Kitty Kat Jack died during neutering...we're devastated

Last Thursday we dropped off our approx. six-month old beloved cat to the vet for his neutering.  (He weighed 6.7 lbs and three weeks earlier at 6.1 lbs. had been given an excellent health exam (blood work & stool sample tested).  The vet called just 2-1/2 hours later and said he had the worst possible news to tell us.  It was.

The words of the Vet went something like this:  Jack was given pre-anesthesia; all normal.  He was given another injection and his heart stopped after 20 minutes.  They revived him, gave him an x-ray and his heart measured nine on a scale only up to eight.   Cardiomyopathy.  Enlarged heart.  Jack's heart stopped again.  His chest could not be compressed.

He died.

Jack's first office visit; we never asked what the risk (percentage) was for neutering.  We still cannot find that answer.  Did Jack have to be neutered?  Sure, the cat population...strong urine odor...chasing after a female cat...not returning home for days...fighting with another male cat over a female prospect.  Gee, do you think we did the right thing for Jack?  I don't. 

I googled my painful question (risk % for neutering) a few days after our loss and found this wonderful forum.  It was a very helpful sight so I thought I would post our story about Jack.  

Thank you for your time.  

I am so sorry for your loss. Yes, Jack had to be neutered. The problem for Jack was not the neutering, it was his heart condition. You didn't know this.

My 10 month old kitten died in July post-surgery. He woke up from anesthesia, but quickly went into cardiac arrest. I have beaten myself up for his death ever since.

Please accept my condolences for your terrible loss. It won't help you that I know exactly how you feel.

So sorry for your loss .

For a cat with cardiomyopathy, it's really only a matter of time before his heart gives out . That's not a normal risk factor for surgery. He could just as well have had a heart attack while playing or just sitting around. It's not a thing you could have predicted, don't beat yourself up.

Welcome to TCS, I hope you find the answers that you're looking for and I'm so sorry for your loss.

We don't always ask the risk when we talk about neutering our pets, the reasons you have cited for neuter are some of the more attractive reasons those are advertised as benefits and stick in our minds, beyond what we really think, we often overlook the health benefits for our cats as well. Less risk of feline diseases, decreased risk of cancers, more comfort and stability for our feline friends.

You should not feel guilty for wanting the best for your cat.

If you had known that the risk was 1 in 100,000 for Jack to have a reaction to the anaesthetic, you may have gone ahead with the neuter anyway, I certainly did.

It is ingrained in us as pet owners that our cats should have this surgery, to ensure their happines as much as our own comfort, you absolutley did the best that you could have done and no one could have known that the surgery would result in him passing.

Please let the community know if you need to vent, just use the forum, no one here is out to criticise, it is a very welcoming community who would do their best to help you through this time.

XX

Such a sad and difficult way to find your way to TCS.   I too and very sorry that you have lost Jack, and at such a young age.

I agree with others, that you did do the best thing you could for Jack in taking him to be neutered, and like so many of us take the risks we know of with the anasthesia.  It is so rare, esp for young male cats, to have difficutlies in this surgery and I can only imagine your devastation when the vet called you.

Nothing can make this situation  better for you, but if you find yourself asking if you Jack would have had a better life without the neuter surgery due to this condition maybe it will help to remind yourself that cardiomyopathy would have started to cause him a lot of problems, and a lot of pain, with the result that he could have been with you for longer but not able to play or hunt happily like young cats do.  

Jack has been in a loving home with you, happy and well cared for.  He knew what it was like to play and be loved.   He did not spend time in his young life suffering.    All that sounds like you did the right thing for him, but doing the right thing can still hurt.   I hope you find all the help and support you need here.

I'm so sorry. Our healthy 3 year old cat was dx'ed with cardiomyopathy and was gone within a week. We were incredibly shocked.

So sorry for your loss.  Taking in stray cats and dogs, I have gone through many, many spays and neuters and I hold my breath every time one of them has to go through it until I get the word that everything is ok or go to pick them up.  I have also lost beloved pets from drug side effects I was unaware of and what I believe was sometimes just poor care by the vet.  I completely feel your pain and know how you feel...like you let Jack down with your decision.  The truth is, you were trying to do what was best for him and his quality of life.  While it definitely didn't go as planned, and it will probably be of little comfort in your raw emotional state, you were trying to do what was best for Jack and you shouldn't beat yourself up about the outcome.  

I'm so sorry for your loss.  My deepest sympathy.

Thanks for reaching out to us.  

Take good care and please, please don't blame yourself.  You did NOTHING wrong but care for your cat.

I am so sorry to hear about your cat.  May I ask you what were the symptoms?  Did the Vet give your cat an x-ray? When you say it was gone in a week, what do you mean by this? I hope you are feeling a bit better now.  It is shocking!  So very sorry.    

I appreciate your lovely response filled with kindness and support.

Thank you.

It is such a wonderful feeling to care for some thing and we are blessed to receive the love from the animals BUT it is too hard when things gone wrong.

God Bless You for all you do.  

Thanks for your kind words to us.  

I'm so sorry for your loss.  There is very little that can be done for a cat with cardiomyopathy that is crashing.  It was not the neutering that caused it.  It just showed up then.  Poor little guy was not long for this world whatever the circumstances.

I had a cat I loved dearly.  He was almost four years old when he started breathing heavy. 12 hours later they were recommending euthanasia due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy..  He was a very healthy cat before that.  

It is difficult to accept a sudden unexpected loss like yours.  But know that you did nothing wrong.  

My sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathies go out to you.  I'm deeply sorry for your loss but please take comfort in knowing that you were not responsible for Jack's condition.  You are a very thoughtful and caring cat mom.

BombayJack said:

I am so sorry to hear about your cat.  May I ask you what were the symptoms?  Did the Vet give your cat an x-ray? When you say it was gone in a week, what do you mean by this? I hope you are feeling a bit better now.  It is shocking!  So very sorry.    

Click to expand...

Thank you. We noticed he was a little off. Sleeping more mainly. Then he developed a little cough and we took him to emergency vet. Thought it was URI but she heard a murmur. We took him to his regular vet on Monday. X Ray showed the enlarged heart. Tuesday was the specialist. The rest of the week he went downhill very fast despite the medications. And sunday we made the decision. I'm convinced he had an underlying condition that exacerbated the heart disease.

I have a heavy heart when I read the traumatic event you endured.  

What I don't understand is with all the expertise, state-of-the-art equipment, not to mention the expense, we have heartache and doubt.  We all seem to have our own thoughts about what went wrong.  Most people are writing to me and saying I did the right thing but what about the Dr?  Where is their responsibility and assurance to us that it was unavoidable, everything was done correctly, no errors were made.  I don't hear it.  So doubt is what we are left with.

What happens if we get another cat?  Will we go to the same Vet?  Or do we avoid it all?  The love and happiness of caring for and seeing a beautiful creature grow and see its curiosity of life which gave us such joy would be missed.   

So sorry for your pain.  

BombayJack said:

I have a heavy heart when I read the traumatic event you endured.  

What I don't understand is with all the expertise, state-of-the-art equipment, not to mention the expense, we have heartache and doubt.  We all seem to have our own thoughts about what went wrong.  Most people are writing to me and saying I did the right thing but what about the Dr?  Where is their responsibility and assurance to us that it was unavoidable, everything was done correctly, no errors were made.  I don't hear it.  So doubt is what we are left with.

What happens if we get another cat?  Will we go to the same Vet?  Or do we avoid it all?  The love and happiness of caring for and seeing a beautiful creature grow and see its curiosity of life which gave us such joy would be missed.   

So sorry for your pain.  

Click to expand...

I'm just hesitant to get another. My husband wants a bonded pair after our foster dog gets adopted. I know I'm being silly but in the back of my mind I'm still like "i dunno about this."

Our persian Peter died earlier this year of same condition. We knew about his condition though. But we had him three years with no problem. Why did the young one go inside of a week? I guess we'll never know huh?

I had a cat that lived until 4 years of age with cardiomyopathy. We didn't know she was suffering at all until the end when she was dying. Before that she had given us no reason to be concerned. It devastated my daughter. Unfortunately, Jack would have died young regardless. The attempted neutering just took him sooner. So sorry for your loss. [emoji]128546[/emoji]

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

I am so sorry about Jack. Nothing is so traumatic as the sudden loss of a beloved kitty. As everyone has said, you did what you thought was best and did not know about the heart condition. You gave him love and a warm home during the time he was with you. Hugs.

victoriak68 said:

I had a cat that lived until 4 years of age with cardiomyopathy. We didn't know she was suffering at all until the end when she was dying. Before that she had given us no reason to be concerned. It devastated my daughter. Unfortunately, Jack would have died young regardless. The attempted neutering just took him sooner. So sorry for your loss. [emoji]128546[/emoji]

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Exactly we knew nothing. Previous vet visits did not detect murmur.

Thank you for your kind words.  

I was sorry to read about your loss.  I know it is hard for everyone but I especially feel for your daughter.