Help Yin Heal

Help Yin Heal2024-01-16T17:53:50-04:00
Yin has been doing very well since he first arrived at our Pet Health Centers. Sadly, his leg could not be saved due to the extent of the fractures. However, this resilient feline has taken to life on three legs so well, it truly is remarkable. His respiratory issues have also subsided, believed to likely be reaction from the trauma that caused his leg injury. And Yin is well on his way to a healthier weight.

However, doctors are concerned with a change in his left eye. What was initially a little cloudy, had now gotten much darker. The hope is that this too is a result of the trauma he sustained, but a more serious diagnosis cannot be ruled out. Yin has been scheduled for a consultation with an ophthalmologist to get a better idea of what the next steps should be for his journey of recovery.

In the meantime, Yin has been making friends at our Pet Health Centers and eagerly gets up to greet all his admirers…which are many!

Help Give Yin a Second Chance

In the bitter cold of a New York City park, cats Yin and Yang were abandoned in a carrier. With no way to get out for food, water, or shelter, these innocent cats were in grave danger. Thankfully, they were found by a Good Samaritan who contacted Animal Care Center of Manhattan. Yang was in good health, but Yin was in particular distress with a severe leg injury. Our Rescue Team was notified about the frightful situation these cats were found in and knew our Pet Health Centers could give them the help they needed and the hope for a second chance.

Yin

Yang

After the cats were transferred to our Port Washington campus they were thoroughly examined to assess their condition. Yang was proven to be in good health; however, Yin’s situation was more dire. The fracture in his leg was substantial, with the end of his femur completely detached from the knee, and he is in a great deal of pain. Yin has also begun to experience some respiratory distress. To keep him comfortable, and ensure he can handle a more thorough evaluation, Yin has been placed in an oxygen cage in our Freed Special Recovery Center.

The current plan for Yin is surgery to ascertain whether doctors could reattach the fractured pieces of his leg. According to Dr. Mark Verdino, Animal League America Chief of Veterinary Staff, “Our goal is to try to fix the limb, but if we can’t get the bones back together or if they don’t stay, then amputation will be the best option to give Yin a good quality of life long-term.”

Yin’s recovery will be challenging, requiring extensive care and possible physical therapy, whether he keeps his leg or becomes a resilient three-legged warrior. “If the surgery is successful, healing will take six to eight weeks,” Dr. Verdino noted, “and then the leg is going to be very stiff and painful, and he’s likely going to need more aggressive post-operative physical therapy as well, which can be difficult with cats.”

Yin’s injuries – which also include a cracked tooth and head contusion – are indicative of potential traumatic incidents such as a high-rise fall or being struck by a vehicle. Yet even through the pain, somehow Yin’s spirit remains unbroken, and he has been affectionate with the Pet Health Centers team trying to help him. His healing journey will be long, but your support of our Help Me Heal Program means he will receive all the care and rehabilitation he needs to get back on his paws and will soon be reunited with his best friend Yang.

We may never know how long Yin and Yang were left alone in that carrier, or how they could be so carelessly discarded. But we do know their story is one of survival and hope. With your help, together we can ensure they are forever out of the cold and get the love and protection they so rightfully deserve.