Beloved cat to ER
 

Cat lovers, nurses, & friends:

On Monday my orange cat, Gandhi ("G"), suddenly developed paralyzed back legs while eating supper. He let out an awful cry. I picked him up and called a friend to take us to Angell, an animal medical center run by the MSPCA . It's a mile away. He cried the entire way and panted.

In the ER I was able to tell them that this had just happened. They took him out of my arms and right into the ICU for pain meds and exam.

G. had a "saddle embolus" blocking the arteries to both legs. They become cold, immobile and it is very painful. They gave him IV morphine twice and then switched to a pump of Fentynl. SO met me at the hospital.

The ER doc (vet) told us that this has a very poor prognosis. That if he lived it would be an average of 25 days in the hospital until he could come home and he might not be able to walk or walk well. They don't use clot-busting drugs on cats for several reasons but major bleeding is one of them. Life span for those cats that do get discharged is less than a year.

We were asked to make a decision about euthanasia or treating w pain meds and O2 and having cat cardiology see him. We were not in agreement so we decided to go for the 24 hours.

In the morning, the cat cardiologist called and said that G's heart was full of clots and it was likely that even if this did resolve it would happen again soon. He said it was a nasty disease w no good treatment option.

SO and I went to the hospital and visited G in the ICU. They took off the one side of the incubator like cage. I talk to him and nuzzled him and kissed him on his head. He knew I was there and leaned against me. We traded off so SO could do the same. After 40 minutes we gave the order. It was the hardest thing I have ever done.

Gandhi was 14. He lived for 20 hours after the initial event.

I cry when I see one of his bowls, his box, a toy. I look up when a piece of newspaper is disturbed by one of the other two cats. I had such a special relationship w the Orange Guy, Orange Mouse, Gandhi-ji. My teacher. It hurts bad. And if I cry, I get TN and if I hold it in I get TN. It's a small price to pay.

ANN

oh, how awful.

Our beloved Tippy (20) had this in Jan 2011. We had her put down within 20 minutes. This type of thing is really not treatable, for the most part. It can come from cardiac myopathy and the clots form in the heart.

I know the scream/cry. It freezes me thru and thru. Tippy went down at lunch.. It happened to us 20 yrs before so we were prepared to have the quick euthanasia, this time. Until this happened she was active, jumping up to high places (unlike our other old cat Sheba who couldn't do that), and there was no warning. The only thing she had was a vaccine reaction a year before to rabies vaccine. (she almost died that day).

My condolences and sympathies are with you. The stress from the Vet is also horrible. It will take a bit for you to just recover from THAT IMO.

Tippy followed Sheba (24) by 2.5months. It was then I decided on a new kitten within days. It was Weezie. It was the best thing I could have done at the time--for her as she was not adopted with her littermates, and for me, grieving so much it was making me ill! Weezie was desperate for a mommy and I believe now that God closed the door and opened the window for Weezie to come to us.

This is Tippy:

I'm so sorry this happened to your precious furbaby, Ann. Know that you did the right thing by taking the pain upon yourselves and releasing him. I know from experience that this is one of the hardest things we are called on to do but time is really a healer when the good memories remain and the bad kind of fade away and become bareable........:hug:

Oh Ann, my heart sank when I read the first sentence and guessed what had happened to your dear baby. I am so sorry.

Fly free dear "G". :hug:

I'm so sorry. We lost two cats this year, and I can still hardly say their names out loud. Thank you for letting us share your grief.

Mrs D- thank you for responding- I hoped you would. I suspected you would know about this condition that I had never heard of. Saddle clots don't happen in people as our vessels are so much bigger.

I would have had G euthanized w/in two hours but SO was not ready. We are a team so that is the way the decision went w a promise from the ICU doc to be generous w the pain med.

Last time I was down to 2 cats, G. showed up on the patio and stayed for 2 weeks until I finally let him in in a bad rain storm. I am back down to 2. They are litter mates and are now 8 yo indoor cats. So, I think I am staying at 2 but you never know.;)

ANN

I'm so sorry Ann. :( I wish there was something I could do or say to make it better. :hug:

Ann, my old Friend, you are in my heart and in my prayers. I am so so sorry.:hug:

no words just hugs........

Oh Ann, I am so, so sorry and know exactly how you feel. Seven years ago we had to put down our beloved 18 month old Kiwi, a Pom/Maltese mix, at this exact time of year from Encephalitis, which came on just as suddenly. My heart goes out to you. I am so sorry.