Unexpected Death of Cat
From LoveToKnow Cats
It's always hard to lose our dear feline friends, but when there seems to be no obvious reason for a beloved pet's death, it is even harder to accept.
Visitor Questions about Unexpected Cat Deaths
Cat Died During Micro-Chipping
We had a stray kitten come to our home out of the woods. He was pure white, but his nose, ears and paws were pink. He had long white hair coming out from the inside of his ears. The vet thought it might be an Angora kitten.
We had him for three months and thought he should be ID chipped and neutered before he started spraying. He passed away after he awoke from surgery. The vet said he had opened his eyes and looked around. The vet left the room for two minutes. When she came back into the room, he was blue. They did mouth to snout breathing and CPR on him, but he didn't make it. They did find a tape worm after it was all over.
What could have happened? The vet cannot say. She has no answers or explanation about why he died. She did say he had a reaction from the anesthetic. She called us at work and told my husband one story and when we went to pick up his body she gave us another story. I want to know what happened to my poor baby kitten. How can I get truthful answers from the vet hospital?
~~Cinda
Expert Reply
Hi, Cinda,
I'm so sorry about the loss of your kitten. This is one of the most painful thing pet owners have to face and my heart goes out to you.
The thought of a cat going under anesthesia can be a scary prospect. However, this is a necessary evil when a cat is being spayed or neutered. The procedure would be far too painful without it. Death by anesthesia is actually very rare. However, if the cat had underlying problems that the vet missed during a routine physical, such as a heart defect, this could cause an adverse reaction and even death.
You may never know exactly what happened, but you can go back to the vet and request a copy of your cat's medical records from the surgery. The records should indicate what type of anesthesia was used and how much. You can then use that information to research the side effects of the specific medications used.
I wouldn't assume the vet did anything wrong, but it doesn't hurt to get the information for your own peace of mind. Is it possible her story changed because an assistant called your husband and then you spoke to the actual veterinarian? It's possible that the information was simply being relayed and something got lost in the translation. Again, the medical records will help to ease your mind in these areas.
Good luck, Cinda. I hope you're able to get a copy of the records easily and to heal from this horrible loss. You may want to consider adopting an older, already spayed or neutered cat from your local animal shelter. Not only do these animals need good homes, but the fear of death from anesthesia will be past because the cat should already be fixed. The chances of this happening again are very low, but I don't want you to worry.
~~Lori
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Comments
Hi Nicole,
Biliruben has to do with the liver and its levels. Perhaps the vet misspoke or was using that as an indicator of the liver disease issues. I would phone her and ask for additional details and that you don't understand exactly what happened with your cat and why he had to be put down.
The urinary tract issues may have been a symptom of the bigger issue of some type of renal failure or liver disease. Male cats are also very prone to crystals in the urine, which can be deadly if left untreated. However, since you had him in for treatment, that isn't likely to be the cause.
I really think your first course of action is to go ahead and phone the vet and ask for some clarification. This may help set your mind at ease a bit.
I'm so sorry for your loss. It's never easy to lose a pet, but especially hard when it is unexpected.
-- Contributed by: LoriSoardRecently I took my cat to the vet. he needed to shots and was getting fixed. While he was there the vet. said he had a urinary tract inf.that needed attention. After his procedure he came home, the first day he was his frisky self, the second day he took a total turn for the worst, he was running a fever and very lethargic. We went back to the vet.and she ran some blood tests, need less to say she told me I had to put him down right then and there. She said he had caught Billy Rubin Disease, and I must have let him outside. Something in me just didnt feel right
-- Contributed by: NicoleHi Deanna,
I'm sorry for your loss. It's hard to understand why this happens, but it really is typically rare. Sometimes the cat had an underlying problem that was not caught in pre-surgery. And some cats just have a really bad reaction to the anastesia. Hope you find out what the cause was. Just sending some cyber hugs your way.
-- Contributed by: LoriSoardThis page has been accessed 1,012 times. This page was last modified 01:55, 28 August 2008.
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