Emergency illness after spay surgery.

[SkjaldmaerRaven]

Hello everyone. I just found this site a bit ago while attempting to figure out what could have happened with my mother’s two young cats. Hopefully I can get this down without making it too lengthy.

My mom had two cats from the same litter. They were both about two years old. No health issues that’s she’s known of. They were active and were always kept in her apartment. She’s home pretty much daily because she can’t work due to her own health issues. She is on low income housing, so she took her cats to the only vet clinic in town as it was convenient and she doesn’t have a vehicle. I usually drive her or a friend does. On the 18th of this month, I took her, Rosie and Maggie to the clinic for their spay surgery. They were taken back by the vet techs and that was it. We were told to come back the next day and pick them up. We picked them up the next day and we’re handed one sheet of paper with instructions for after care. I took them all back to her place. Maggie immediately hid after being let out of the carrier which is normal given the situation. Rosie was really wobbly when let out which we assumed was from the anesthe, but my mom said that she eventually got back to normal.

My mom said they seemed to be doing pretty well initially and were stating to act normally after a few days. Then Rosie started slowing down. Acting like she was in pain. Which of course she was from surgery. Then she started vomiting. Wasn’t eating and my mom didn’t think she was drinking water either. So she called the clinic since we was worried. The receptionist told her that if she didn’t have the office fee that they wouldn’t see Rosie eventhough she admitted that her behavior was not normal. My mom was upset about that response because she knew something was wrong with Rosie. They told her to keep an eye on her but they basically refused to do anything unless it was an emergency. Well a day later Rosie was worse of course. She was even more lethargic and she was not feeling as warm as she should have and not breathing normally. So my mom called me and I told her I would be over asap. By the time I got there, Rosie was unresponsive. She was breathing, but I could tell it was labored and she wouldn’t move. I got her to the clinic as quickly as I could. When I got there, the receptionist was on the phone. There was a tech standing right by her who just looked at us. It took a minute before we were acknowledged and my mom was trying to tell them that we needed help asap. The tech left and came back out after a minute and just said to let her see the cat. She took the carrier and walked to the back without saying anything else. The receptionist is the only person who acts like she is willing yo speak to clients. That’s who usually relays the information, otherwise you can’t get answers from the techs or the vet herself. She’s barely ever available to even speak to or see.

The receptionist told us to bring in Maggie ad well since she was exhibiting the same symptoms but not as severe. She is currently still at the clinic being monitored. They said that Rosie was dehydrated and her kidneys were trying to shut down. They said her blood sure was at 50 I believe. So they said they gave her a paste for that. They monitored her and said the next day that she was trying to perk up but that she kept getting weak again. They didn’t have anyone stay with her overnight eventhough she was in critical condition. When my mom expressed concern about that, they said that they all live nearby and have cameras to watch the animals. Which didn’t really make her feel any better about it. My mom called them the next day and the receptionist said that Rosie was still alive when she got there. She said that after she walked away for about 10 minutes to get a few things done, she went back and Rosie had died.

When we took Rosie in initially, they kept insisting that there couldn’t have been any complications from surgery when my mom just simply asked if that was possible. They kept asking if she had anything toxic in her place which I understand, because cats can be poisoned by many things. My mom said no and I even check her place as well and didn’t see anything that could have caused such a severe reaction. They said thsy her incision looked normal and my mom did as well since she had been making sure to check that at home. They kept asking about antifreeze leak’s because that’s a common issue which I also understand.They said they even if someone got a little hit in their shoes unbeknownst to them, that it could be tracked into the apartment and poison the cats. Again she doesn’t go outside unless someone takes her to the store or the doctor, etc. No one goes into unit except for myself and occasionally maintenance but they hardly ever show up and she would know if they had been in there since she is always home.

Maggie is stable they said, but she hasn’t been able to keep food down. She is urinating and dedicating, but they said it’s basically diarrhea. They gave her a B12 injection. They have her on fluids still I believe. They said her kindey levels weee borderline the other day but someone else said that it’s still touch and go. The information my mom gets basically depends on who she talks to. I did suggest that my mom request a necropsy on Rosie to see if there is any physical way of knowing what happened. They said they have someone to travels over to their clinic for that and it’s about $20. The only concern I have is that of it was a result of something they could have prevented, would they admit it? Considering the way they have treated my mom since the surgery, I’m concerned that they won’t tell her of it was something that happens because of the spay procedure. Accidents happen of course and complications can definitely happen that can’t be foreseen. However, I feel like they were extremely quick to dismiss any of those possibilities when being asked what was going on with Rosie. Do you think the chances of both cats being sick with the same symptoms and one more severe than the other could be related to the surgery? They got sick within a week from surgery, so that’s the one common factor here. I haveno idea if they did any blood work before surgery or how they monitored them during or after. They just said it wools take maybe 20-25 minutes for each cat and that they shouldn’t have any issues. I did read that some small and low cost clinics don’t really monitor everything that closely and done perform a lot of what seems like essential follow up due to the cost and staffing it requires. So you basically won’t get anything more than very basic care unless you pay extra. My mom took them to that clinic when she got them and had their vaccines done. Otherwise they hadn’t been back because it wasn’t necessary until she decided to have them spayed. She had that with no cost to her through the county program. The clinic had a lot of good review online, but there are some that say their animal had infections after surgery that other veterinarians had to try and fix. They also said that they don’t hardly answer the phone which is true. They don’t communicate well, which is also true. They only accepted Rosie after my mom called them back and told them that she was basically dying. I understand the right to refuse service. I just also feel that they haven’t really shown much care or urgency in this whole situation until it was too late for Rosie and I hope it isn’t too late for Maggie.

My mom also feels like it’s her fault for not being able to get Rosie in sooner or that something made her sick and we won’t ever know what it was. She also is concerned for Maggie and that if she pulls through, will she know why she was sick as well? I’m sorry this was so long, but I’m trying to include everything so that it’s not too confusing or lacking information. Please feel free to ask me anything. My mom and I both are trying to figure out what happened and also feeling disappointed with the care of her girls. They’re so young and it’s heartbreaking to know that Rosie is gone now and we still are hoping Maggie can go home to my mom.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I am so sorry for what you and your mom are going through, and for what happened with Rosie. I also hope and pray that Maggie pulls through. I don't know that I can be of much help. I will admit that it seems odd both would have issues, but it is also very strange that it took about a week for the issues to arise. Since the two cats are related, it is possible from a genetic standpoint that one or another med they were on had the same impact to both. But that would depend on if they were taking any kind of medications once they came home that affected them both in similar manners.

It will cost money, but you could ask around for an outside source to do a necropsy. You also need to demand all of the records this place has on both Maggie and Rosie - those are yours, free of charge. The only other thing you can do, which will also cost additional money, is to see if you can find someone else to assume care for Maggie to see if that might help to pull her through.

I hope other members will come along very soon and offer more help than I feel I have.

 

[SkjaldmaerRaven]

I did think about possible genetic issues that we are unaware of. She got them from a lady in a nearby town that had a litter of kittens. She wasn’t a breeder, so there is no known information health wise. It just seems strange that both would have major issues following a routine surgery. You would think infection would be the first thing anyone would assume. The woman at the clinic acted like that wasn’t even a question though. We just feel that they were very quick to dismiss the thought of Rosie’s condition being related to surgery at all. The vet has not spoken to my mom at all, so the only information she has gotten is from the techs and what she is told is based on who is answering the phone or who is there when she’s shown up. The communication throughout this has been frustrating. Especially with Rosie because they acted like they weren’t that concerned, they took her in finally, they said that had no idea what was wrong. Assumed it had to be some sort of poisoning, did some basic things to keep her stable and alive, but that was it as far as my mom knows. They said it would cost my mom hundreds of dollars to send out for a toxicology screening for Rosie when she was alive. They wouldn’t have even gotten it back in time to provide any other type of care if they did. She was too far gone by the time they even started working on her.

I had a cat years ago who was near death that’s way and we went to a small town farm clinic. It was very touch and go, but the vet talked to me personally throughout her care and let me know what he could do but that he couldn’t promise anything. He still did everything he could to keep her alive and luckily it worked. He didn’t even know for sure what happened, but it was a good experience as far as his care of her and being able to know what was happening. I was able to see her wvrn while she was in recovery before I was able to take her home. I take my dogs to a clinic about 30 minutes from here. They are also very good at communication and being friendly everyone’s pets. I haven’t been in a clinic where they just take your pet and don’t really explain much unless you ask. I’m sure they are probably busier than what they can handle staff wise, but something feels off about the way they have handled this situation. It seems like it took my mom being persistent to get them to treat the cats eventhough they were due to be seen anyways for the stitch removal and check over post surgery. I know things can happen and we don’t always know why, but my mom and I both feel that more should have been done sooner, especially for Rosie. I can see if the necropsy can be done somewhere else, but I would have to call another clinic to see if they are willing to do that and see how much it would cost. I have read though that it should be done within 48 hours and for the body not to be frozen because that can effect the ability to test for bacteria and other things. I will definitely tell my mom to make sure they print off everything that is on record for the cats. I would assume the clinic records everything administered to the animals, so hopefully they will have enough to look at. They are were not any medication normally and they were not given anything following surgery as far as my mom was told.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I wish I had more to suggest. Still hoping some other members might have some other ideas.
But please keep us posted about Maggie - and, whatever else you are able to do/find out.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I just saw this and will reply shortly.
Couple questions, Are you in the US?
Was this veterinary hospital spay service linked to the county?
You need to get the remaining cat out and to another vet. You need to get copies of both medical records. You need to get a necropsy done now. There are other places that do necropsies. Like the county vet if you are in the us.

If you could tell me what state you are in or at least what area.

I’ll write in a couple hours.

I am so very sorry this happened.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I am so sorry for the loss of your young Rosie. Poor Maggie, losing her sister. I can't even imagine how bad your mom must feel. Please try to assure her this isn't her fault. She was doing what is the best thing for them, to be spayed. She had no idea how this would turn out. How could she.

With a spay on a cat there are many different types of anesthetic agents that can be used by a veterinarian or a licensed veterinary technician. The anesthetic agent is usually given intravenously to the cat, prior to having an endotracheal tube placed and then the patient is placed on gas anesthesia. Isoflurane or Sevoflurane gas is used and delivered via the endotracheal tube. When the endotracheal tube is placed the tube is tied in place and there is a small inflatable balloon on the tube that is inflated to a level that will fill the trachea and not allow the gas to escape. This is an important part of anesthesia because you also have to make sure the balloon (called a cuff) isn’t overinflated as this can cause serious tracheal damage.

When the cat is first attached to the anesthetic gas via the endotracheal tube, the gas is turned on and mixed with oxygen and delivered to the patient to keep them asleep during the surgery. Then the cat is tied to the table and prepped for surgery. Prepping involves clipping the hair and scrubbing with surgical scrub. The Veterinarian then comes in and does the surgery. The patient is gradually brought back from the anesthetic plane by reducing the level o the gas. The animal is allowed to get oxygen at the end of the procedure prior to waking up.

Prior to the procedure, the cat must be examined by the veterinarian performing the surgery. Pain medication and sometimes a sedative are given after the exam and then the patient is placed back in their cage to relax while the surgery room is set up. An Intravenous catheter is placed, usually in a front leg, and Intravenous fluids that are warmed are given during the procedure. The fluids are given to keep the patient’s blood pressure up during the procedure.

During the procedure there needs to be at least one technician in with the doctor in the surgery room and they are responsible for making sure the patient is okay. Monitors are used to beep with the heart rate, or the table. Hands on monitoring is vital. Anesthetic gas is the most hypotensive anesthetic there is. Blood pressure must be monitored. Sadly, most blood pressure monitors are more geared for dogs than cats. The most accurate is using a doppler method which requires skill on the technician's part. The temperature should be monitored as these cats get cold.
You can see where there are a lot of ways so far that surgery and anesthesia can go wrong. But the patients are in the most risk of an anesthetic related death after the anesthesia.

I have worked in vet hospitals for decades. What comes to mind, and I am not saying this happened, but you have two cats that were spayed at the same place, and both have suffered renal failure (if I read the post right), I would be wondering if the blood pressure became too low during surgery. Also, not good that they are kept there with nobody overnight to watch them. Cameras or not. They should have sent them home where at least somebody could see them.

My real fear is something I have only heard of being done by a veterinarian in a specialty hospital where I worked. The vet was doing an employee a favor and spaying her smaller sized dog. He accidentally tied off the ureter. This caused renal failure. It happens more than people think. In the next post I will link a study.

In my opinion, and I am not a veterinarian, nor do I hold any license, I truly believe something went wrong during their surgery and after care. I think they either screwed up the surgery or the drugs or didn’t monitor. I am suspicious of them tying off the ureter by mistake.

The way they treated you and the cats, and your mom afterwards is neglectful. They are responsible for their patients and the cats should have been immediately seen at no charge because they were having complications due to the surgery they had at that office.

If there is any way you can get a necropsy done, I would do it. Ask for copies of all your records for both cats. They must give you those records. Also, they have to have it posted that there is nobody overnight. There must be a sign.

I think you need to be polite for now. Get what you need. Your cat, copies of the records, a necropsy. Then, file a complaint with the veterinary medical board. There is a website for people who have had horrible vet experiences. I will try to find the site and post it here. If I were you, I would see if you can find an attorney willing to help you for no cost.

What has happened and the way it was handled by them is not okay.


https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsap.13100

There is a site called the vet abuse network or something like that. I don't know to much about them, but you may be able to find some help there.

 

[NekoM]

“The receptionist told her that if she didn’t have the office fee that they wouldn’t see Rosie” Seriously?
No. Your Vet is responsible for any post operative emergencies. Full stop.

This is important to know if your in the US - Every state has a . gov Department of consumer affairs / Veterinary Medical Board that exists for consumer complaints. It’s all done online easily. Follow that up with a Yelp review mentioning you’ve lodged a complaint.

 

[fionasmom]

Veterinary state board websites
The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) has a licensing board in every state. Locate your state and you will probably find to the left list of links and one will be to a complaint form.

I am very sorry that this happened to your mom, you, and the cats. I agree that something is amiss and I would try to seek care at another clinic if at all possible.
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat’s Life – TheCatSite Articles
There are some ideas here. I realize that the first one says to seek low cost vet care; maybe another option is available in your area?

 

[Furballsmom]

Regarding financial help, there's this as well;
Financial Aid for Pets

 

[SkjaldmaerRaven]

Unfortunately Maggie died yesterday morning. My mom had to call them several times to even get someone answer the phone. Then when she spoke to one of the techs, they just said that Maggie died and she has no idea what happened. My mom had requested a necropsy last week on Rosie. She was told that someone from out of town goes to their clinic to do necropsies. Today, my mom called me and said a tech told her that the vet did the necropsy herself on Rosie. She basically didn’t have any definitive answers. The tech told my mom what the vet put down as her findings. The vet noted that she believed Rosie shows signs of pneumonia. Also traces of some toxin and that her kidneys and rectum had dark blood present. They told us when the girls were alive that they would have to send any testing out of the clinic because they don’t do that there. So I’m not sure what she means by traces of a toxin. I would think you would need to get samples and send them out right? Can you tell just my physical appearance of the organs alone?

She also told my mom that there is some virus with outdoor cats going around that you could get on your clothes and transfer to your indoor cats. Yet they didn’t say what that virus is supposed to be called. Like I said before, my mom had not come in contact with any cats except her own and she doesn’t leave her place very often. She doesn’t have visitors either except for myself. She said that when they first got in there, she gave them antibiotics but that didn’t improve anything. I also would think that it wouldn’t be helpful to give them antibiotics if the vet didn’t know what was wrong. Especially if they assumed it was poisoning like they kept insisting. So basically they still don’t know what happened and just said that Rosie had pneumonia and also supposedly some toxin in her body. When she was alive, the vet nor the techs mentioned anything about pneumonia. They would be able to tell of the cats were sick with that while they were alive I would assume. I don’t know why that would only be noticed after death. They said that some sort of cleaner could had poisoned them and supposedly the tech she talked to had a cat that was poisoned like that before. My mom said she used cleaner in her bathroom that contains bleach but she thinks it was a week before they had surgery. She didn’t used it after they came home or right before as far as she remembers. They did like to walk on the counters and lay in the bathtub. I wouldn’t think they would both be poisoned though unless there was wet cleaner that they layed in or walked on. They would have had to lick their fur or paws to get enough in their system to cause kidney failure and death. Unless I’m wrong there. They said that maybe the cats were poisoned but didn’t show signs until after surgery because their immune system was weaker from going through that. I also don’t know why they didn’t keep in contact with my mom more often when they didn’t know what was wrong whole the girls were still alive. They didn’t try to keep asking questions or look for any other possible treatments or advice as far as we know. My mom had a hard time when getting them to answer the phone or tell her what was going on. They mostly just kept saying that they didn’t know why the girls were that sick. They kept Maggie stable supposedly but they never let my mom see her and she was there the longest. They also done keep anyone overnight with the animals, even in critical situations. So I don’t feel like they provided the type of care that they could have. I’ve had a cat with an emergency before where she almost died and I was allowed to see her while she was being monitored. I didn’t even know if she would survive at that point, but the vet was very communicative and kept me updated on her progress. That was also a very small town clinic that dealt with a lot of farm animals, but they still were better at working together and dealing with clients as well as the animal. I called my vet in another town and asked about where I could get am outside necropsy. She told me about the university of Illinois and their lab. That’s where they get theirs done. She also told me to call the Illinois veterinary medicine board director and let him know about the whole situation. To see what he thinks and if we have a legitimate complaint. I wanted to get the necropsies done at the university, but I have to find out if I’ll be able to ship the girls myself and how much testing and all will cost. My mom can’t afford much and I can’t help a ton financially, so I’m not sure if we will be able to. My mom doesn’t want to really deal with it because she’s frustrated and sad. If we can’t get necropsies done elsewhere, we might not ever know what really happened.

I still feel that I could make a complaint though because their communication is terrible and only one of the techs is pleasant to talk to. She’s the only one that will give you any detailed information that she relays from the vet or when she takes care of the pets on her shift. She also has to answer the phones and deal with paper work and scheduling, so she does a lot of jobs. The others never know what’s going on and don’t really want to talk to people. They will just look at you when you come in and not even smile or say hello. They just take your pet and told tell you what they’re going to do next or ask you to follow them. They won’t let anyone go with their pet, even for routine things. My mom was told when she asked to go back with Rosie that the vet was doing surgery so she couldn’t. I would assume that where they keep the animals wools be completely separate from the operating space. So that’s weird to me. The vet never talks to anyone personally. Even in this case where two cats from the same household are dead. She won’t even take a few minutes and talk to my mom so my mom can get information directly from her. I guess she’s too busy. Any other place I’ve been to, the vet talks to the clients as much as they can, especially when they own the clinic.

This is all just so frustrating. I don’t know if I should trust the veterinarians findings. I would hate to think that she would just make up her findings, but I don’t understand why both cats would die so quickly and without any definitive evidence of what it could have caused by. I do know that sometimes things happen and even the doctors don’t have very answer. I don’t expect her to be perfect, but my mom and both assumed that the people at that clinic would be more concerned and show it. That the doctor would have more than just assumptions. Just going off of the presence of pneumonia and internal bleeding, is it possible to assume it was definitely poison and not a result of any other complications?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am so, so, so very sorry as to how this has all gone. It is hard to believe that both cats would have had the same outcome if not for outside influences, be that poison, medications, or otherwise. Follow the above recommended complaints and protocols to pursue this further. But, by all means, get all the records related to Rosie and Maggie so you can share them - they are rightfully yours/your moms. If they don't provide them, that is yet another complaint.

Now that these poor blessed souls are gone, you can be as persistent as your finances and your will can be.

RIP little Rosie and Maggie.

 

[iPappy]

This entire thread is so, so sad. I am so sorry for Rosie and Maggie, and for you, and your Mom. Please tell your Mom that we strangers to her are thinking of her and keeping her in our thoughts.

 

[Sarthur2]

I am so very sorry and send my sincere condolences to you and your mother on behalf of your poor cats. RIP sweet kitties .

This vet center does not sound as though they are operating professionally or ethically.

 

[NekoM]

I am so very sorry this happened, it’s absolutely heartbreaking. There is so much of this that I don’t understand how it could be allowed to happen, and the bewildering amount of disregard that you’ve faced. When something like this happens there can be an overwhelming amount of emotions which general ends with acceptance. Unfortunately it also has a tendency to give up on lodging complaints, there is just so much wrong in this that there has to be accountability.

 

[silent meowlook]

I am sorry for the loss of both of your mom's kitties. I am sickened by the behavior of this veterinarian. Disgusted actually. Please have an outside necropsy done.
Can you start a go fund me for this? Get the records. Try to get an outside necropsy from the county veterinarian. Every state department should also have a veterinary board. Please file an official complaint with them.
Is this cooperate owned practice? Do you know the name of the veterinarian that owns the practice? Or. the one who did the surgery? If you want to, you can privately message me his name or names and I can look up if they have ever had any complaints brought to the board regarding their care. I can also see if they have gone before the board regarding anything.
I am sure you can do this too; it just takes some navigating the American animal hospital website and the veterinary state board in your state. But I can do it for you if you like.

To figure out it was a toxin, tissues would have to be sent to the lab and it would take weeks

This is from the Illinois Government Veterinary Practice act. This is just a paragraph, but there is allot of information to go through on the site.

(3) The practicing veterinarian is readily available

for follow-up in case of adverse reactions or failure of the treatment regimen or, if unavailable, has designated another available veterinarian who has access to the animal patient's records to provide reasonable and appropriate medical care.

 

[catsknowme]

Please be encouraged with the support being offered by your TCS family. There might be other victims of the same clinic but I am not sure how you can find out. In my area, there's a Facebook group called "Butt Hurt in the Xxxxx Xxxxxx" where folks reach out for various problems and complaints I hope that you will keep us updated as you seek answers and justice for 2 very loved, very special girls.

 

[fionasmom]

State of Illinois | Department of Financial & Professional Regulation
Click on "File a Complaint". This will take to you to page 2. Select "Professional Regulation", option 3, and click on "File a Complaint." On the next page, click on " Division of Professional Regulation Online Complaint Form". There is a print form which is directly beneath it and can be mailed in.

As was stated, all your medical records are your property and have to be handed over to you. If not, that is another complaint right there. My own experience with filing complaints of this nature with state and government agencies is that they normally assign your complaint to an investigator. Tell your story as best you can, and you have certainly documented a great deal here on TCS. However, the burden of proof is not on you, so don't feel that you need missing medical information or that you need legal expertise to file this complaint.

I am so sorry that you and your mother have had to face such a difficult time and that you lost your two young kittens. As others have said, there are a lot of loopholes in this story that you have received from the vet.

 

[mani]

S SkjaldmaerRaven the team at TCS are so very sorry for your loss.

We lock threads when a cat has passed, out of respect.
You may like to make a tribute thread for Rosie and Maggie in our Crossing the Bridge forum.
Our members are concerned about how this happened and perhaps you may like to continue that conversation in PMs or a separate thread. I sincerely hope you get answers.


RIP Little Ones
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