Golden Hearts Animal Sanctuary

A Sanctuary For Elderly & Special Needs Animals    

  Meet Jim, the "Head Kitty in Charge" of our special needs cats.  Don't let his gruff look fool you, he's a sweetheart!  Jim served as "Farm Mananger" before accepting his current position. He understands the needs of our special needs kitties well, as he is coping with his own medical issues.  Jim nearly lost his life over a year ago due to a rattlesnake bite.  By the time we found him, he had a serious infection threatening his hind leg.  He endured weeks of hydrotherapy and medication as we worked to help it heal. It did! He appears to suffer from some minor neurological difficulties, but it doesn't slow him down! He now takes in our special needs kitties and acts as their "dad". He shows them the ins and outs of living here, and can often be seen snuggled up to his latest charge, giving him a well-needed bath!

 

Update 10/6/05 ~ Jim was diagnosed today with intestinal small cell lymphoma. He’s been dropping weight, but the normal “old age” maladies that would show up in lab work weren’t there. Today he saw our Internist who did an ultrasound of his abdomen and found abnormal lymph nodes and portion of intestine. We opted to begin treatment immediately, which is oral medication aimed at slowing the progression of the disease, assisting with quality of life, and maybe even help him gain some weight. We’ll be monitoring him closely and giving him plenty of extra hugs!

 

Update 10/6/05 ~ We learned today that sweet Jim has intestinal lymphoma. He had been dropping weight pretty quickly with normal blood work, so today he saw our Internist for an ultrasound. Everything else on the inside is ok, so he's starting a drug regime of medications designed to slow down the disease, and help him be more comfortable, maybe even gain a little weight.  We hope he’s feeling better soon!

Update 10/28/05 ~ Jim appears to be responding well to his medications, so we will be decreasing them to maintenance doses over the next few weeks. In the meantime, he’s eating well and loving the extra attention too!

Update 12/15/05 ~ Jim got an adjustment today, and he feels great! He visited our holistic veterinarian, Dr. Laflin at Cardiff Animal Hospital . We went for a consultation in the hopes of finding a homeopathic remedy that would help his body deal with the lymphoma he's battling. And, yes, he's starting a remedy called "NatMur". Homeopathy has been used since the 1800's for treating illness in humans and is finally becoming more popular in the U.S. for treating people and animals too.
   Dr. Laflin also gave Jim a chiropractic adjustment. Our dogs really enjoy their chiropractic visits, but this is the first time one of our kitties has had one. He was a little unsure at first ~ after all, this is the first veterinarian who hasn't poked him with a needle! He settled in quickly and became a relaxed mush-kitty by the time she was done!

Update 2/27/06 ~ The "Head Kitty in Charge of All Things Feline" passed away last night. Though he had lost quite a bit of weight during his battle with intestinal lymphoma, he continued to eat pretty well and still spent his days watching "his boys" (Rocky and HotRod) play in the yard. On Saturday, he was even outside taking a dirt bath.
Sunday found him spending his entire day inside at the top of the cat tree, still purring but only licking at the Fancy Feast juice. That night, I gave him the usual medications and some subcutaneous fluids, as I had been doing daily to keep him hydrated. In my heart I knew that he was nearing the final hours of his time here with us, so he and I used HTA (Healing Touch For Animals) and flower essences from Shining Spirits to keep him comfortable. He passed away surrounded by our love and in his favorite place, with his friends. I wouldn't have it any other way for him….

Jim

Back