Chester and his diseased kidney
Chester arrived at our shelter needing some good karma, healing juju, well wishes, prayers and better luck! He came in locally as a very skinny stray kitten found alone and on the highway earlier in the Summer of 2022. We gave him safety and food and he started to blossom into a chatty little guy who lived for our attention and was most content snuggled up on someone's chest. We thought since he had to grow a bit more for surgery we would send him out to foster care but he had different plans.
Sometime after arrival, he developed a big belly- a really big belly, one we originally blamed on his voracious appetite..... but nothing can be that simple. Our amazing vet Dr. Julie got him right in for a check up as part of his examination, she looked at his belly with her ultrasound he had a very abnormal kidney. At this point it was time for a specialist, with Dr. Julie's recommendation we transferred his care to Kansas State University for further work up.
After a long day of poking, prodding, testing, examination, radiographs, ultrasounds and a lots of scritches and snuggles, it is undisputed, the diseased kidney was called hydronephrosis, and it needed to go pronto. If it started leaking urine it would most certainly cause the end of his life to happen sooner rather than later.
We prayed for a quick procedure, steady surgeon hands and a smooth recovery for this sweet boy. Fortunately Chester's surgeon was top notch and we were able to remove his kidney before it caused any long term damage to his little body. Thanks to the amazing for of Dr. Julie and KSU, Chester will be able go on to have a long and healthy life, even if it is only with one kidney.
Chester's story doesn't have the final chapter yet. Unfortunately he has ringworm, a topical fungal skin infection that is common in kittens that come from the outdoors. In most shelters across Nebraska ringworm alone is a reason to euthanize. We do not. Chester is lucky to be here because not only did we take care of his kidney that needed removed, but we are currently treating him for ringworm. Once cleared he will write the final chapter of his tale, and we can't wait to share it with you. For now, know he is getting everything he needs to get better and healthy enough for adoption. That's our promise to him.
