GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Veterinarians were forced to cut out both eyes of a feral kitten suffering from a bacterial infection.
Kentwood Cat Clinic's Dr. Tammy Sadek said the decision ultimately saved the kitten's life.
"Ya know it's kind of scary when you see a kitty with very bad eye issues," said Dr. Sadek.
Stevie, the kitten, was wandering blind for weeks until wandering up to someone's door step. Unfortunately, Stevie was left blind after severe infection in both eyes which caused her corneas to swell and scab over. Doctors say it's a medical issue that could have been prevented.
"It's often times due to one of the infections that we can vaccinate for," said Dr. Sadek. "Because she was an outdoor wild kitty, she didn't have the benefit of that."
The infection left Stevie with only two options, either to be put down or risk undergoing surgery to have both eyes removed. Veterinarians at Kentwood Cat Clinic chose the latter, sewing Stevie's eyes shut in a procedure called enucleation. Dr. Sadek believes it saved the kitten's life.
"She's doing well as long as we don't have any complications," said Dr. Sadek. "She's expected to do very well and be discharged within the next couple of days.."
After the surgery, Dr. Sadek was reminded of the importance of taking care of a pet's medical needs.
"So it's really important to get their kitties into their veterinarian and make sure they do get their medical care and the vaccinations they need to help prevent things like this," said Dr. Sadek.
After recovery, Stevie will be discharged to Reuben's Room Cat Rescue where she will be put up for adoption.
"Hopefully we can find someone that would love to take care of a lovely special needs kitty," said Dr. Sadek.
A Gofundme page has been set up to help cover the cost of Stevie's medical bills and any other expenses before she finds her fur-ever home.
