Question about an experience...

I moved your post because you have legitimate health-related question about a cat even though the cat has passed.

I wish I had some better advice...but something here just doesn't seem quite right...

I'm totally sorry about your loss, and I know you did what you knew was best.

Hopefully some of the other members can chime in a bit more with some useful info.

Spotz

One of my co-workers had a very similiar experience about a year ago. On the morning that it happened her 6 year old cat was his usual self. My co-worker went out to do a few errands, and when she returned home her cat's back legs were paralyzed and he was crying in pain. She immediately took her cat to the vet where she was told that the paralysis was caused by a blood clot. The vet also told her there was something he could try (either medication or an injection, sorry, I don't remember which one) but he couldn't guarantee good results and promise it would help her cat. So she decided to have the cat put down.

When my co-worker told us about her cat's death a few days later she was very upset and said something like "he was always such a good cat and I just couldn't stand seeing him suffering like that."

I don't know if this helps...

Was it the back legs?

The name eludes me at the moment...thromboembolism...

It's basically a severe blood clot in the major artery to the rear end, and is virtually impossible to treat with any degree of success...

Spotz

Originally Posted by preciousilluzun



A little while ago I had an experience with a vet (Emergency care, not my normal vet) and the death of my 1.5 year old cat, Deco. I have a question about the whole thing that maybe can be answered.

I was getting ready for a move to another state and moving out my roommate when I noticed Deco limping and only using one paw. At first, I thought she was hurt or that one of us had stepped on her in the hustle and bustle of moving furniture. I called my vet and was redirected to their emergency clinic. When I got in touch with them, they told me they didn't have splints for broken legs (which I wasn't even sure was the case), so they told me to go to another place. I noticed Deco had gone into shock, and rushed her to this vet, which was unfortunately 30 minutes away.

After they had looked at her, the doctor came out and told me that she had thrown a blood clot and then said nothing. I was expecting to hear some form of treatment (maybe I"m just naive), but when I didn't say anything, she started to talk about euthanization. I ended up doing that ($250 later), but I was torn apart and couldn't believe that there was truly nothing they could have done for her.

Just the other day I was looking online at some sites for the treatment of ear mites (my other cat got them

) and happened upon an "ask the vet" question in which this person's cat had a continuing problem of having a leg go limp from a blood clot, and receiving an injection to clear it. My question is this: is there something that really could have been done to save Deco? Or could her case have been too severe for an injection to help?

She really was the best cat I ever had, with no history of any heart problems, and it was devastating that all of a sudden this happens and she was gone. If anyone's been in a similar situation or known anyone with a similar experience, anything would help.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Dear Precious, I am so sorry about Deco, what an awful thing to happen. I'm a human nurse so don't take my answer as gospel. I have years of experience with people and blood clots. Given that cats and humans are mammals there might be a similar treatment. When a person has a blood clot, also known as an embolus in their leg, they are usually started on IV heparin, a blood thinning agent that acts as an anticoagulant. Heparin acts to not only thin the blood, but helps to to dissolve the clot. The reason you want to dissolve the clot quickly is that you don't want the clot to travel up to the heart, lungs or brain where it can become RAPIDLY fatal. As the clot "dissapears" the patient is weaned off the heparin IV and is maintained on SQ injections (just under the skin) of heparin. Or some Docs start an oral med like coumadin, another "blood thinner" or use heparin and coumadin together. A lot depends on their platelet count and "bleeding times" which they test in the lab with a frequent blood samples. Precious I have literally seen people "throw a clot" in front of my eyes, even very young people. Some people just make clots, esp when they are on prolonged bed rest. Some people don't. But those that do, usually have to be on a blood thinner like coumadin a long time, some forever. I doubt you could have done more for your baby. He might have been prone to clots, just like a human is.Stuff like a blood clots usually comes on very suddenly. Unfortunatley, Deco unlike most humans couldn't communicate with you her distress. You did your very best.

Again I don't pretend to tell you that this info is correct as far as cats go. But either way, it might have been too late to thin Deco's blood.
My heartfelt sympathy to you!

Unfortunately, in cats blood clots like this are usually caused by cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart. The heart doesn't beat effectively, allowing blood to stagnate and form clots. Then an effective beat dislodges the clot and shoots it down the aorta where it blocks the artery to one or both back legs, causing the paralysis. Cats are very hard to anticoagulate with heparin or coumadin although some vets will give it a try. Usually even with treatment the clot reoccurs. Eventually the cat has to be euthanized or dies from the clot in pain. While this was a very difficult situation for you, the decision to euthanize was probably wise and saved your cat prolonged pain. Becky

Thank you all for your responses. I never trusted the vet from the start and when I saw that article it made me feel worse, but now I see that there wasn't much that could have been done for her. And as for which leg, it was her front right that was limp.

Again, I appreciate all of your help...I guess I needed reassurance that the wrong thing wasn't done.

I'm so very sorry that happened to Deco. It sounds like you did the right thing, don't second-guess your decision.

Jill and Candy