Finally Home Animal Haven in Scottsville, Virginia

September 1st

We were tagged to help and once we learned of her condition, we COULDN’T turn her away.

We pulled a “Hail Mary”.

An INCREDIBLE advocate in the animal rescue world with less than 24 hours accomplished a MIRACLE and put together the legs of her transport that we weren’t sure could happen in such little time. Four selfless, loving and kind people took the time to help assist in her travel to safety.

We brought this lady in because she was a very sick senior, at a CODE RED shelter and at risk for euthanasia at any point that she started declining…with the long holiday weekend coming we couldn’t risk it.

However her journey is only the beginning. It will be a long one, combined with MANY vet visits, MULITIPLE meds, LOTS of critical care food in addition to TLC but we will do EVERYTHING in our power to help her return from the condition her owners left her in. Her hip bones stick out by at least a 1/2 inch and you can literally locate and count every single vertebrae in her back with the slightest touch.

In addition to being EXTREMELY emaciated (she has multiple issues) but the main ones are: nonregenative anemia and a severe upper respiratory infection. With every feeble step you can tell shes weak, but she doesnt hesitate to come to you and lift her head to yours, stare into your eyes and lovingly rub her head against your face. A undeniable act of love to a stranger. Animals always amaze me, she knows we’re here to help.

Our hearts BREAK for those broken seniors just abandoned in their time of need. She was dumped in this state…literally someone’s pet at some point who mattered until the day…she just DIDN’T. She didn’t deserve this. She is the most LOVING to anyone willing to give her attention, no matter how bad she feels.

It took a tribe to pull her transport together and it will continue to take a tribe to get her better. From the vets, to the caretakers, to the volunteers and possibly you. If you could find it in your heart to help and make sure this broken senior lady gets all the care she needs: we promise with one look into her eyes, you will not find another as appreciative as this one.

Welcome to the FHAH tribe “Estella”, your loved and you matter. We got you.

September 8th

We took her to the vet Friday, adding more labs to ones done before her arrival to see if we could find a root to her chronic anemia. Being that her body was extremely sick and she was on several medications, finding the root of the cause would be helpful.

Her upper respiratory infection did not improve on the current course, so we started a different antibiotic to see if that helps. We started two supplements to help with her immunity and gut issues. She has a humidifier running near her at all times to help with her breathing. Weve been able to up her feeds to small amounts 4 times a day (as her stomach is so small from being severely emaciated that increasing her quickly could cause major problems for this senior girl). On a positive note- she has gained .3 oz in the week she's been here....going from 3.9lbs to 4.2!!!

Our main goal at this point is to make sure she continues to improve and gain weight, otherwise it's back to the drawing board.

This is the first of several vet visits for this gal because even if she improves and gains weight, we still need to find the culprit to her reduced blood cell issue.

Her first vet bill was $249 and we've raised $161 so we are a little under $100 short. If you'd like to help on Estella's journey we are always grateful. Donations are at an all-time low, but we still receive cries for help EVERY SINGLE DAY. It weighs heavily on our conscience, and we have lots of guilt. Sometimes we lose sleep at night trying to figure it out-who needs us the most right now? We have to make the choice between who we can help and who we just CAN'T.

Your support literally helps us SAVE these babies...$5 adds up to $10 and $10 to $20...and you may not have any idea the difference you make but you do! You may work a 9 to 5 job and think "yeah right, how am I a hero?" but your $10 donation may mean the LIFESAVING medication for a suffering animal like Estella.

Keep sending positive thoughts and prayers for this sweet senior lady! It makes our hearts break knowing someone let her deteriorate to this condition and just let her suffer, literally wasting away to skin and bones! Despite, she has an amazing heart and knows no strangers, rubbing up against anyone willing to give her attention and return the love. There's so much we can learn from animals.

September 18th

She had her two week checkup today to make sure she was gaining weight, however despite being on two antibiotics we noticed her upper respiratory infection was suddenly not improving.

Originally (because she was so snotty and had trouble breathing through her nose), she refused to let them get a good look inside her mouth. We knew an outer tooth was abscessed but she fought us when we tried to see. Due to her drainage and blocked nasal passages, her URI was a much more pressing issue.

Today, they pushed the issue to dive deeper into why she wasn’t improving respiratory wise. They were able to get a closer look and her periodontal disease is MUCH WORSE than originally thought. She has many SEVERELY INFECTED teeth and a PAINFUL ULCERATED mouth.

It may be close to impossible to clear her upper respiratory infection while all that bacteria is being harbored throughout her nasal cavity and jaw.

Treating her jaw has become the NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

Due to her nonregenerative anemia and URI, going under sedation will be tricky, but she can’t get better while she has this severe of infection harboring in her system. The vets have advised us that it needs to be treated right away and we agree. Her surgery has to be next week to make sure it doesn’t get worse.

She has already gained a pound while with us, but we know eating has to be an agonizing process. She is indeed a fighter. Considering she began her journey at barely 3.9lbs, she had no other option than to fight through the pain to eat so she didn’t starve.

But we HAVE to help her get better. She doesn’t deserve to live like this. She’s already been failed once, but we refuse to let that happen again!

Her estimate to have this urgent procedure is $1,000!

We could use your help! Estella sure deserves it

September 26th

Estella had her surgery less than 2 days ago and is healing well at this moment!

They did multiple extractions, but were also able to save a few of her teeth. While under they checked her throat for possible polyps, but everything looked normal. They flushed her ears and nasal passages completely, in hopes it will give her a head start in healing from this infection.

She is currently starting her 5th antibiotic…so she is due for some healing VERY soon! She is also on an anti-inflammatory. Send well thoughts her way that she will continue to improve and this will finally allow her to breathe normally again! The sutures should heal over the next two weeks and we are so excited for her to live more comfortably! Who knows how long she has been suffering from the infection in her jaw.

Thank you to all of our donors who worked together to make this happen! So many donated what they could to ensure she would have this surgery. Thank you to RedRover who contributed the final amount we needed through their RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant. This amazing organization helps with grants for animals in crisis and their support is truly lifesaving!

We will keep you updated with her recovery over the next several days.

October 5th

While Estella is still healing from the surgery for her infected teeth and jaw, we can already tell she’s feeling better.

Every day she’s been given the option and she’s decided to spend the last several days climbing to the window of the Catio, just soaking in the sunshine, bird watching and snoozing.

Such a beautiful sight!

October 20th

Estella went in for her two week checkup to make sure she was still healing from the procedure to her infected jaw. The vet was pleased to see that everything was on the right track and looking great. We know eating is much more enjoyable now without the excruciating pain she use to endure with every bite.

While her nose is no longer draining, she still has quite a bit of inflammation in her nasal cavity (causing her to breathe through her mouth quite often) and swallow a lot of air while eating. We decided the last antibiotics just weren’t cutting it so she was prescribed a 15 day course of steroids to help her breathe easier. Due to the fact that she has been sick for so long and on many different types of antibiotics through this period, it is taking longer for her to heal than we would have wished. We are setting her up with an antibiotic that has a longer shelf life and hoping that overtime her body has a chance to kick this chronic sickness.

She has a checkup in a week to see if her anemia has improved, (since the emaciated and sickly condition she was in when she first arrived). Please keep Estella in your thoughts and prayers that she will continue to move in the right direction. We know this senior gal sure is ready for the retirement life…frequent naps in the sun, full bowls and full bellies!

October 28th

Estella went to the vet yesterday to perform a chest Xray. Due to the issues that she has had with her breathing, we needed to make sure that there weren't any unknown hidden masses. The images came back clear and her lungs are healthy, although she did have a lot of air in her belly (which we assume is due to her having to breathe through her mouth when she eats). She has been on 6 different antibiotics/steroids over the past 2 1/2 months.

Since it had been a month since her surgery, we had to recheck her anemia in hopes that it has improved due to the healing of the infection in her jaw. If not, we will continue the search until we are able to find what may be weighing down her body's inability to reproduce red blood cells. We are waiting to hear the results.

She officially weighs 5.78 lbs-gaining almost 2 lbs since her arrival!

Her journey has had several setbacks, but we are determined to continue the fight for this senior lady to heal. Your continued support helps us to ensure Estella can finally heal.

December 3rd

This extremely lovable gal doesn’t even look like the same broken and emaciated kitty who walked through our doors in September. Her journey to recovery has been ongoing but we remain impressed with all the strides she has made. We joke and say “there’s NO WAY she was a stray and surviving outdoors...she’d make friends with a coyote!”

Funny but TRUE!

This girl loves dogs, cats, kids…literally anything she meets! She knows no strangers.

During the past month, while healing from the surgery to her infected jaw and the removal of most of her teeth, her appetitie remained strong and she continued gaining weight. She looks fantastic, has gained several pounds and her non-regenerative anemia is officially gone! After many, MANY months of antibiotics, she is no longer on ANY!

She is on a simple daily steroidal nose drop that she gets once daily for inflammation in her nasal cavity that makes her sound stuffy sometimes (due to scarring in her nose from being so sick for so long).

Literally…the exact opposite of the state she arrived in-now a happy senior, enjoying long naps on shoulders, being fed multiple times a day, becoming mischievous with nighttime toys and soaking in the comfort a large furry bed.

We began discussing her eventual adoption if an approved applicant came along ready to open their home and hearts to all the love this senior has to offer.

However (as luck would have it), around Thanksgiving she instantly started showing discomfort while eating and ignoring her food bowl (something she NEVER does). When it went on for several meals we knew a quick visit to the vet was warrented. We discovered the only 5 teeth she had remaining in her mouth that were actually healthy, were suddenly surrounded by very inflamed gums. Her diagnosis unfortunately is stomatitis (an autoimmune-like disorder causing a severe & debilitating overreaction in the mouth to any bacteria).

Bad news is that the only way to relieve her pain (other than the pain meds she was prescribed in the meantime) is to take her back to surgery to remove her few remaining teeth.

Good news is…she can live a happy and healthy life only eating soft canned foods.

Her journey is still ongoing, but well worth it in the end!

December 16th

Estella is feeling so much better since her 2nd surgery this past Friday. She’s on a steriod, antibiotic and pain meds and eating really soft foods until her mouth completely heals. She officially has no teeth left…but it’s not holding her back!

She has begun to play and is officially a feisty girl at heart when she knows her food bowl is heading her way. She loves completely unraveling any paper towel or toilet tissue roll she can find.

Despite being a senior, she has so much life and love left in her…

Thank you to Mill Creek Veterinary for helping us on her long journey…from broken old soul to spoiled and adoring old lady…Hard to believe that less than 4 months ago she was so very sick and (due to lack of resources and time) she was headed for euthanasia.

Thankful for the vets who stand beside us and believe they are all worth saving too.