The
call came in to the C.A.R.E. hotline on Thursday, April 7: A man
reported finding a cat that, he said, had been torched and had a broken
leg. Apparently the cat had been lying in a school lot for two days. He
brought the cat, a young tabby-and-white male who he named Phoenix, to
Howard Street Animal Hospital on Friday. There, Phoenix received tender
care and treatment from Drs. Barbara Carlson and Allan Frank. They
discovered that Phoenix had extensive burns on his left side. He didn't
have a broken leg, but did limp due to the pain in his left front leg.
No skin remained to cover his elbow and underarm. He ran a temperature
of over 105 degrees. Phoenix underwent two surgical procedures in as
many days to remove dead and infected skin.
During the first
surgery, he was also neutered. Dr. Carlson placed him on antibiotics
and painkillers. Intravenous fluids were administered the first three
days. The staff also began a routine of bathing him once a day with
Betadine, a disinfecting solution. Silvadine, a soothing ointment, was
applied to his wounds twice a day. Howard Street's veterinary
technicians who helped bring Phoenix through this critical time
included Rachel Hendricks, Tammie Weiland, Linda Lester, Amy Johnson,
Geoff Ball and Gilly Rank.
Meanwhile,
C.A.R.E. volunteers and others responded generously to a call for
donations for any special medical treatment Phoenix would need.
He slept sitting
or standing the first few days and nights of his recovery, Rachel
noted. He would start to fall asleep, lean over, then catch himself and
wake up. But by Monday, he was comfortable enough to sleep curled up on
his good side. A hot water bottle tent was set up for him, four bottles
draped with a towel and enough space for him to sleep underneath. It
was essential to keep the air temperature around him at 80 to 90
degrees. He often became cold because of the missing skin. To both
cover the wounds and help him keep warm, he wore a long, tube-like
cloth to cover his larger wound. He wore baby shirts over that, which
Linda and Gilly brought in for him.
Fortunately,
Phoenix ate well from the beginning of his hospital stay, a mixture of
prescription food (C/D and A/D) and treats of Nutrical. About a week
into his stay at Howard Street, more infection was found on his back
flank. Additional skin was removed and Dr. Carlson now estimated the
burn area covered 40 to 45 percent of Phoenix's body. The second week,
Phoenix was taken to Dr. Claude Gendreau, at the Veterinary Specialty
Clinic in Riverwoods, for his opinion on the injuries. Dr. Gendreau
wasn't concerned about the side wound but recommended surgery for the
elbow. Because of constant movement in this area, healing and formation
of scar tissue would be difficult. Dr. Gendreau decided to stretch some
skin up from the lower leg to cover the elbow. This surgery eliminated
the need for scar tissue to form there. By the end of April, the last
bit of dead skin had been removed and Phoenix was taken off oral
antibiotics. New skin had started to grow in around the edges of his
side wound. By mid-May, it had grown in about an inch. Also, Phoenix
had gained three pounds and the start of a tummy. And what was this
cat's temperament throughout his ordeal? Try sweet, good-natured,
strong of spirit, loving, and yes, he stood still for his baths (pretty
much). He walked around the hospital, liked to play with whatever he
found, enjoyed being sociable with people, dogs and with D.J., the
hospital house cat. Phoenix is continuing to get better at Howard
Street Animal Hospital thanks to the genuine concern and loving
attention of the doctors and staff. Soon he will be ready to move into
a permanent home and, they say, they will miss this sweet and brave
little Phoenix.
Epilogue:
After Phoenix was completely healed, he was made available for
adoption. It wasn't long before he found his new home. His heroic story
and a photo with his new family even made the cover of the local
Pioneer Press newspaper!
The
call came in to the C.A.R.E. hotline on Thursday, April 7: A man
reported finding a cat that, he said, had been torched and had a broken
leg. Apparently the cat had been lying in a school lot for two days. He
brought the cat, a young tabby-and-white male who he named Phoenix, to
Howard Street Animal Hospital on Friday. There, Phoenix received tender
care and treatment from Drs. Barbara Carlson and Allan Frank. They
discovered that Phoenix had extensive burns on his left side. He didn't
have a broken leg, but did limp due to the pain in his left front leg.
No skin remained to cover his elbow and underarm. He ran a temperature
of over 105 degrees. Phoenix underwent two surgical procedures in as
many days to remove dead and infected skin. 
Meanwhile,
C.A.R.E. volunteers and others responded generously to a call for
donations for any special medical treatment Phoenix would need. 
Fortunately,
Phoenix ate well from the beginning of his hospital stay, a mixture of
prescription food (C/D and A/D) and treats of Nutrical. About a week
into his stay at Howard Street, more infection was found on his back
flank. Additional skin was removed and Dr. Carlson now estimated the
burn area covered 40 to 45 percent of Phoenix's body. The second week,
Phoenix was taken to Dr. Claude Gendreau, at the Veterinary Specialty
Clinic in Riverwoods, for his opinion on the injuries. Dr. Gendreau
wasn't concerned about the side wound but recommended surgery for the
elbow. Because of constant movement in this area, healing and formation
of scar tissue would be difficult. Dr. Gendreau decided to stretch some
skin up from the lower leg to cover the elbow. This surgery eliminated
the need for scar tissue to form there. By the end of April, the last
bit of dead skin had been removed and Phoenix was taken off oral
antibiotics. New skin had started to grow in around the edges of his
side wound. By mid-May, it had grown in about an inch. Also, Phoenix
had gained three pounds and the start of a tummy. And what was this
cat's temperament throughout his ordeal? Try sweet, good-natured,
strong of spirit, loving, and yes, he stood still for his baths (pretty
much). He walked around the hospital, liked to play with whatever he
found, enjoyed being sociable with people, dogs and with D.J., the
hospital house cat. Phoenix is continuing to get better at Howard
Street Animal Hospital thanks to the genuine concern and loving
attention of the doctors and staff. Soon he will be ready to move into
a permanent home and, they say, they will miss this sweet and brave
little Phoenix. 
Epilogue:
After Phoenix was completely healed, he was made available for
adoption. It wasn't long before he found his new home. His heroic story
and a photo with his new family even made the cover of the local
Pioneer Press newspaper!