Sterilization Clinic Left Ball Of Gauze Inside Cat

[harhardf]

My 3 year old cat Gertrude started acting off on Sunday night. She ate, went to the bathroom, kinda played a bit but something in her eyes was not herself. Monday morning she was normalish and Monday night she slept on my chest with her face buried in my neck, something she has never done. Tuesday 9 AM i had her at the vet and they found a massive lump in her abdomen. As my older cat has dry FIP, we all thought (vets and myself) that this one had developed a granuloma and it was choking off her intestine. They braced me for the worst and I spent the day crying and waiting news. They called around 6 PM and the problem wasn't FIP at all. The clinic where she was sterilized 2.5 years ago left a ball of gauze inside her. Her body walled it off into a massive granuloma with puss inside. They were able to remove it and she is fine. Better yet, no FIP even though our other cat is positive.

I am posting this because I find it crazy how tiny attitudinal and behavior changes were the only cues she could give. I always look for bigger things (no eating, no drinking, no urine/feces) but sometimes the only thing telling us its not ok is just the way they look at you.

 

[Furballsmom]

holy cow

Good for you for paying attention to your baby!

 

[di and bob]

I'm so happy everything turned out alright. Thanks for the tip!

 

[lavishsqualor]

That's just terrifying. If I were you I'd contact the original clinic where the procedure was done and let them know what happened. Clearly their surgical protocols are lacking. A count of everything--gauze, instruments, etc.,--is supposed to be done before surgery and afterward. Had this happened to a human there would be an astronomic cost to the clinic in liability.

Things like this make me really angry. It's nothing but carelessness on the surgical team's part.

 

[harhardf]

That's just terrifying. If I were you I'd contact the original clinic where the procedure was done and let them know what happened. Clearly their surgical protocols are lacking. A count of everything--gauze, instruments, etc.,--is supposed to be done before surgery and afterward. Had this happened to a human there would be an astronomic cost to the clinic in liability.

Things like this make me really angry. It's nothing but carelessness on the surgical team's part.

Yeah I am pretty angry but the place shut down. It was a "vet hospital" and rescue center. The only reason we went there was to support their efforts in rescuing animals from the streets. But they have since closed. The vet that found it was pretty unimpressed with them and tried his hardest to be professional but said nothing excuses that level of carelessness. Had the puss inside the tissue ball escaped, she would have died in hours he said.

 

[Kieka]

This is part of the reason why I am strongly opposed to clinics for spays, when finances and situation allows. I do fully realize they have a place and that it is better for a feral cat to be spayed at a clinic then not spayed at all. It is far better than nothing and sometimes it is all people can afford. But I also had a cat who had a horrible spay experience with a high volume clinic and I would rather be paying off (or saving) for a spay at a quality surgery center then go to a clinic. My horrible experience included a nasty jagged scar across her entire abdomen and she started having issues eating the day after the surgery. Short of reopening her I couldn't prove anything and I didn't have the money for exploratory surgery but years later when I got Rocket I found a surgery center that specialized in cats specifically for her spay because I have found so many horror stories since. Her scar is not even noticeable and the incision was beautiful and tiny.

 

[harhardf]

Yeah, I agree. Our first cat went to a different place because she had had a lot of health problems and we thought it best to keep her with the same docs. This one, our second, has always been so strong (she is what they call in Mexico a gato montes) we thought she would be ok. This clinic had given her shots and all was fine. It wasnt cheap. Cost the same as the other cat's surgery, so it was not a decision based on price. There are not as many groups working to save street animals in Mexico City like there are in big cities in the USA or UK or Canada. And they receive no public funding. So we buy food and supplies from this place as a way of showing support for the cause. Not anymore.

 

[artiemom]

This is so frightening..Thank Goodness your baby did not have a huge life threatening infection.. glad that clinic is closed..

Yes, I have seen good and bad Vets.. one thing to ask about is surgical procedures.. how clean and well maintained they are.

It really bothers me that so many Vets do not scrub up, mask, gown, etc when doing surgery. I am talking sterile technique. I mean, look at the extent of surgery for humans. Shouldn't animals be given the same?? When I see a Vet who does not Mask and gown, then I wonder.. Just putting gloves on, does not seem to be enough for me..
Guess because I worked in medicine, my entire life.

 

[harhardf]

This is so frightening..Thank Goodness your baby did not have a huge life threatening infection.. glad that clinic is closed..

Yes, I have seen good and bad Vets.. one thing to ask about is surgical procedures.. how clean and well maintained they are.

It really bothers me that so many Vets do not scrub up, mask, gown, etc when doing surgery. I am talking sterile technique. I mean, look at the extent of surgery for humans. Shouldn't animals be given the same?? When I see a Vet who does not Mask and gown, then I wonder.. Just putting gloves on, does not seem to be enough for me..
Guess because I worked in medicine, my entire life.

Yeah its bad. And here in Mexico, veterinary school is not a master's degree. Its a major in undergrad. This new vet we found is literally the best in all of Mexico. I found him when I found my street dog. He was the closest office I could walk to carrying a 60 lb badly injured animal. Turns out he's widely considered the best doctor in all of the country. I have been in his office when people from other states fly in to see him. It helps that he is older, in his 60s or 70s and only employs the best vets to help. These are the vets that found my first cat's FIP after years and hundreds of dollars invested in every specialist to see what was causing her issues. Yesterday when I took her in, I started with the young guy, who called in the older gal I like a lot, who then called in the head head guy. They said they were really backed up on surgery that day but when the older vet saw my eyes welling up with tears he said "dot worry, we will do it today. we will stay till its done". They stayed open an extra hour for her.