The Cost of Saving a Life 13 April 2008
What happens when a Symi animal needs emergency vet care?
Without a vet on Symi, the dilemma is between taking the animal all the way to Rhodes by boat, which is usually a very distressing experience (for both the animal and the carer), or watching it suffer trying to keep it as comfortable as possible while it improves - or dies.
Wee-D (the cat in the photo below) is the sister of Wee-J (the small cat we lost to feline enteritis in February, and who, in a matter of days, has become the recognisable face of FAROS). She was hurt a few days ago but I don't know how it happened. It could have been an accident though there are many other less accidental explanations. She was in screaming pain while trying to walk, her back leg hanging low, and no weight was put on it as she was hobbling about. I took her to Rhodes yesterday and it was the first time (and I hope the last) that I have to take a sick cat in a basket on a boat. She began screaming the moment she was put in the basket, despite her being one of the friendliest and quietest cats I ever had. I was trying to comfort her by touching her face through the cat-box, but I doubt I achieved very much. On arrival to Rhodes, we took a taxi to the vet's which seemed to distress her even more. She wee-ed and pooed in the basket on the way.
She had an x-ray and it was confirmed that her back leg was broken near to the hip. She was also more than a month pregnant. It became apparent very quickly what the choice was; leave her with a broken leg that according to the vet would not mend by itself, with a risk of a serious infection and a life-long disability, or she could have an operation where a temporary pin is put in her leg so she can walk normally again. In both choices, the termination of the pregnancy would be necessary.
With a couple of hours, she was on her way to Athens and is now there for an operation in the morning. It will cost 500 Euros. Despite my unhappiness (and constant worry) about leaving Wee-D behind, I took some comfort in being part of FAROS. NO animal should ever have to experience the trip to Rhodes, and NO-ONE should ever be made to choose between saving an animal or spending loads of money.
Without a vet on Symi, the dilemma is between taking the animal all the way to Rhodes by boat, which is usually a very distressing experience (for both the animal and the carer), or watching it suffer trying to keep it as comfortable as possible while it improves - or dies.
Wee-D (the cat in the photo below) is the sister of Wee-J (the small cat we lost to feline enteritis in February, and who, in a matter of days, has become the recognisable face of FAROS). She was hurt a few days ago but I don't know how it happened. It could have been an accident though there are many other less accidental explanations. She was in screaming pain while trying to walk, her back leg hanging low, and no weight was put on it as she was hobbling about. I took her to Rhodes yesterday and it was the first time (and I hope the last) that I have to take a sick cat in a basket on a boat. She began screaming the moment she was put in the basket, despite her being one of the friendliest and quietest cats I ever had. I was trying to comfort her by touching her face through the cat-box, but I doubt I achieved very much. On arrival to Rhodes, we took a taxi to the vet's which seemed to distress her even more. She wee-ed and pooed in the basket on the way.
She had an x-ray and it was confirmed that her back leg was broken near to the hip. She was also more than a month pregnant. It became apparent very quickly what the choice was; leave her with a broken leg that according to the vet would not mend by itself, with a risk of a serious infection and a life-long disability, or she could have an operation where a temporary pin is put in her leg so she can walk normally again. In both choices, the termination of the pregnancy would be necessary.
With a couple of hours, she was on her way to Athens and is now there for an operation in the morning. It will cost 500 Euros. Despite my unhappiness (and constant worry) about leaving Wee-D behind, I took some comfort in being part of FAROS. NO animal should ever have to experience the trip to Rhodes, and NO-ONE should ever be made to choose between saving an animal or spending loads of money.
I spent the afternoon doing some FAROS-work. We have about a fortnight to equip a vet's surgery. We have an idea of what each individual vet visit will cost, but the initial purchase of equipment makes this first visit many times more expensive. My job today was to do some shopping around. I focused on the very long list of surgical equipment, machinery, stiches, tubes, catheters, bandages, syringes, surgical screens, etc. that the vets had given to me. I managed to find prices for most of them and will be making an order on Monday. I didn't get the time to look for medicines, anaesthetics, vaccinations, etc. This is for my next trip to Rhodes early next week.
FAROS will be publishing FULL accounts of everything we have received via donations and spent, so the cost involved is clear and tranparent but here's an initial list of the most expensive items so you have an idea of what we are up against:
- Autoclave (dry-heat sterilizer): 240 Euros
- Oxygen cylinder: 210 Euros
- Oxygen supply system: 99 Euros
- Stiches (75 pieces of various sizes): 190 Euros
- Surgical equipment (forceps, scissors, scalpels, metal box container, etc.): 136 Euros
- Stomach Tubes (8 of various sizes): 64 Euros
- Syringes (300 pcs) and needles (100 pcs): 63 Euros
- Various dressings: 60 Euros
- Disposable surgical screens (40 of two sizes) : 44 Euros
- Abocath catheters: 36 Euros
- Disinfectants (3 1lt bottles): 23 Euros
The cost of what I've managed to price so far is about 1,300 Euros and my revised estimate for the total cost of the first visit on the 29th of April (not including what has already been donated) is now closer to 2,500 Euros rather than 2,000 mentioned in my first blog. I haven't managed to get a price yet for a cat-trap/cage or an electric shaver and blanket. I will include these as well as medication costs in one of my next blog-updates.
As you can see from the above, every single Euro that is donated to FAROS is extremely useful and will go a very long way to helping the animals of Symi.
On top of everyting else we need to get cat and dog baskets. The cheapest cat basket costs 26 Euros and the cost for a dog basket can be three times that. There will be a need to have as many cat and dog baskets as possible during the vet visit (mainly to be used for recovery of the animals that have been operated on). FAROS is appealing to ANYONE on Symi who has a cat and/or a dog basket and is willing to lend them to us for the duration of the vet visit that begins on the 29th of April. If you do have a cat or a dog basket, please contact FAROS.
Thank you very much!
FAROS will be publishing FULL accounts of everything we have received via donations and spent, so the cost involved is clear and tranparent but here's an initial list of the most expensive items so you have an idea of what we are up against:
- Autoclave (dry-heat sterilizer): 240 Euros
- Oxygen cylinder: 210 Euros
- Oxygen supply system: 99 Euros
- Stiches (75 pieces of various sizes): 190 Euros
- Surgical equipment (forceps, scissors, scalpels, metal box container, etc.): 136 Euros
- Stomach Tubes (8 of various sizes): 64 Euros
- Syringes (300 pcs) and needles (100 pcs): 63 Euros
- Various dressings: 60 Euros
- Disposable surgical screens (40 of two sizes) : 44 Euros
- Abocath catheters: 36 Euros
- Disinfectants (3 1lt bottles): 23 Euros
The cost of what I've managed to price so far is about 1,300 Euros and my revised estimate for the total cost of the first visit on the 29th of April (not including what has already been donated) is now closer to 2,500 Euros rather than 2,000 mentioned in my first blog. I haven't managed to get a price yet for a cat-trap/cage or an electric shaver and blanket. I will include these as well as medication costs in one of my next blog-updates.
As you can see from the above, every single Euro that is donated to FAROS is extremely useful and will go a very long way to helping the animals of Symi.
On top of everyting else we need to get cat and dog baskets. The cheapest cat basket costs 26 Euros and the cost for a dog basket can be three times that. There will be a need to have as many cat and dog baskets as possible during the vet visit (mainly to be used for recovery of the animals that have been operated on). FAROS is appealing to ANYONE on Symi who has a cat and/or a dog basket and is willing to lend them to us for the duration of the vet visit that begins on the 29th of April. If you do have a cat or a dog basket, please contact FAROS.
Thank you very much!
(0)Updated 13/04/2008, 12:05, hits