NHSPCA: About the Society

March 17, 2008

Contacts: Jen Corbin
Director of Animal Services
Or
Sheila E. Ryan
Dir. of Development & Marketing
Phone: (603) 772-2921 ext. 106

On Tuesday, March 18, 2008 the New Hampshire SPCA will transport Gingerbread, a 7 year Morris the Cat Look-A-Like to Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston for treatment of an extremely rare condition that would otherwise claim his life.

Gingerbread has been at the NHSPCA for six months awaiting adoption after coming in as a stray in September. His former owner was located, but did not reclaim him. He is a charming boy and a staff and volunteer favorite. Visitors to the Adoption Center will know him as the "official greeter" since he has spent much of his time in our lobby.

He began exhibiting symptoms similar to those found with renal failure after suffering from recurring urinary tract infections. Initial diagnostic tests were inconclusive, but confirming a diagnosis became crucial when Gingerbread began losing weight. Staff feared that they were losing him to renal failure. Results of a subsequent urinalysis surprised a representative from the Thomson School of Applied Science at UNH, (a program that partners with the NHSPCA) when she discovered ova (worm eggs) in his urine. The results confirmed the diagnosis that Gingerbread was suffering from a rare parasitic infection known as a Giant Kidney Worm.

"The Giant Kidney worm can grow to as much as 3 feet long and can take up residence either within the kidney itself or within the abdominal cavity," said Jen Corbin, Director of Animal Services at the New Hampshire SPCA. "Gingerbread is a very lucky kitty to be receiving such heroic measures to save his life." The worm, which can be contracted by eating raw fish or frogs, can cause peritonitis and/or slowly destroy the infected kidney. It often is not discovered until the host animal has died.

Dr. Susan Denault, who regularly provides medical treatment for animals in our care, was immediately consulted and indicated that she felt the situation was a grave one. The condition is so rare in dogs and cats that she has never encountered it in her practice. She recommended that we contact Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, Ma.

Dr. Ann Marie Manning, DVM, DACVECC, Chief Medical Officer at Angell responded immediately. She said that Gingerbread's case was so rare that none of her senior staff had ever seen it first hand and that they would be very interested in treating Gingerbread. Dr. Manning was interested in both saving Gingerbread's life and providing this rare teaching opportunity for medical residents at Angell.

Gingerbread will be transported on Tuesday to Angell's facility in Boston and will undergo a battery of tests including complete blood work and abdominal ultrasound. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the surgeons at Angell will remove the worm infested kidney. If all goes as planned, Gingerbread will recuperate in Boston for a few days and will be back at the NHSPCA by the weekend. Once his convalescence is complete, he will once again be ready for a new loving, forever family.

The New Hampshire SPCA believes in saving every animal that we possibly can. The New Hampshire SPCA is able to provide lifesaving medical treatment for our shelter animals thanks to a concerned donor who established the fund to treat animals in our care with medical needs that may keep them from being adoptable. Without donations to Andy's Fund, the NHSPCA would not have the resources necessary to provide Gingerbread and others like him the care they need to live. If you would like to help save the lives of these special needs animals, please make your tax deductible contribution to Andy's Fund via the web site at www.nhspca.org, by phone at (603) 772-2921 or by mail to Andy's Fund, PO Box 196, Stratham NH 03885.

The New Hampshire SPCA is a community resource center that provides animal adoption, education, investigation and sheltering services in a professional and compassionate way. The Adoption Center is open from 11 am – 4pm on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 am – 7pm on Tuesday and Thursday, and closed on Wednesday. For more information about the NHSPCA, visit www.nhspca.org.

News Release