Execution by Cortisone

We took our beloved Muldoon to the vet on Wednesday.  He had a chronic problem with runny eyes.  It was a relentless allergy but if we were

faithful in administering eye drops each night, the problem stayed in check.  Well, we ran out of drops a few weeks ago and his eyes were looking bad.  We called the vet and they said they couldn't sell us the drops unless we brought him in.  So my wife and I, who assumed the roles of caretakers for Muldoon, did what we felt was right in putting him in his carrier and going to the vet.  After a few hours of waiting, the doctor saw us and looked him over.  We told him we needed the drops and that was pretty muc h it.  The doctor, however, felt it would be a good idea if ol Muldoon had a good shot of Cortisone.  I have reservations about steroids, but this has been our clinic for over thirty years, and this fairly new addition to the staff seemed very ernest and committed to doing what is right for the animal.  So, who were we to question him.  He is afterall, the doctor.  Remember, all we wanted, and all we needed were the silly drops. 

I had to leave town late Wednesday and got back Thursday evening around eight.  We started rounding up our cats and came up one short.  We couldn't find Muldoon, who is strictly and indoor cat.  I was aware of some of the hidden places he liked to go to, so I started looking around the laundry room and there he lay, on top of some plastic tubs. The problem was, he was dead.  He looked like he was resting, except his head was hanging backward off the edge of the tub.  Judging by his stiffness, he had probably been dead five or six hours.  That discovery was made at 10pm cst.  It is now 6:43 and I haven't come close to sleeping.  It took me a few hours to gather my thoughts and I now plan to take him to another clinic for an autopsy.  If the findings indicate death by injection of cortisone, I will pursue a path or reconcilliation.  I don't know what it will consist of, but I feel I must out of respect for Muldoon, and out of guilt for my turning him over to soneone who executed him.  I let my cat down.  I"ve always protected him against the elements, dogs, cars, you name it.  I just didn't  feel it necessary to protect him from the vet, but apparently that is the case.  I can't yet prove it was the steroid that killed him.  I also can't prove the Sun will rise tomorrow morning, but I"m pretty sure it will.  I will however, get concrete proof of his cause of death before I go saber rattling.  I know beating up on a Cat Doctor isn't going to bring him back.  However, if is confirmed this was the cause of death, I want to receive a well written, or well spoken explanation from the doctor as to why he would recommend a life threatening injection, for a conditon that was kept under control by damn eye drops.  All we wanted was eye drops, and the cat made the mistake of putting his trust in us.  He couldn't act for himself, so he had no choice but to trust us.  We let him down, plain and simple.  I have a closer connection to cats than most people.  I would never put the word "just" in front of the words "a cat".  Their lives are very important to me and to them, and this loss of this companion, this good friend is something I'll will have a hard time finding closure for.  I realize there were elements out of what might be considered out of my reasonable control, but as far as I'm concerned, the buck stops with me when it comes to the life and death of my cats.  It's on me. 

Take time to love your pets today.  Thankfully I usually made a good five or ten minutes everyday for all of mine.  Muldoon sat in my lap for a few hours before I left town on Wednesday and I'm so glad I had that final connection with him.  If you are busy, make time for them anyway.  You might regret it if you don't

I'm so sorry you lost Muldoon, and it's hard to accept that someone who was supposed to help ended up hurting him. I think it's a good idea to get an autopsy and hopefully that will provide an answer.

I am shocked reading it. Also I felt very sad. What a loss! I cannot find words to describe our love and devotion to our pets. People who do not have pets do not understand our grief at lossing our pets. I support you in your quest to find the reason for Muldoon's untimely demise. Please keep us posted. 

Castle Cat (Humble servant of late Jethro)

Thank you.  I find comfort in sharing my grief with other cat lovers.  Thanks for your understanding.

I will start by apologizing.  I wrote this article in the wee hours, which was only a few hours since the discovery of Muldoon's death.  I had no way of knowing why he died, but assumed the shot he received from the vet less than 24 hours, it.  When the Sun came up and I was able to talk with folks who have knowledge of these things, I was told consistently that the amount of Cortisone he received had less than a one percent chance of killing him.  Within a few hours I was convince, and realized I would never know what it was that killed him.  I decided against an autopsy for many reasons.  1) Is it necessary that I know? 2)What Earthly good would it do me or anyone else?  3) It would delay Muldoon's being laid to rest by two day.  4)  his body would have been more decayed and desecrated by the procedure. 5) It is a very expensive procedure and the Dr I spoke with said that cat autopsies have a success rate lower thant50%  They are usually inconclusive  The decision to bury him, and to begin burying my grief, because not only a good choice, but the only choice. 

I will leave this post up for a week so those who might have been influence d by my original post, will know not to take it seriously.  In my defense, I was very shaken at the time, impatient for daylight to come and felt telling my story would get me a little sympathy, which I needed at the time. 

Thanks to all

I believe most Veterinarians are competent and try to do what's best for their patients. It's an honorable profession and I'm grateful to those who choose to do it. 

I'm so sorry for the loss of your beloved cat. It's always incredibly difficult to lose one but when it happens so suddenly and without warning like that, it seems worse.

I think you're making a wise choice. Getting the autopsy done will not bring him back and it might not make you feel any better. Laying him to rest will help you start to heal. Remember all the good times you had with him. All the love and friendship you shared. He crossed the bridge and I'm sure that there were a lot of friendly faces there to greet him and help him adjust. I also agree that most veterinarians are honorable and have a genuine love for the animals they care for.

You found the right place to talk about Muldoon. We understand. We all love our cats dearly and love to talk about them-all of them- those who are still with us and those who have crossed the bridge. Feel free to vent here, too. We get it.

RIP Muldoon. You were loved greatly and will never be forgotten

I want to extend my deepest sympathy to you. As the mother of 2 cats (now) and others previously, I can relate to the deep love you have for these magnificent animals. They are special beyond words, and only people like us understand the depth of these feelings. Hope you are able to find some peace at some point......my best wishes to you. 

I am so sorry for the loss of your Muldoon.  I hope you find comfort in your decision.

I am so, so sorry to hear about Muldoon's passing. There is no need to apologize... losing a pet is always difficult, particularly when it happens so suddenly and unexpectedly.  Feel free to vent as much as you need to. 

One thought... while there is no way to know for sure what happened without a necropsy, one of the most common causes of sudden death in cats is heart disease (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). This is the same condition that occasionally causes sudden death in otherwise healthy young athletes. Not all cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy will develop clinical signs that can be detected on examination (like a heart murmur). It is not uncommon for these guys to be completely asymptomatic until they go into congestive heart failure, throw a blood clot (saddle thrombus), or develop an arrhythmia and pass suddenly. (My cousin's cat developed an arrhythmia and literally dropped without warning in the middle of a petting session on the bed. It can be that sudden.) Given what you have described, I wonder if this may have been what happened in Muldoon's case. If so, there is no way that anyone could have predicted or prevented this. Please, please do not blame yourself.

I am sorry for your loss. Muldoon was a very handsome cat... and clearly well loved.   

You have my best wishes for your grief. It's hard enough to bear it when we know our animal is dying in advance. You must have had an awful shock.

Don't blame yourself or feel you must apologize/. Many of us would have done the same thing.

Wishing you healing,
 

Seaturtle

I'm really sorry about your cat. I could never imagine that happening to mine. try to get some sleep.

Your loss is shared by many of us. Muldoon knew well that you were devoted to him. He left this world knowing that you loved him. When their time comes they leave us knowing that one day we will join them. I understand your pain and grief. My darling Jethro left me on April 13, 2015. I do not think I will ever stop crying for my Jethro. Muldoon is your love. My heartfelt sympathies.

Castle Cat (Devoted servant of Jethro).  

Thanks for this.  There will be more cats in this home and it's good to be aware of these things.

Jethro was a handsome cat.  Hopefully you will meet again, this time forever

The TCS team would like you to know that we are so very sorry for your loss.  Muldoon was lucky to be so treasured in his time with you.   Threads are locked after someone has suffered such a loss, as a sign of respect.   We invite you to place a tribute at:     http://www.thecatsite.com/f/19/crossing-the-bridge  as an enduring testimony to Muldoon should you wish to do so.

RIP Muldoon.  

This thread is now locked.