I'm against declawing (did you know that it means you remove the first knuckle of each finger?) but I got mine fixed and it went smoothly, he was back home just fine. Maybe she was allergic to the anesthesia?? That's terrible!!
Pianoguy isn't a vet.....(he's a musician).....but perhaps the cat had a reaction to the anaestetic that was used? Or if there wasn't one, the emotional strain was too much for her heart to bear?
Not all vets (or doctors for that matter) are competent. However, I have a great deal of respect for the ones who have taken care of Wimpy (my 12.5 year old border collie) for the past several years.
In March, the doctors removed Wimp's spleen and a cancerous tumor....and administered meds for a "hot spot" that was on her stomach (at the end of May). Apparently, there are a few cancer cells still present in Wimpy's body? The prospect of losing her REALLY SCARES ME because she's all I have.
Although I don't have the slightest clue about how long Wimp will continue to survive, I HONESTLY APPRECIATE the efforts her doctors have made (on her behalf) in the past.
Pianoguy
Just an FYI to anybody reading this, your local animal shelter has some terrific dogs and cats who would love a good home. The cost of adoption is usually a lot less than buying a pet from a breeder. And it's a kinder choice than forcing an animal shelter technician to euthanize an animal because nobody was interested in "adopting it!"
I'm sorry to hear about that. It is much more common for animals to die under a general anesthetic than it is for humans. There is a reason that Anesthesiologists have the highest malpractice insurance of any medical professional - the margin for error is extremely small. With humans, we can ask questions that make the medicating more precise which is why they always ask about heart problems or smoking, etc. If a cat has some kind of arrythmia (for example), they can't tell the vet about it.
I am not against declawing myself. While it sounds horrible, I have never seen a declawed cat that was not fully functional. Nobody who loves their pet feels good about having to make them undergo surgery. But I would rather have a loving owner take in a pet and declaw them then to have another unwanted animal. I used to volunteer at the largest shelter here in Chicago and I finally had to stop because it was really too depressing.
My sister had to put down her 4 year old dog 2 weeks ago. Two local vets could not figure out what was wrong with her so she drive 3 hours to the U if I animal hospital and they said it was one of 3 things but the dog would have to undergo at least one surgery and might die anyway - all at a cost of $4,000. So my sister kept her as happy as she could and, once she got to be unhappy, took her back down to U of I where they put her to sleep. They did an autopsy for free (and research) and it turns out that the dog had a parasitic algae that she must have had for over 2 years because it doesn't exist in Chicago and they moved up from Louisiana.
The worst part of it is my 3 year old nephew always asking where the dog is. How can you make a 3 year old understand death?
The work that I do for the feds has to do with writing policy regarding medical related issues. I know what you mean about not trusting doctors. I see it a lot. And I have seen a lot of bad doctors - there are neurosurgeons out there that I would not trust to cut my toenails. But I have seen a number of great physicians, too. One of the benefits to being in a big city, I think. I always encourage people to advocate for themselves when it comes to medical treatment.
I'm really sorry to hear about that, Shy. It sounds like a haert wrenching experience. Unfortunately, somebody has to be at the bottom of their class in med school. I wish that your father had gotten better care - you might feel better about it if you knew that everything possible had been done.
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shyone...
Pianoguy isn't a vet.....(he's a musician).....but perhaps the cat had a reaction to the anaestetic that was used? Or if there wasn't one, the emotional strain was too much for her heart to bear?
Not all vets (or doctors for that matter) are competent. However, I have a great deal of respect for the ones who have taken care of Wimpy (my 12.5 year old border collie) for the past several years.
In March, the doctors removed Wimp's spleen and a cancerous tumor....and administered meds for a "hot spot" that was on her stomach (at the end of May). Apparently, there are a few cancer cells still present in Wimpy's body? The prospect of losing her REALLY SCARES ME because she's all I have.
Although I don't have the slightest clue about how long Wimp will continue to survive, I HONESTLY APPRECIATE the efforts her doctors have made (on her behalf) in the past.
Pianoguy
Just an FYI to anybody reading this, your local animal shelter has some terrific dogs and cats who would love a good home. The cost of adoption is usually a lot less than buying a pet from a breeder. And it's a kinder choice than forcing an animal shelter technician to euthanize an animal because nobody was interested in "adopting it!"
Shy, that's sad.
Shy,
I'm sorry to hear about that. It is much more common for animals to die under a general anesthetic than it is for humans. There is a reason that Anesthesiologists have the highest malpractice insurance of any medical professional - the margin for error is extremely small. With humans, we can ask questions that make the medicating more precise which is why they always ask about heart problems or smoking, etc. If a cat has some kind of arrythmia (for example), they can't tell the vet about it.
I am not against declawing myself. While it sounds horrible, I have never seen a declawed cat that was not fully functional. Nobody who loves their pet feels good about having to make them undergo surgery. But I would rather have a loving owner take in a pet and declaw them then to have another unwanted animal. I used to volunteer at the largest shelter here in Chicago and I finally had to stop because it was really too depressing.
My sister had to put down her 4 year old dog 2 weeks ago. Two local vets could not figure out what was wrong with her so she drive 3 hours to the U if I animal hospital and they said it was one of 3 things but the dog would have to undergo at least one surgery and might die anyway - all at a cost of $4,000. So my sister kept her as happy as she could and, once she got to be unhappy, took her back down to U of I where they put her to sleep. They did an autopsy for free (and research) and it turns out that the dog had a parasitic algae that she must have had for over 2 years because it doesn't exist in Chicago and they moved up from Louisiana.
The worst part of it is my 3 year old nephew always asking where the dog is. How can you make a 3 year old understand death?
The vet told my mom that cats have a lower heart rate than other animals so I guess he meant that they are more at risk.
My family still lives in my hometown, which is about 8,000 people.
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