A Little Compassion Goes a Long Way

One sick cat’s journey to recovery.

It was a balmy July day and Azog was roaming the neighborhoods on the outskirts of town. Maybe he was looking for food, maybe he knew he was sick and needed help. Either way, Azog made his way to a Good Samaritan who took pity on the sick, old cat and brought him to Young-Williams Animal Center.

Just looking at Azog you could tell he was sick. He had probably spent his entire life as a stray hunting for food and fighting for territory. His list of illnesses was long and included dental disease, skin infections, upper respiratory infections and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or FIV, the latter of which can complicate these other illnesses and infections.

We knew Azog had a long road of recovery ahead of him, but gratefully an experienced medical foster took on his case. Finally, Azog was safe and could focus on healing in the comfort of a loving home. Over the next three months, his foster administered antibiotics and head scratches, as prescribed by our vet staff. Although Azog was roaming the streets, he was very trusting of humans and loved getting attention. We could tell he was starting to feel better too! His URI healed, but his skin condition was resisting oral and topical treatments.

Azog was missing clumps of fur and had open sores from where he over-groomed himself. His skin cultures came back negative, but our staff knew there must be something else going on and made an appointment at the Dermatology Department at the UT Veterinary Medical Center. Azog had a severe case of ringworm that was resistant to antibiotics and highly contagious. We developed a specialized treatment plan that included twice-weekly medicated baths and continued to monitor his progress closely.

By this point, Azog had been in our care for nearly six months, and many of our staff, volunteers and donors had come to love him. Azog’s treatments go above and beyond the basic services we provide to every pet and were made possible through generous donations to our Animal Compassion Fund.

Just before Christmas, Azog was at UT for a follow up appointment when the vet tech admitted she had also fallen in love with this sweet cat who had fought so hard for so long to heal. She wanted to give him the best possible home, one where he could rest and wouldn’t have to worry about getting sick ever again. When we received the news that his test results were clear and he could go home, we set up an appointment to say goodbye to our furry friend.

The vet team who was dedicated to delivering an accurate diagnosis, the foster team who provided temporary care, our partners at UT and you, the donors who have given to the Animal Compassion Fund in the previous months were all a part of this emotional farewell and making this happy ending possible.

We never know when an animal will need life-changing care, but we do know it happens all too often. Just last month, 77 pets received additional medical services thanks to the Animal Compassion Fund, because, like you, we are committed to providing the highest quality of care for every animal. If you would like to contribute to the care of vulnerable pets like Azog, please consider making a donation to the Animal Compassion Fund here.