Cat's just died after spaying

[Donquixote]

Hi.
Unfortunately, i've just been told that my kitten has had to be put to sleep. She was a rescue cat and we think she was around 5-6 months old. I took her to be spayed on Friday morning, returning to pick her up that afternoon. She was extremely quiet all night, not eating or drinking, but I was told that this was quite usual. By Saturday morning she still wasn't eating or drinking, she was sleeping a lot and seemed rather uncomfortable. After i managed to get her to drink, she immediately vomited the liquid back up, along with a foamy bile. She continued to drink veraciously all of saturday night, and each time vomited the liquid back. On Sunday morning I phoned the emergency vet (as it was the bank holiday weekend) and took her in - she was badly dehydrated and so was placed on a drip. After this, I only gained progress reports over the telephone. I was told that she developed fluid in her abdomen, that her bladder was full but that she wasn't passing water, and that she still hadn't eaten or drunk at all. Blood tests showed that she wasn't anaemic and appeared normal. Then, at midnight tonight (Tuesday) I received a phone call to say that the fluid had spread to her chest and she'd had to be placed on oxygen - i was advised that the kindest course of action would be to put her to sleep.

The thing is, the emergency vet was part of the same vetinary group that carried out the spay operation. All of these symptoms (the fluid, etc) were relayed to me by the emergency vet over the sun-tues period. He suggested it was most likely FIV, induced by the stress of surgery. I've reserached symptoms of FIV on the web and much of it doesn't seem to fit... am I just upset and obsessing, or is it more likely that there were post-op complications and the vet has tried to cover them up?

She was only 6 months old. I'm gutted.

[stonekicker]

oh hon - i am so sorry for your loss. it must be harder to accept this as you were only given information over the telephone as well. unfortunately, sometimes just like humans, after operations, cats will develop complications that will lead to this very outcome. she was a rescue kitty, so may well have had a very hard life before she came to you aswell, making her health less robust than others. i have a rescue cat and one i purchased from a friend (who was all frontlined, wormed, vetted and injected) and the difference in their health is very noticeable. my heart goes out to you (losing pets is never easy and it does break your heart) and seek some comfort from the following words you will find on here and i wish that i could ease your pain. my advice would be to not fight the grieving process now - begin to accept what has happened, cry and time is a good healer. concentrate on the good that you did for her and the love you shared before her passing. (((hugs))) x

[seekeerz]

I'm so sorry to read about your kitten - I can understand how you feel, particularly as she was just a baby and the procedure is supposed to be safe - well as safe as any op can be, but things do go wrong.

I know that gutted feeling - it's the same whenever we've lost one of our tribe and there's been quite a few over the years and it never gets any easier, but I can only agree with stonekicker - grieve for your little one and try to remember the happy times, you have given her a life, short though it may seem, and she loved you in return.

It's frustrating but don't look too far for answers, there may not even be one - in a little while give some thought to giving another little one a safe and loving home , there are so many out there that need them.

Lots of other people will add their thoughts and sympathy to help you through this time, take heart that you're surrounded by friends who know how you feel.
Best wishes and I'll be thinking of you......S

[wolf63]

I am very sorry to hear about your kitten - it is always sad when a young animal dies.

[tamborine]

Sounds like an internal hemoerrage....the black is blood poisoning and thirst is often kidney problems.

Me thinks the op phuked up.....dont pay any bills!

[andy-hughes]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

As suggested, you kitten may have had underlying health problems exacerbated by a simple surgical proceedure - your vet can probaboy advise you.

As you know, speying is a simply op. carried out thousands of times a year on cats with no ill effects, but that doesn't help you now.

Just remember that you did what you could for your kitten, and loved her for the last part of her short life.

[Donquixote]

Thanks everyone.
Really, I appreciate your kind words so much.

I know I should just accept that these things happen, and in time I probably will, but I just can't help feeling that I'm having the wool pulled over my eyes. If it was down to FIV, as the vet suggested, surely she would have shown some symptoms before the operation. But she was in perfect health - wormed, frontlined, vaccinated for everything possible, and chipped - she even had a pre-op check the week before and was given a perfect bill of health.
I've had cats all of my life, ever since I was a child, and i've never seen anything like this. If it was a mistake made during the operation I was never going to be told about it anyway - the emergency vet wouldn't give a diagnosis that would make another vet in his practice accountable.

I know that in the long run it doesn't matter now. The fees are not the issue, I would have paid anything to have brought her back to health, it's the frustration of not knowing what actually happened to her and knowing that I'll probably never find out.

Thank you again though, guys. It's really comforting to know that people do actually care.

[crisgal]

sending a big hug to you DQ.........................

Is there any way you could ask to have a chat to the vet? Tell them how concerned and upset you are and that you feel you need some answers to make sense of your poor kitten's death.
I'm sure if you ask them in a non-accusing way, they will be happy to talk to you. If they refuse, then maybe they are hiding something and you can then follow their complaints procedure.
good luck x

[Donquixote]

Thanks Crisgal, i think i'll do that.

[josaphine32]

I feel for you Donquixote, Even though your kitten was fully vacinated she may have had the fiv virous before you got her, the mother spreads the disease through her milk, When my kitten died throu suspected FIP i was offered a post mortem for 75 pound, i declined to have it done, you could get one done or ask for a written report, and they can still test your kitten for FIV still,
My thoughts are with you.

[petal54]

sorry to read of your sad loss,we were v lucky when our 'baby'got run down,7 years ago now,but still worry if not see her ffor ages.Like losing part of the family.best wishes