lately and we were thankful that we could cover both of their second and third injections which will occur at the end of the month.

Your donations make the difference between life and death for so many stray and abandoned animals. Lena and Selena are very sweet dogs who are hoping to live their last days with love and care. If you are interested, please contact Make A Difference Rescue. – diana.

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

Thank you. You’re the best. – Sandra Ann

3/28/23 – RIP Sweet Smokey. She was ‘dumped’ in the driveway of a family who lives around 36 mile road in Macomb County. Unfortunately, far too many sick and unwanted animals are ‘dumped’ in areas where people believe they can live out their lives even when very ill. Smokey was taken to one of our vets last week with swelling and infection of her mammary glands and the doctor diagnosed it as a very severe case of mastitis. Unfortunately, Smokey had a high fever and abscesses were already developing. The doctor gave medications and an appointment was made for today. When she was seen today the doctor found that she had lost almost 20% of her weight in just a week and the abscesses and infection were worse and her skin around the area was already dying. After a conversation with the doctor, the rescuer, and the transporter we decided to follow the doctor’s recommendation and humanely euthanize sweet Smokey. We were all confident that she had been suffering and the doctor was concerned that her condition was so extreme that even if a total mastectomy was considered, the doctor believed Smokey would not have made it through the surgery because of her weakened condition. As I discussed with her rescuer, we were all just thankful that Smokey didn’t die on the streets being hit by a car or devoured by animals while she laid dying. Instead, this beautiful family with children, roosters, chickens, and other cats were able to give her love that she did not have otherwise. Every living creature deserves to die with respect and love. Thank you to this rescue family who brokenheartedly did what was best for Smokey. – diana.

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

3/27/23 – Gemma’s surgery was delayed until today. Her leg was amputated but her rescuer reported that she came through the surgery wonderfully and is doing great. She will be in a safe home while she recovers and will be looking for her furever home. Please contact Midland County Pit Stop Rescue https://www.midlandcountypitstop.org/ if you are interested in giving her a furever home. You can read her story on our fb or here on our website by searching Gemma. – diana. https://4paws1heart.org/2023/03/gemma/

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

These beauties are looking for their furever home. Our commitment sometimes goes beyond medical treatment. Because of our amazing Board, it often includes help with adoptions. Thank you, Dee Gudenau for all of your hard work! – diana

4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080

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