New philanthropy program will sponsor life-saving veterinary surgeries

Life-saving surgeries for animals will now be sponsored through a new initiative by Cresilon Inc, a biotechnology company for hemostatic medical devices. The philanthropic program, VETIGEL Gives, aims to help animals in critical need of surgery in cases where pet owners are experiencing financial hardship.¹

Nearly 30% of pet owners in the US experience barriers to veterinary care with financial challenges the most common reason, according to a news release. As many pet owners are having difficulty covering the costs of veterinary care, animal euthanasia rates for shelter pets have increased in recent years, reaching a 3-year high in 2023.¹

“Cresilon’s mission has always been to save lives, so we started VETIGEL Gives to help pets and animals that need life-saving procedures,” Matt Lewis, vice president of sales at Cresilon, said in the release.¹ “We are proud to be giving back to the animal community through this new philanthropic initiative and encourage veterinarians across America and pet parents in need of financial assistance to nominate animals in critical need of surgery.”

VETIGEL Gives will fund 2 surgeries each month in 2024 with up to $2500 for each surgery. The program relies on veterinarians nominating animals for pro-bono surgery. Nomination forms are found on the VETIGEL Gives website. After receiving nomination forms, the program’s veterinary team will choose 2 surgeries for each month that will receive funding. VETIGEL Gives will then work with the nominated veterinarian to plan for payment to be directly sent.²

The philanthropic program is named for Cresilon’s hemostatic gel product that is designed to immediately stop bleeding in animals. VETIGEL is used by veterinarians around the world during surgical procedures and to treat patients in emergency situations such as trauma wounds.^1,3

According to Cresilon, amputations, tumor and mass removals, liver biopsies, cleft palate repairs, and dental extractions are some of the surgical procedures that rely on VETIGEL.^1,3 “VETIGEL has been used by thousands of veterinarians thus far and is proven to help patients heal and recover faster while helping veterinary clinics and animal hospitals save time, reduce operating costs, and improve patient outcomes,” Lewis said in a news release.³

References

1. Cresilon launches “VETIGEL Gives” to sponsor life-saving surgeries for animals in need. News release. Cresilon Inc. March 13, 2024. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cresilon-launches-vetigel-gives-to-sponsor-life-saving-surgeries-for-animals-in-need-302087608.html
2. VETIGEL Gives. VETIGEL Hemostatic Gel. 2024. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://vetigel.com/pages/vetigel-gives
3. Cresilon announces distribution agreement for VETIGEL with Penn Veterinary Supply. News release. Cresilon, Inc. August 22, 2023. Accessed August 28, 2023. https://vetigel.com/blogs/news/cresilon-announces-distribution-agreement-for-vetigel-with-penn-veterinary-supply