Species: Cat Breed: domestic tabby Age: 11-15 years
I came home to find my beloved cat unable to stand (seemed drunken) and felt cooler to the touch i thought. He had made it to the other room and urinated while I was away. I rushed him to a vet and they masked hem because he was being mean, ( he was afraid) he is a sweet cat at home. I was not asked or did I sign anything to put him under in order to draw blood. He never came out of the anisthesia (spelled wrong),Did they do anything wrong??? I had asked to come back with him while they were supposedly checking him out, only to find they had a divice over his head and he was already asleep!!! No one asked me if they could do this!! Nor did I sign anything. The vet said it made it easier to work on them that way. After the mask came off, his breathing became less and less, until it finally stopped. Just a matter of a few minutes. I was heartsick at the time and not thinking clearly. They charged me almost 500.00 for about an hour and a half of whatever, but didnt ask me for any permission to treat or put to sleep. Help with your professional opinion. Thank You.. Keller
Dr. Marie replied:
I'm very sorry to hear that your cat passed away.
This is a tough case to comment on without knowing all of the facts, but I'll give you a few of my thoughts.
If Stimpy was cool, not able to stand and wobbly then he may have been in heart failure. If the vets started to work on him and he was extremely aggressive and difficult to work with then it sounds like they made the decision that it would be safer for him to be sedated (anesthetized) rather than to struggle.
In an ideal situation, we should be getting written permission for every treatment that we do. However, if a situation is urgent then it is often better to focus on treating the cat rather than doing paperwork. I can only guess that this is what happened.
If you'd like to go deeper into the situation, then respond and I can ask you some more questions which will help me understand what happened.
However, it sounds like this was just a sad situation. The symptoms that you described are not good. It sounds like no matter what the diagnosis was he was not going to survive.
Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.
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Dr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.
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