Animals in Distress: Injured kitten with a fighting spirit beats the odds 

Sponsored column: Animals in Distress is a new What’s On column profiling the amazing animal shelters, veterinary clinics, carers and passionate team at Royal Canin UAE working together to save the lives of stray animals in the UAE. Every month, Royal Canin UAE has pledged to cover the costs of vet bills for select animals in need. These are their stories… 

A tough start on the streets

Mercy was found on the streets with a serious wound over his back and hips. He was immediately taken to Pets Health Veterinary Clinic by Adopt-A-Friend to be assessed by Dr Kathleen Leguin.

The large wound on his back had taken its toll and he was left weak, dehydrated and struggling to fend for himself in the middle of a harsh Dubai summer, and during those initial examinations, his future looked uncertain.

Initial treatments

Mercy was stabilised and given emergency treatment with intravenous fluids, temperature regulation and pain management. He was sedated to take radiographs to see images of his tissues, organs, bones, and vessels.

Luckily, this revealed no fractures or damage to the spine or hind legs which meant Mercy could have his large wound cleaned and dressed with possibilities to have a skin graft surgery done in the future.

Mercy was also found with multiple strains of bacteria and was given appropriate antibiotic therapy to help treat it.

At the moment, he is also receiving daily dressing changes to keep the area clean, hydrated and to optimize conditions to encourage healing. And this is all thanks to the assistance of Royal Canin UAE who are covering his medical bills.

Thankfully, Mercy tested negative for feline leukaemia and feline immunodeficiency virus –  both are common.

Fighting spirit

After three weeks of intensive care at Pets Health Veterinary Clinic, Mercy’s condition has improved dramatically, much to the delight of Dr Kathleen and her team. “The size of his wound has already shrunk, he’s responding extremely well to all the treatment, and he’s put on weight. These are all fantastic signs,” explained Dr Kathleen when we paid a visit to Mercy earlier this week.

“Despite going through so much, we are delighted with his progress,” she added.

** For more uplifting animal stories, visit Royal Canin UAE on Facebook**

Forever home

Until he completely healed, Mercy remained at Pets Health Veterinary Clinic under their loving care. Royal Canin UAE continued to pay for Mercy’s treatment during this time.

Once his wound completely healed, Mercy went to a foster home and in November, What’s On received an update from Dr Kathleen confirming that Mercy was adopted by a family in Switzerland. He will be travelling to his forever home on November 8.

What’s On will continue to check in on Mercy and track his progress and we hope to have some photos soon of him soon with his new family.

What a happy ending.

For more info on Royal Canin UAE, visit instagram.com/royalcaninuae or for useful vet advice, click here.

Images: What’s On