CHARLIE - 2023 LATEST UPDATE

CHARLIE - 2023 LATEST UPDATE
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CAR RIDE HOME AFTER CARDIOLOGISTAPPOINTMENT - Jan 2023

Some may remember Charlie from his Rescue Story Highlight a year ago on our Instagram page, and we are back with his newest update!
We have an update, and some amazing shots of him!
Charlie wasn't a fan of the testing today, and the short car ride home wasn't short enough to get back to his best pals and foster family!

Here is his FULL story, from Farm cat to House Cat!

The day he was picked up from the farm - Sept 2021

FIRST DAY IN FOSTER HOME - Oct 2021

Charlie arrived from a family run farm in southern Ontario with a bigger need than the farmer was able to handle. We are so grateful to take him in, as he had a condition we were familiar with (some may remember Cedar from 2019)

Charlie was born with a chest deformity known as Pectus Excavatum; his sternum was not properly developed and was pressing into his chest and compressing his heart and lungs.

When he arrived, September 2021, our vet immediately knew he needed help! Our vet kept him with her at all times to provide repetitive physical therapy to encourage his rib cage to adjust normally. As the weeks progressed, his chest did adjust and begin to change on their own, no surgery required! Thank goodness for kitten resilience, surgery and the complications that could arise if it had been required would have been intense.

Charlie was also diagnosed with a heart murmur and needed to be sent to a cardiologist to find the extent of his issues. It was a long wait for his appointment; finally in January 2022, he was diagnosed with "Mitral Valve Dysplasia". Charlie was still so tiny, he needed a second assessment as an adult before the specialist could determine a life time prognosis.

Foster dad getting some love!

As of January 2021, around the time of testing, he was only 5 months old and we wouldn't know the future for this little fighter until he was older. His foster family was informed to keep his play lighter and monitor for any symptoms or issues. Charlie has grown up well with his best friend, Sterling the kitty, and their "guard" dog Griffy.

He will entertain Foster mom's antics because he loves her... or maybe it was the treats he got afterward?

Charlie the snuggle bug getting his human cuddles in!

As we rang in the new year, Charlie was looking forward (not) to his yearly check up regarding his heart condition to find out if he would be a ward of MHS for his entire life, or if he could be eligible for adoption.

We are happy to announce that his results came back with some GREAT news! His condition has remained stable! He will have this condition all his life, but at this time he does not require anything special then monitoring for symptoms, if any!

We will be discussing Charlie's future, and the commitment of his future care with our own veterinarian to decide the responsible medical path for Charlie's future!