Junior, her 11-month-old kitten, swallowed some tinsel from her Christmas tree, which became apparent after he started vomiting.
Once he was taken to South Pointe Animal Hospital in Randleman, an X-ray would reveal not tinsel in Junior’s digestive system, but another problem.
“There was a blockage and when that happens the whole intestines shut down and it just doesn’t move,” Dr. Clint Berdeen, a veterinarian at Pointe South Animal Hospital, said when he looked at an X-ray showing food stuck in Junior’s system.
It was clear that surgery would be a must, but it was an operation Goedeck could not afford.
“I would have had to euthanize him,” Goedeck said.
An employee at the facility knew there was at least one other option — The Sergei Foundation, Inc.
The foundation assists qualified pets and their owners with life-saving surgeries, and it came through in just a nick of time for Junior.
“I created the Sergei Foundation to help people just as much as their pets to keep the two together,” Karen Fullerton, founder and CEO of the The Sergei Foundation, Inc., said.
Junior is the 98th pet the organization has helped throughout this past year. It has assisted almost 300 pets (cats and dogs) since its first full year of operation in 2010.
For Goedeck, the help was the best Christmas miracle and present she could have hoped for.
“I started crying. I couldn’t stop crying because I knew I wouldn’t lose my best friend,” she said.
Consequently, the doctors were able to get to the root of the problem.
“What we did find was a hairball that had turned into a rock and was stuck in his small intestinal track,” Berdeen said.
“If we hadn’t gone in when we did, he would have died,” he added.
Interestingly enough, doctors say the tinsel incident merely helped identify a pre-existing issue.
Along with tinsel, pet owners are reminded to be especially mindful of chocolate, trash and even other plants and flowers this holiday season as both can cause gastrointestinal issues in pets.
Also beware: Poinsettia Plants, Mistletoe and Holly, Lilies and Daffodils and yes, even Christmas Trees are known to be toxic to cats.
Animal Poison Control, (link below,) is also a good resource for identifying proven pet hazards and receiving assistance during an emergency.
Animal Poison Control: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control