Cat very sick and dehydrated

sparkle_23

So sorry to hear about poor little Sam RIP

WattyWoo

So sorry to hear this.We were thinking of u all weekend but kinda knew.
You have nothing to berate yourself for you did everything for Sam.
He was lucky to have such a caring owner

Pumpkinseeds

I'm so sorry to hear about Sam, losing them is the hardest thing in the world. Please don't be so hard on yourself. You did what you thought was best for Sam.

thalia_13

So so sorry to hear this, Sam knew you loved him, don't beat yourself up over this. Try remember all the great memories with him for now, thinking of you. Take care

Merry Prankster

Thank you to everyone for the kind words. I was wondering if anyone knows anywhere I can go to ask whether the vet dropped the ball on this one? I'm deeply upset and angry that my cat had such a horrible last week and a horrible death whilst under the care of a vet. It seems incomprehensible that a cat was allowed to suffer so badly for so long without food, water, blood tests or an X-ray. Cheers.

username123

I came across this link on another thread, maybe contact them and see what they say?

http://www.vci.ie/Disciplinary/

Merry Prankster

username123 wrote: »

I came across this link on another thread, maybe contact them and see what they say?

http://www.vci.ie/Disciplinary/

Cheers for the link. I'm going to see another vet this afternoon to see if they'll offer an opinion about the level of care Sam received - I don't want to start bandying about accusations of negligence if they are unwarranted. Nothing will bring my cat back or erase the suffering he endured, but if negligence was involved I'd like to see that it doesn't happen to any other cat.

username123

Merry Prankster wrote: »

Cheers for the link. I'm going to see another vet this afternoon to see if they'll offer an opinion about the level of care Sam received - I don't want to start bandying about accusations of negligence if they are unwarranted. Nothing will bring my cat back or erase the suffering he endured, but if negligence was involved I'd like to see that it doesn't happen to any other cat.

I understand, I'd feel the same.

I was thinking about you last night, I hope you are ok.

SpaceTime

Really sorry that your cat died. They become a big part of the family.

I think it's important to find a really cat-aware vet for any future cats you might have.

Cats (unlike dogs) mask and hide symptoms especially if they're under stress or in a scary environment. They're very hard to diagnose without really knowing cat behaviour.

We take our cat to the Cat Hospital in Cork and I would genuinely say the level of care and specific knowledge of cats and feline behaviour is just leagues above any vet we've gone to before. There's simply no comparison.

The lack of dogs and cat-friendly environment makes a huge difference too.

When you call in. It's a calm, relaxed environment with special cat pheromones being released by plug in defusers. Everything is designed to be cat friendly.

They ask you to take the cat out and let him or her wander around the room and chill out for a few minutes before they even attempt to examine and they observe the cats behaviour as it helps to spot problems.

All in all couldn't recommend them highly enough.

Alun

Wow, that's amazing .. a specialized cat's hospital!! Sounds like a great idea.

Merry Prankster

SpaceTime wrote: »

Cats (unlike dogs) mask and hide symptoms especially if they're under stress or in a scary environment. They're very hard to diagnose without really knowing cat behaviour.

The lack of dogs and cat-friendly environment makes a huge difference too.

I so wish that I'd had a similar facility nearby. I was shocked when I went to visit him after he'd spent his first night at the veterinary clinic (the second place I brought him too). He was terrified because the dogs in the cages beside him were going bananas and were very loud. I'm certain that the stress of not only being away from home, but being in such a scary environment and being force fed with a syringe (which I was shocked at - I thought they could give food through IV), precipitated his decline.

He was very lethargic when he went in - the following day (the last time I saw him), his breathing had gone crazy and his heart was beating at an unbelievable rate. He was struggling to get his breath and was breathing through his mouth. I feel so stupid for not taking him out of there then rather than leaving (abandoning) him there for another night, during which he passed away. But the vet seemed hopeful and even discussed taking him home the following day if his breathing had improved.

Ironically, the first vet I took him to would have been able to accommodate him in a much quieter environment because he isn't running an actual clinic, but by then I had lost confidence in him. Plus, I didn't realise that Sam would be housed in such a scary environment. I assumed he'd be in a quiet, peaceful location, especially seeing as he was so obviously very sick. I essentially threw him out of the frying pan and into the fire. To be honest I'm disgusted at service that both vets provided.

username123

Merry Prankster wrote: »

He was terrified because the dogs in the cages beside him were going bananas and were very loud. I'm certain that the stress of not only being away from home, but being in such a scary environment and being force fed with a syringe (which I was shocked at - I thought they could give food through IV), precipitated his decline.

Tbh with you, when I read this I thought it was very distressing. However - I dont know if this is the norm in a vet clinic?

Merry Prankster

username123 wrote: »

Tbh with you, when I read this I thought it was very distressing. However - I dont know if this is the norm in a vet clinic?

I guess it is. It just doesn't seem very conducive to aiding an animal's convalescence; that cat hospital mentioned earlier seems like an ideal alternative. In fairness, it probably wouldn't even have registered with me had he lived.

Merry Prankster

Hey everyone,

I've been doing a little reading around the subject and I'm now more convinced than ever that serious errors were made in my cat's treatment. I'm planning to visit both vets today - I was wondering what information I am entitled to? Can I ask for the results of the blood tests and X-ray? Can I ask the vet for a description/report of the treatment the cat received whilst under their care?

Also, who can I approach for a professional opinion about the matter? I have contacted the VCI who are sending out a form, but obviously I would like to get the opinion of a veterinary professional first before I instigate any formal procedures.

Cheers for any help.

anniehoo

Merry Prankster wrote: »

Can I ask for the results of the blood tests and X-ray? Can I ask the vet for a description/report of the treatment the cat received whilst under their care?

Yes you're entitled to a copy of all records of your pet held by your vet.

wrote:

Also, who can I approach for a professional opinion about the matter? I have contacted the VCI who are sending out a form, but obviously I would like to get the opinion of a veterinary professional first before I instigate any formal procedures..

The VCI is your best option initially. I wouldn't approach a third vet asking for advice. If they were not directly involved in the care of another vets patient they will not give advice, especially if the VCI is investigating it.

Merry Prankster

anniehoo wrote: »

Yes you're entitled to a copy of all records of your pet held by your vet.

The VCI is your best option initially. I wouldn't approach a third vet asking for advice. If they were not directly involved in the care of another vets patient they will not give advice, especially if the VCI is investigating it.

Cheers for your help, I really appreciate it.

So I just ask for all of the records they have on him? Will this will include the cause of death, an appraisal of his condition when he first arrived and a summary of the treatment he received, or do I have to ask for this info additionally?

I did contact another local vet but he said he couldn't really offer an opinion as he hadn't personally treated the cat. The VCI are sending out forms, but I'd be reluctant to go down this route without the benefit of a professional's opinion as to whether it's likely that errors have been made and that further investigation is warranted. A bit of a Catch 22 it seems.

oppenheimer1

I can't see a complaint to the VCI disciplinary going anywhere to be honest. Its only used for cases of professional misconduct. As you said in your first post, the vet did advise hydration via syringe. It needs to be a very serious complaint because essentially you're trying to have the vets livelihood taken from them.

anniehoo

Merry Prankster wrote: »

So I just ask for all of the records they have on him?

Yes and if they refuse you can apply under the Freedom of Information Act (see section 3.3)

wrote:

Will this will include the cause of death, an appraisal of his condition when he first arrived and a summary of the treatment he received, or do I have to ask for this info additionally?

It should contain all procedures done, medications given, health workup profile, blood results, xrays, comments on hospitalisation,complications, suspected cause of death etc

wrote:

The VCI are sending out forms, but I'd be reluctant to go down this route without the benefit of a professional's opinion as to whether it's likely that errors have been made and that further investigation is warranted. A bit of a Catch 22 it seems.

To be honest if you're going this route I would follow what the VCI ask you to do. They are the "professionals". Many people aren't familiar with the complicated medical terminology used so this is what they analyse for you. They will assess the records and info given to them and decide if a case is warranted. No vet wants to be reported to the VCI but be warned it can be a slow process. Some people feel the VCI are biased towards the veterinary practitioner so if you're not happy and still feel the outcome is not to your satisfaction then escalate it privately to your own solicitor. That's if you want to go that far

Merry Prankster

Cheers for all of your advice Anniehoo.

Just one more question, did I mess up by not having an autopsy done? They asked us if we wanted it but we were too upset and declined.

anniehoo

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

I can't see a complaint to the VCI disciplinary going anywhere to be honest. Its only used for cases of professional misconduct. As you said in your first post, the vet did advise hydration via syringe. It needs to be a very serious complaint because essentially you're trying to have the vets livelihood taken from them.

To be honest very few VCI complaints go in favour of the client, but if anything it will make the process of what happened more transparent and understandable for the OP.

anniehoo

Merry Prankster wrote: »

Just one more question, did I mess up by not having an autopsy done? They asked us if we wanted it but we were too upset and declined.

It would've been beneficial to have a post mortem report alright, but sure there's no point berating yourself for that now. The fact your vet offered you this option was good though.

Merry Prankster

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

As you said in your first post, the vet did advise hydration via syringe. It needs to be a very serious complaint because essentially you're trying to have the vets livelihood taken from them.

We started to give the cat water via a syringe ourselves; the vet told us to continue doing this when we told him what we were doing. I don't want anyone's livelihood taken away, but if an error was made I would like that vet made aware of it to prevent any future occurrences.

heathercat

I have just now read the update on poor Sam. I am so sad about it and I feel your loss and hope your pain will lesson with time. I lost a few of my beloved felines as well and know what it means.

I am still angry at the first vet and cannot believe he so mis-diagnosed and didn't take emergency measures on the fist visit.

I know it doesn't help you nor make you feel better, but I am very glad we have a vet clinic here that has 3 vets and all of them are very devoted to helping animals and will advise the owner on what should be done to help the pet. they will rather say to come in on the next day than wait too long. My own poor lad was very ill for a long time (chronic constipation due to an overlooked broken pelvis by another vet 3 years previous), and seeing my own worry and distress about his health and my poor financial situation, they charged VERY little and he got fluids subcutanely (under the skin) every day for 2 weeks.

xxx