Five-month-old kitten Elliott came into our care in early 2020.
Elliott had been hit by a car, and it was very unclear whether he would make it. His jaw was badly broken, and his teeth were fragmented and completely out of place.
If he did survive, we wondered whether he would ever have a good quality of life.
But as you know, Lort Smith never gives up on an animal while there's still a chance.
It has been a longer journey than I anticipated. We had to wait and see what would happen with his teeth as they grew.
Mandy, foster carer
A longer journey
Veterinary dental surgeon Dr Tom Rampton performed emergency surgery to repair little Elliott's broken jaw. Dr Tom could tell this sweet young kitten had likely been in this condition for days. There was a putrid smell coming from his mouth, and he was in hypovolaemic shock. Dr Tom knew he had to do everything he could to ease Elliott's pain.
But something else concerned Dr Tom. Elliott was just a kitten, and the teeth that had been knocked out were his baby teeth. Dr Tom knew that once Elliott's adult teeth came through, his jaw would likely be misaligned.
So we decided to put Elliott in foster care until his adult teeth came through.
"It has been a longer journey than I anticipated. We had to wait and see what would happen with his teeth as they grew," says Mandy, Elliott's foster carer.
All up, Elliott spent two and a half months in our foster care program and had numerous surgeries, costing approximately $7,500. But it was all worth it.
Today he is a happy and healthy young cat who will soon be adopted. Lort Smith will also cover the cost of any future dental work Elliott needs, so we know he will always be pain-free.
But it's only because of our supporters that we can make this commitment.
A generous donation to Lort Smith today will go so far in helping us keep saving the lives of animals like Elliott. Please donate today.