10/09/2025
Meet Bertie!
Bertie was found a few weeks ago and, unfortunately, became sick not long after. When her new mom noticed how unwell she was, she rushed her to Metropolitan Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Services since it was the weekend. There, Bertie was diagnosed with panleukopenia—a highly contagious and often deadly viral disease that affects cats, especially kittens. She spent the weekend hospitalized, where the Metro team placed an NG tube for feedings and an IV catheter for fluid therapy.
As many know, emergency hospitalization can be costly, and Bertie’s mom was debating switching to outpatient care. Dr. Marshall at Metropolitan knew that Bertie was too sick to make it without intensive support, so she reached out to us to see if we could continue her care.
When Bertie arrived at Hopewell on Monday, her prognosis was guarded, and we weren’t sure she’d make it through the night. We continued NG feedings since she wasn’t eating on her own, maintained her on IV fluids with dextrose to support her blood sugar, kept her warm in our incubator, and she received a blood transfusion during her stay.
Thanks to collaborative care, dedicated treatment, and her fighting spirit, Bertie made an incredible turnaround. By Friday, she was eating on her own, allowing us to remove her NG tube and discontinue fluids — and she got to head home. 💪🐱❤️
Now, two weeks later, Bertie’s mom says she’s thriving — and that the sweet, quiet kitten she brought home has revealed her true “wild child” personality. We love to see it.
We’re so grateful to Dr. Marshall and the team at Metropolitan for thinking of us and trusting us to take care of Bertie.
