Lake Area Animal Hospital Supports the SPCA of Gainesville

Please consider an adult or special needs pet as your next pet. 
Here are just a few of the deserving rescue animals awaiting their forever homes:

 Lizzy’s Story: Our Featured Rescue Pet 

                     

 Lizzy is our SPCA of Gainesville featured pet. She does not have a forever home and loving family, but we hope that will soon change so Lizzy can have a home for the holidays. Having come from a litter of stray kittens, this small, grey and white, friendly, loving and playful Manx or Manx-mix youngster-she's now about 10 months old-arrived into rescue in mid-September with a big problem-a prolapsed rectum. Because she has no tail it was quite obvious too; like a little pink monkey butt! 
   Lizzy’s Manx (tailless) littermates were without obvious issues. For Lizzy, however, her last vertebral bone is her sacrum at the level of her pelvis. She has no coccygeal or tail bones past that point. This sometimes causes loss of innervation and proper muscle tone to structures in that area such as the bladder and colon/anus; some have incontinence or megacolon issues. Severely affected kittens never learn to walk and drag their rear end or have neurologic deficits in their rear legs and leak urine and/or feces. These kittens are typically put to sleep before 7-8 weeks of age, so in consideration, Lizzy is a lucky girl.
   Initial attempts to treat Lizzy with oral medication, topical creams, and diet change didn't help. In October,  Dr. Henry and Dr. Blackburn joined forces to perform a surgical procedure known as a colopexy, in which they attached Lizzy’s lower colon to the inside of her abdominal wall so it can't slip outside her body through the anus. She was also spayed at that time.
   Lizzy was kept under veterinary supervision to make sure everything would go well after surgery and she has done very well. She has now been switched back to regular adult dry cat food to make sure she wouldn’t need to be maintained on a prescription diet. However, there is no guarantee with this type of procedure or with her condition, since she was born with this abnormality, but so far Lizzy appears to be beating the odds. We would love for Lizzy to be adopted by someone who has experience with Manx cats or someone who is understanding of the possible future responsibilities. 
   Miss Lizzy is a very curious and inquisitive girl; she is exploring everything and is scared of nothing. She gets along great with all people, cats, and dogs. She is going to make a great addition to a wonderful family. Is that you? 
   All SPCA of Gainesville cats and kittens are leukemia tested negative, microchipped, free of parasites and up-to-date on vaccinations. If you are interested in adopting the marvelous Miss Lizzy, please e-mail spcagainesville@hotmail.com for an adoption form. 
   If you can’t adopt there are other ways to help: Please consider making a monetary donation to be applied directly toward the health care costs of Lizzy or any of the SPCA’s other special needs pets by contacting Lake Area Animal Hospital in Melrose at (352) 475-2326. Credit card donations can be made over the phone where your donation will be placed directly onto the SPCA’s rescue account to help pay for medical expenses. 
   Cash or product donations can also be made in the donation jar or box at the cat adoption room in PetsMart on Archer Road in Gainesville during adoption hours (11a.m.-5p.m.) on the weekend.  
   You may also mail check donations made out to The SPCA of Gainesville to P.O. Box 358491 Gainesville, FL 32635-8491.
   And of course, donation of your time is always appreciated, especially by fostering a needy animal in your home. To foster please email spcagainesville@hotmail.com or see Robin at the cat adoption room in PetsMart on Archer Road in Gainesville during adoption hours (11a.m.-5p.m.) on the weekend.

FOSTER! Can't commit to adoption? Don't feel ready to take on the financial burden of a new pet? Then maybe fostering is for you. You can help a needy animal, and have a feline or canine pet to love and care for until they find their forever home. Food and medical care will be provided. From shy animals that need socialization to those that just need a temporary home while awaiting adoption, fostering a rescue pet is a wonderful way to make a difference in a homeless pet's life. Foster  applications are available by writing to spcagainesville@hotmail.com.

Follow this link to meet the many wonderful pets available for adoption at The SPCA of Gainesville:  http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/FL553.html
Adoption applications are available by writing to spcagainesville@hotmail.com