Help abandoned pets like Jack survive this winter
Stray kitten Jack looked a picture of health, but he was hiding a life-threatening problem. Help us bring more strays in from the cold this Christmas.
On the surface, Jack seemed healthy and full of life
Jack may have been small when he arrived, but he was also bright and so full of life. Fighting fit you might have said – had you not looked any closer. Yet Jack proved to be a great example of why it’s so important that every new arrival at Woodgreen receives a thorough nose-to-tail veterinary check and attentive ongoing care. Often, their very lives depend on it.
Adele, Jack’s foster carer found Jack to be as friendly and playful as we had; ‘a confident boy who soaks up attention from humans’, was how she described him. However, when examining Jack, our vets team detected an enlarged left kidney; something which would require an ultrasound scan to investigate further.
Help us treat more poorly pets this winter
The full nose to tail veterinary check is so important for all pets brought into Woodgreen. With more pets requiring specialist care and treatment we need your help to keep offering this vital service through the cold winter months.
Jack needed life-saving surgery
It was vital to gain a clearer picture of what was going on inside Jack, as a swollen kidney can be caused by a variety of conditions – some with big risks attached. The scan showed signs of cysts (little pockets of fluid), which can grow over time and cause the kidney to fail. Were this to happen to little Jack, he would struggle to filter waste and toxins from his blood stream and would soon become very sick indeed.
The only option was to surgically remove Jack’s left kidney; a surgical procedure performed by our vet, Laura. Laura told us; ‘This was the first time I had seen cysts like this in a kitten so young. It was really lucky that they were only on one kidney, which gave us the option of removing it.’
Ready to find a new loving home
During surgery, Laura discovered that Jack’s left kidney had already grown to four times its normal size, so this surgery was almost certainly lifesaving for Jack. And this is just one example of all the many operations and procedures Woodgreen vets undertake each year, for pets large and small and for problems that are both plain to see and hidden away inside like a ticking time bomb.
It’s your donations that enable our work to continue year-round. From every pet’s initial check-up, right through to rehoming, we feel the power of your generosity and kindness and we’re truly grateful. Thanks to our supporters Jack received the life-saving operation he needed and has now found his way into a loving new home, just in time for Christmas.
641
Strays were given the love and care they desperately needed last year.
60,000
Dog walks are taken every year by our rehoming staff and volunteers - that's 165 a day!
4,269
Pets are taken in and cared for by our expert team in a typical year. Alongside dogs and cats, we help rehome chickens, rabbits and rodents.
Our team works tirelessly to provide safe shelter, specialist care, and a brighter future for thousands of dogs, cats and small pets every year. Whatever the reason for a pet coming to us, we don’t turn them away. At Woodgreen, our priority is to help every animal, no matter what their background or how challenging their needs may be.