My poor boy died of seizures after neuter

Daisypepper

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I am having the hardest time getting over it. I feel so guilty that I took him in and didn't monitor him well enough after. He was loafing and I thought he was just recovering. I took him in the next day and it was too late. He just looked through me and had seizures until he passed so I hope he didn't feel pain or know what was happening. The guilt and sadness is just so hard. He was the sweetest little kitty I've ever had.
 

Norachan

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I'm so sorry you lost your sweet boy this way.

:hugs:

Does your vet think the seizures were caused by a reaction to the anesthetic? Or could it have been a pre-existing condition?

In either case it wasn't your fault. You loved him and you were doing exactly what a responsible pet guardian should do. I don't think he would have been aware of what was happening or felt any pain.
 
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Daisypepper

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The vet thinks he might have had a cat virus. He died so fast, within 48 hours and 12 of those were spent not responding.
I have 2 other kittens from the same litter I am terrified of getting spayed now.
 

Norachan

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A virus will be pretty easy for your vet to test for so you will be able to ensure the other kittens are completely healthy before they have any surgery. Are they blood tested and vaccinated already? If you make sure that everything is done at the recommended ages, first vaccines at 600 grams, second two weeks later, spay and neuter once they weigh more than 1 kilo etc, there's very little risk.

I'm very sorry that you are going through this. Are the other kittens OK?
 

cat nap

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I am so very sorry that you lost your beautiful boy kitten, Daisypepper Daisypepper .:hugs: :rbheart: :grouphug:

I don't think there is any way of knowing ahead of time...if a surgical procedure will result in infection, or have after-surgery complications.
Neuters are done very quickly...(one previous Vet told me under 10 minutes, of the actual procedure, (not including the prep time).
...So please do not blame yourself. :alright:

(If I think back, to when my girl cat and boy cat were spayed and neutered...then I also don't think I could easily say...that I kept monitoring them...while they were sleeping. Or in other rooms, sleeping. All I remember looking at were the spay scar and neuter incisions...for infection...but that would have been when they got up, or ate...and more so the next day...not while they were groggy.)

(I nearly lost my six year old male cat...due to having to be sedated for an x-ray. The Vet thinks it was from ketamine...and now notes it on his chart...but after it had happened...I also thought that in those minutes...he could have seized and died.
Point is...no one knew how sensitive he was to ketamine. Makes me just think that life is so unpredictable and fragile at times.)

I hope with time, your guilt eases, and the sadness fades...because like Norachan mentioned...you did what any responsible pet guardian would do,...and what Maria Bayote said, about it not being within our control.
What you could do, when you are feeling better,...is ask the Vet for a copy of your kitten's chart, and the specific medications that were used, or any long acting injections given, ....and ask them about your fears of getting your other kittens spayed...and how they could alleviate any of those worries, since they are kittens from the same litter.

Sending you much Strength, Love and Peace...in this difficult time. :grouphug: :hugs: :rbheart:
 

di and bob

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Yes, make sure any future spays or neuters are done with the knowledge of potential problems with anesthesia or aftercare. I would ask that a different dose or a different kind of anaesthesia be used with the siblings.
This is absolutely devastating! I have had countless cats spayed and neutered and have never had one die. I hope you know this is a very rare occurrence and most likely won't be repeated with the siblings if they are given a test before surgery, and monitored carefully throughout. I have cared for many human seizure patients and they have told me afterwards there was no pain, and often they were not even aware of what was happening, just at the beginning going into the seizure.
My heart goes out to you, you did what was right and it didn't turn out the way it was supposed to. You and your vet had absolutely no way of knowing this was going to happen, but it did and now you are left with guilt and grief that accompanies losing such an innocent sweet boy. Please know you had no way of predicting something like this, it was a very devastating accident.
The bond you formed with that precious little one will be with you forever, he will always be as close as your thoughts and prayers. He knows that you had absolutely no intention of anything like this happening, He is at peace now because he carries your love deep within his soul. Time is the only thing that helps with this kind of grief, and it takes a lot of it. Try to do something that would make you feel better about yourself, like giving a small donation to your local shelter. And do it in his name. You have to work through this and not let it take over your life. He would never want that. Go forward and live as you would want him to live if you were the first to go. That is love, and what he would want for you. You have a very big hole in your heart right now and it will leave a scar. let those two other little ones help fill that hole, they are hurting too. His sweet love can never be replaced, but others will reside right beside his and make it even stronger. Take care and know many of us will be crying with you for teh loss of someone so young and speial....RIP little one. You will be dearly missed, you will forever have a secure place in a loving heart. May the good Lord bless and keep you, until you meet again!
 
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Daisypepper

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Thank you so much everyone for your kind words and thoughts. It is helpful just to have words of people who understand. I appreciate the advice too and will definitely do a workup before spaying the other two.
 

Mamanyt1953

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Rest you gentle, Sweet Baby Boy, dream you deep. Your pawprints are on someone's heart forever.

I am so, so very sorry this happened to him...and to you. The sad, sad fact is that any living being can react to any anesthesia badly at any time, although it is very, very rare. And there is no way of knowing ahead of time if a particular living being will do so. However, I can tell you that even if it was, his chances of having any number of issues due to being a full uncut tomcat would have been much, much higher (and some of them just as deadly) than the chances of him having a bad reaction to anesthesia. You absolutely did the right thing. Sometimes we do EVERYTHING right, and it still comes out wrong. There is no blame here. But do get workups on the other kittens, just to be sure that there are no underlying viruses, etc.

I worked in the medical field for many years, and have seen any number of seizures. I can tell you from talking with those who suffer them that it is almost always worse on those watching than on those seizing. He was not in any agony from them. Probably not aware at all. It is a small comfort I offer here, but I hope it helps.
 
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